Case 344. (Mott, February, 1918.)
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Southard, Elmer Ernest
(Recorded Dream of a Second Lieutenant.)
“During the five days spent in the village of Roeux I was continually under our own shell fire and also continually liable to be discovered by the enemy, who was also occupying the village. Each night I attempted to get through his lines without being observed, but failed. On the fourth day my sergeant was killed at my side by a shell. On the fifth day I was rescued by our troops while I was unconscious. During this time I had had nothing to drink or eat, with the exception of about a pint of water.
“At the present time I am subject to dreams in which I hear these shells bursting and whistling through the air. I also continually see my sergeant, both alive and dead, and also my attempts to return are vividly pictured. I sometimes have in my dreams that feeling of intense hunger and thirst which I had in the village. When I awaken I feel as though all strength had left me and am in a cold sweat.
“For a time after awaking I fail to realize where I am and the surroundings take on the form of the ruins in which I remained hidden for so long.
“Sometimes I do not think that I thoroughly awaken, as I seem to doze off, and there are the conflicting ideas that I am in the hospital, and again that I am in France.
“During the day, if I sit doing nothing in particular and I find myself dozing, my mind seems to immediately begin to fly back to France.
“A dream that keeps on coming up in my mind is one that brings back a motor accident I had about six years ago, which gave me a severe nervous shock. I had, of course, entirely forgotten about it, except when in a motor, when I always thought of it.
“Of the fifth day I have absolutely no recollections.”
This is the one instance in which a man has dreamt the experience of hunger and thirst in addition to battle experience.