ASPR Journal, V14 - Iapsop.com

Experiences of Miss Halderman. 279
Towards the end of January, 1914, after leaving London, I
went to Paris, and it was there, a few nights after my arrival, I
had my first dream of a great war. Tho' then, as subsequently,
I little realized that what I was getting were foreshadowings of The
Great War.
In these most realistic dreams, extending from the end of
January to June, 1914, I saw myself, or rather I was, as it were,
witnessing war-scenes among European nations.
Distinctly visible in one of these dreams were British and
German uniforms, also aeroplanes in great numbers were flying over
the heads of these same British and German soldiers. This led me
to know that aircraft would play an important part, and it was one
of the points I always laid stress on in repeating these dreams to
the various friends, after their frequent recurrence. I suppose that
I had as many as seven or eight of these war-dreams, or sleepvisions,
over the period of the five months in which they came to me.
Far more imbedded in my mind than the actual details of the
various war-scenes, was the strong impression,-nay knowledge-upon
wakening each time, that a great war would break out in
Europe before the end of the year, that British and Germans would
be involved, at1d that the air would become a battling ground, as
well.
The knowledge of these three facts seemed to obliterate unnecessary
detail, nor was I apprehensive of the danger of turning false
prophet,. in innumerable times repeating to various friends the information,
" You will see, there will be a big war in Europe before
the end of this year."
Some knowledge that even the dreams, in their oft-times halfremembered
details, did not apparently give, remained secure, and
made assurance doubly sure, that there would be war in Europe,
before the end of 1914.
I have asked two of the friends kindly to bear me out in the
above statements, as . told them at various times during those six
months, preceding the volley of war-declarations at the end of July
and beginning of August, 1914. One of the two friends was in
Paris, stopping at the same hpte1 I was, during Jarouary and part of
February, 1914. The other friend and I were together during the
five months ending the first days of July, 1914.
I trust their testimonies will help prove the case in point, that
Digitized by Goog I e