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The dream of the neurotic has in recent years attained a position of very considerable importance in the diagnosis of war neuroses and a large variety of nervous disorders. Very little attention has, however, been given to the dreams of normal healthy children, and the investigation which forms the basis of the material of this little volume is wholly concerned with the latter type.

It will be noticed that in the records of dreams of the younger children they have been, in some cases, woven into connected stories by a greater fusion with waking material than is common in the dreams of adults. It was thought that some children had invented dreams, but an attempt to obtain “faked” narratives by essays written on imaginary dreams proved that such material can readily be distinguished from the true records, and there was no difficulty in eliminating dreams of this nature.

The important part played by the unconscious in the child’s normal behaviour is now fully recognised, and the dream as the best means of obtaining valuable evidence of the content of the unconscious opens up a rich field of useful research.

The analysis simply attempts a rough classification of the type of dream peculiar to children of different ages, showing the variation from year to year and the influence of environment. The large number of dreams investigated makes the conclusions reliable within this limited sphere and points the way to a more detailed and thorough investigation. The educational possibilities of such a fascinating line of enquiry are unlimited.

I must tender my sincere thanks to many friends who have assisted me in the collection of dreams, and especially to Mr. Cyril Burt for many valuable suggestions in regard to the method of conducting the investigation.