Book 1, Chapter 30

62 “Shall we listen to Epicurus instead? Carneades, in his eagerness for debate, says now one thing and now another; Epicurus says what he thinks, but never thinks anything refined or noble. Will you set him above Plato and Socrates, who, even if they offered no reasons, would outweigh these petty philosophers by their authority alone? Plato, then, bids us go to sleep with our bodies in such a state that nothing can bring error and disturbance to our minds. This is also thought to be why the Pythagoreans were forbidden to eat beans: that food produces great flatulence, which disturbs the tranquility of a mind seeking truth.

63 “When, therefore, sleep withdraws the soul from companionship and contact with the body, it remembers the past, perceives the present, and foresees the future. The sleeper’s body lies like a dead man’s, but the soul is vigorous and alive. Far more will it be so after death, when it has left the body altogether. Hence, as death draws near, its power of divination greatly increases. People afflicted by a grave and fatal illness perceive that death itself is near; images of the dead often appear to them, and at that time they are especially eager for praise, while those who have lived otherwise than they should are then most tormented by remorse for their sins.

64 “Posidonius offers further support for the divination of the dying with the example of a Rhodian who, as he lay dying, named six men of his own age and said which would die first, which second, and which would follow each in turn. He holds that people dream through the impulse of the gods in three ways: first, the soul foresees by its own power, bound as it is by kinship to the gods; second, the air is full of immortal souls in which the marks of truth appear as though imprinted; third, the gods themselves converse with sleepers. And, as I said just now, it is easier for souls to foretell the future when death is near.

62 “Are we to listen to Epicurus instead, then? Carneades says first one thing and then another because he enjoys debate. Epicurus says what he thinks, but he never thinks anything fine or worthy. Will you rank him above Plato and Socrates? Even if they gave no reasons, their authority would outweigh these small-time philosophers. Plato's advice, then, is to prepare the body for sleep so that the mind is not led into confusion or mistakes. The ban on beans among Pythagoreans is also explained this way. That food causes a great deal of gas, which works against the calm the mind needs when searching for truth.

63 “So when sleep draws the soul away from partnership and contact with the body, it remembers the past, sees the present, and foresees the future. The sleeper's body lies like a corpse, but the soul is active and alive. It will do this much more after death, when it has left the body altogether. That is why it has far greater powers of divination as death approaches. People suffering from a serious, fatal illness see this very thing: that death is near. So images of the dead generally appear to them. At that time they are especially eager for a good name, and those who have lived wrongly feel the deepest regret for their sins.

64 “Posidonius also supports the claim that the dying can divine with this example. As he lay dying, a man from Rhodes listed six people as old as himself and predicted the sequence of their deaths, naming the first, the second, and each one after that. Posidonius thinks people dream under the influence of the gods in three ways. First, the soul foresees things by itself, because it is linked by kinship to the gods. Second, the air is full of immortal souls, in which signs of truth appear as if clearly stamped. Third, the gods themselves speak with people as they sleep. As I just said, the soul more easily foretells the future as death approaches.