Believing in Dreams or Enjoying Them ? The Debates in the Mercure Galant (1678-1714)

At the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th, the French publication Le Mercure galant echoed reflections on to what extent premonitory dreams should be trusted, in a global context of fight against “superstitions”. Dreams are less prized as a means of access to knowledge, but they are sought after as such for their poetic function and evocative power, as evidenced by the various references to dreams within the journal.