Christianity

Christianity, Sleep and Dreams

This post continues our discussion of the range of topics contained within the deep, complex, and profound relationships that exist between sleep and dreams, the teachings of the Christ, and the Christian religion. As portrayed in the Holy Scriptures, these facets of human consciousness and areas of human life are deeply intertwined, a fact that is no less true today than when the gospels were written two thousand years ago.

To begin to grasp the intimate and sweeping way that our chosen areas of study interrelate in the mysterious realms of human consciousness it will be necessary for many in the modern world to open their hearts, broaden the horizons of their imagination, and prepare for a deeper level of inner experience. It is impossible to begin to comprehend the grandeur of the divine spiritual realms with a heart and a mind that is closed and confined within material reality. However, with imagination and inspiration you will begin to move into the fullness of the spiritual heritage that is unique to Christianity.

As the world’s community of Christians prepare for the return of the Lord a new and deeper understanding of His teaching will carry mankind into the next phase of our spiritual development. For some Christians among us today, this process has already begun. Already there are a growing number of individuals who are receiving the direct illuminations found in His word. These individuals represent the future of our religion, they are pointing the way forward for a humanity that will be less consumed with material reality and increasingly aware of our spiritual heritage.

Right now, in our time, the numbers of those individuals who are more spiritually aware are beginning to grow in a most extraordinary way. Unlike many contemporary Christians, these individuals will not look to the past, to public opinion, or to the organized church for sanction or guidance, but rather to the living Christ who provides unique instruction from within.

At Christian Dream Interpretation we believe that the first place in which we become aware of His immanent presence is in our sleeping dreams. These nightly revelations can serve as a point of departure that will allow any sincere and devoted Christian to explore the fuller dimensions of their unique spiritual nature under the loving guidance of the Son of Man.

So what must be done so that the contemporary Christian can move forward on this path? What must we do to avail ourselves more deeply of the Lord’s nighttime presence? What are the initial steps that are necessary so that we can open to this vast untapped inner resource?

First, we must adopt a frame of mind and a basis for understanding that creates a fertile field on which the actions and the words of the Lord might take hold within us and grow. We must position our forces of thought and feeling to be receptive to His word so that His promise can become a reality in our lives. It will be necessary for us to gradually, yet persistently, transform our thinking; we must be willing to move toward a new and deeper understanding in regard to our religion. An understanding that is more spiritual and less material. We must bring much greater clarity to our relationship to the forces that reside on the divine spiritual planes.

If we insist, as many do, on rigorously adhering to traditional approaches to and understanding of Christianity we will remain stuck in the past, we will be unable to move forward and prepare our consciousness so that we can “see him as he is” and “be like him”. (1 John 3:2)

The Spiritual Nature of Dreams

Everyone has had occasion when they have been profoundly affected by their dreams. We have all had dreams that are frightening, forecast the future, convey specific instruction, or fill us with wonder and awe. Dreams are almost always difficult to decipher, and often they convey a degree of mystery that few other forms of human experience can match.

Why do dreams so transfix, confuse, and inspire mankind? It is because dreams are, at their very essence, spiritual experiences. They are expressions of the soul and the spirit, and as such they form a link between our experiences in material reality and our inherent spiritual nature. Dreams sometimes reflect circumstances and events of the physical world, but they are not of the physical world.

In the Judaeo-Christian tradition it is acknowledged that dreams are a gift from God. Not all dreams are from God, although some are and those that are reveal a deep insight into the spiritual nature of man, into the dynamics of individual human consciousness, and into the continuous spiritual transformation of all of humanity.

Dreams are an integral part of the Christian experience, and we all know from our studies that there are many examples of divinely inspired dreams recorded in the Holy Scriptures. These dream experiences guided the development of human consciousness, gave instruction to specific individuals, and offered warning, protection, guidance, and insight to the patriarchs, prophets, disciples and apostles.

Today, these experiences are available for every sincere and devoted Christian. Indeed, many Christians are having these experiences on a nightly basis although often they are not recognize for what they are.

There is a tendency among some modern Christians, and among many non-Christians, to view the Biblical examples of divine revelation as quaint stories or child-like mythologies from the distant past. But they are much more than that. These mythologies come down to us as clear examples of divinely inspired instruction for specific individuals, for communities, and for whole nations. There is often an immediate utility to these experiences, a warning to flee, for example, and there is a longer term purpose that is intended to remind humanity that we are not alone in the world, that we have not been abandoned to the dark forces of the universe.

The dream visions of the Holy Scriptures are there to remind us of the manifold ways in which the Lord guides, defends, and protects the development of human consciousness. Anyone in the modern world can avail themselves of this divine guidance merely by paying more attention to their sleeping dreams.