WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN DREAMS

Recording your dreams and improving your dream recall are important steps in learning how to more fully benefit from your nighttime spiritual experiences. However, much more can be done if you truly desire to strengthen your inherent connections with the divine spiritual planes and provide the basic information necessary for accurate and meaningful dream interpretations.

In this section we want to direct your attention to those features of your dreams that we believe are of the greatest importance as you seek to deepen your experiences in the spirit. Contrary to popular thinking these features are not the same as those that we recognize as important in our earthly lives. The hierarchy of importance in spiritual reality diverges substantially from that found in material reality, and in many ways it is the exact opposite. This divergence of relative importance exists because of the substantial difference between our spiritual purpose as humans and the purposes that we assume in the material world.

With this fundamental spiritual/material dichotomy in mind we would like to bring your attention to those aspects of dreams that are of greater importance. These are listed below. Please read this list carefully and do your best to recognize, recall, and record these features in your dream journal and include them in your dream submissions.

Pay particular to the following:

1. Any aspects or features of your dream that are presented with extra-ordinary energy or power. This can be anything from your emotions to storm clouds gathering in the distance.

2. Your point of view—note whether you are a participant in the action of your dream or an observer of an unfolding scene.

a. if you are a participant, describe your movements (left, right, up, down, etc.): that is, what are the directions in which you move while walking, driving, running, riding, etc. Note the movement of others.

b. if you are an observer, describe what you see and experience.

3. The level of light in your dream on a scale from total darkness to bright daylight.

4. Any of the colors that you can recall; also note to the qualities of the colors, e.g., flat, dull, muddy, bright, luminous, etc.

5. The setting where the dream takes place. Describe your surroundings and the atmosphere of this place, e.g., bright, clear, gray, heavy, smoky, murky, dull, etc.

6. Note any other individuals in the dream with you. Recall where they are in relation to you, i.e., in front, behind, to your left, your right, above, or below; also note what they are wearing, and note especially the colors of their clothing, hair, and eyes; note any other distinctive features that come to your attention.

7. Pay particular attention to any strong emotions that arise, either yours or another’s, and the manner in which they are expressed.

8. The narrative of the dream: the story, the action, and the context of any situation.

9. Geometric objects (e.g. circles, squares, triangles), their unique shape, and any distinguishing features, especially their color.

10. Any communication, either written or spoken (e.g., in person, via book, telephone, television, or letter); any numbers; if you see a clock note the time.

11. Specific thoughts that you have while in the dream, any intentions that you set, anything that you say or read, or anything that is spoken to, or read to you.

12. Objects that are specifically brought to your attention so that you must look at or touch them, especially those objects that you see in a close-up.

13. Parts of your physical body that are specifically brought to your attention, any reference made to the physical body of another, any parts of your body that are touched by yourself or by another.

14. Food or drink that you see, that are presented to you, that you consume, or that you present to others. Note the quantities involved.

15. Animals, plants, or flowers that you see or are mentioned. For an animal, especially note its disposition toward you (is it friendly or hostile?); note its color and markings and any unusual behavior or features. If it is a domesticated animal note the breed. If it is a plant, note the context and the condition, the color, and, if indicated, the season (e.g., a tree in spring, grass in the late fall).

16. When recording your dreams, relate only what you clearly recall; do not embellish or speculate. If you are not sure about some feature either note that fact or leave that feature out of your description. And please do not include your own explanations, justifications, or interpretations of any feature or aspect of your dream, this is not helpful.

A faithful job of recording your dreams which includes these elements will give Christian Dream Interpretation the basic materials that we need to understand the central message of your dream, the major themes and some of the important features and symbols. With this, you will achieve a deeper understanding of the spiritual dynamics within your consciousness. This knowledge will, over time, make increasingly coherent and comprehensible the relationship between your waking and sleeping consciousness and your earthly and spiritual life.