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Lets assume you have a dream....

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
....and in that dream a prophet or a saint or a god of your religion ( lets say you're a christian and jesus speaks to you In that dream ) tells you something. How would you value that experience?

Now, Same incipit but this time in the dream is a prophet/god of a religion different from your own, ( lets say you're a christian and Muhammad speaks to you In that dream ) how would you value that experience?
In both cases with thoughtful consideration of what may or may not have occurred.
 

Yoshua

Well-Known Member
....and in that dream a prophet or a saint or a god of your religion ( lets say you're a christian and jesus speaks to you In that dream ) tells you something. How would you value that experience?

Now, Same incipit but this time in the dream is a prophet/god of a religion different from your own, ( lets say you're a christian and Muhammad speaks to you In that dream ) how would you value that experience?
Hi Cambridge,

Regarding dreams, I believe that anyone who believed in his deity is naturally what he can be dreamed of. Therefore, there is already a preconceived knowledge and understanding in their minds about their deities particularly their teachings/doctrines.

In your first statement, I would value that experience if Jesus speaks to me in dreams and told me something but I would need to evaluate that dreams through prayers for confirmation that He truly spoke in my dreams.

For the second statement, this will depend on the maturity of a believer. If I dream of a god different from my deity. I would value that experience knowing it why I dream of it and evaluate it with God more through prayer.

Thanks
 

Quetzal

A little to the left and slightly out of focus.
Premium Member
....and in that dream a prophet or a saint or a god of your religion ( lets say you're a christian and jesus speaks to you In that dream ) tells you something. How would you value that experience?

Now, Same incipit but this time in the dream is a prophet/god of a religion different from your own, ( lets say you're a christian and Muhammad speaks to you In that dream ) how would you value that experience?
For this guy, dreams are just a biological device that allows my brain to cope. Now, I can say that so simply because I have never had a profound experience in a dream. If I had one, I might think differently.
 

Erebus

Well-Known Member
....and in that dream a prophet or a saint or a god of your religion ( lets say you're a christian and jesus speaks to you In that dream ) tells you something. How would you value that experience?

Now, Same incipit but this time in the dream is a prophet/god of a religion different from your own, ( lets say you're a christian and Muhammad speaks to you In that dream ) how would you value that experience?

I'd probably spend a little time indulging my hobby of amateur dream interpretation.

Why did i dream of a particular saint/prophet/god? What did they have to say? What does this tell me about my own hopes, fears and values?

Had I simply been reading up on religion and my mind decided to go through some of what I'd read?

To my mind, dream interpretation can be a good way to indulge in a little introspection. Unless there's been a major psychological breakthrough since I last studied it, nobody really knows what dreams are or what they mean. Trying to work it out for yourself can still be a useful exercise though.
 

Draka

Wonder Woman
It would really depend upon the dream and the circumstances within it and my experiences leading up to it. I've had prophetic dreams before, dreams quite realistic down to tiny details that have come true, but most of my dreams are not and are just vivid storytelling in my mind. Also, as I have had numerous spiritual experiences while awake, at least one quite profound, then it would certainly take some amount of deliberation on my part to consider what a dream contrary to those experiences means. As I said, would depend upon many things, including experiences leading up to it as to whether it would be considered meaningful or just my mind sorting out some storytelling.
 

Rick O'Shez

Irishman bouncing off walls
Unless there's been a major psychological breakthrough since I last studied it, nobody really knows what dreams are or what they mean.

I think that's right. One idea is that it's the unconscious mind trying to sort stuff out. You can get books about dream interpretation but it's probably just as good to apply some common sense. I'm pretty sure it's the theme or feeling of a dream which is most significant, not so much the detail.
 

Erebus

Well-Known Member
I think that's right. One idea is that it's the unconscious mind trying to sort stuff out. You can get books about dream interpretation but it's probably just as good to apply some common sense. I'm pretty sure it's the theme or feeling of a dream which is most significant, not so much the detail.

I definitely agree there. Too many dream interpretation books get caught up in the nitty gritty while missing what the dream was actually about and how it felt.
 

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
There'd be no difference in the valuing whatsoever. Granted, there really isn't such a thing as a god that is "outside" of my religion either, so... eh? That's the nice thing about being a polytheist. We don't have to be territorial like that.
 

Etritonakin

Well-Known Member
....and in that dream a prophet or a saint or a god of your religion ( lets say you're a christian and jesus speaks to you In that dream ) tells you something. How would you value that experience?

Now, Same incipit but this time in the dream is a prophet/god of a religion different from your own, ( lets say you're a christian and Muhammad speaks to you In that dream ) how would you value that experience?


Weird stuff is all up in my brain most of the time. I do my best to ignore it, go on with my life and keep the commandments.

I'm not worried about messing up God's plans if I miss something or ignore something. God will accomplish what he will, and any information he wants to convey will not be hindered.

Biblically speaking...there is much worldly and spiritual deception going on. Focusing on the commandments (which are completely logical -and are a prerequisite to receiving eternal life, so should certainly be a focus), learning the truth by studying, gathering information and slowly processing it, etc., is far better than heeding any sort of dream or suggestion. We cannot thwart God's plans, but we can make ourselves less vulnerable to deception, delusion, misdirection, etc....

The times and situation are quite different now than when the scriptures were written -and those who wrote them had many real and concrete experiences to accompany prophecies and revelations.
 

LuisDantas

Aura of atheification
Premium Member
....and in that dream a prophet or a saint or a god of your religion ( lets say you're a christian and jesus speaks to you In that dream ) tells you something. How would you value that experience?

As a strong insight about whatever subject matter was being represented. It would probably mean that I feel a drive to address it in some way.

Now, Same incipit but this time in the dream is a prophet/god of a religion different from your own, ( lets say you're a christian and Muhammad speaks to you In that dream ) how would you value that experience?

Unless I had particularly strong aversion to that other person, there would be little difference.

Why? All religions are attempts at addressing basic human anxieties, so there is no worry in "borrowing" a symbolic figure in a dream.

Except that a religion gone particularly stray would provide a symbolic figure of worry, not of warning.
 

Oldsoul

Member
....and in that dream a prophet or a saint or a god of your religion ( lets say you're a christian and jesus speaks to you In that dream ) tells you something. How would you value that experience?

Now, Same incipit but this time in the dream is a prophet/god of a religion different from your own, ( lets say you're a christian and Muhammad speaks to you In that dream ) how would you value that experience?
It all depends on what they were saying..

Either way Jesus or Muhammad. .
I'd consider the dream to epic..
 

Kelly of the Phoenix

Well-Known Member
I've dreamed of the Prophet Muhammad, a dream that felt extra real and was in Arabic (I don't know much Arabic, actually). My visions of God tend to be "Grandfather Spirit", though I've had several dreams of meeting God and the imagery changes though the basic gist remains the same (old and in charge, whether as a chief or a CEO or a judge or whatever). Want to say I've met Krishna in a dream but I don't know ... I do daydream about such things, though. Even though I was brought up Christian, I didn't ever actually "meet" Jesus in a dream until I was in my 20s, and by that point I chastised his need to do things solo, saying that the reason the world isn't fixed is precisely because he didn't insist hard enough that everyone take part. Global problems need global solutions, not some whiny martyrdom complex. The MOST powerful experience, non-dream, however, was when a bird was unable to exit a clubhouse I had in the backyard. I tried to use my grandfather's fish net to catch it to bring it outside, but it kept diving at me (I had JUST been watching The Birds on tv ... that sucked, LOL). I prayed that God help this bird get what I'm doing. It was ... magical, but our selves merged and I could feel what I looked like to the bird and I knew the bird was seeing itself through my eyes. It gently hopped onto the net and I brought it out and it flew away. I've never experienced anything like that again, even though I have helped another bird trapped in a tax office I was working in ... telling it that I knew it understood me and I nodded towards the open door and it flew out. :)
 

paarsurrey

Veteran Member
I've dreamed of the Prophet Muhammad, a dream that felt extra real and was in Arabic (I don't know much Arabic, actually). My visions of God tend to be "Grandfather Spirit", though I've had several dreams of meeting God and the imagery changes though the basic gist remains the same (old and in charge, whether as a chief or a CEO or a judge or whatever). Want to say I've met Krishna in a dream but I don't know ... I do daydream about such things, though. Even though I was brought up Christian, I didn't ever actually "meet" Jesus in a dream until I was in my 20s, and by that point I chastised his need to do things solo, saying that the reason the world isn't fixed is precisely because he didn't insist hard enough that everyone take part. Global problems need global solutions, not some whiny martyrdom complex. The MOST powerful experience, non-dream, however, was when a bird was unable to exit a clubhouse I had in the backyard. I tried to use my grandfather's fish net to catch it to bring it outside, but it kept diving at me (I had JUST been watching The Birds on tv ... that sucked, LOL). I prayed that God help this bird get what I'm doing. It was ... magical, but our selves merged and I could feel what I looked like to the bird and I knew the bird was seeing itself through my eyes. It gently hopped onto the net and I brought it out and it flew away. I've never experienced anything like that again, even though I have helped another bird trapped in a tax office I was working in ... telling it that I knew it understood me and I nodded towards the open door and it flew out. :)
I like and appreciate you post. Good dreams are a gift of God.
Thank you for sharing.
Regards
 
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