What do different faiths teach regarding dreams and meanings?

[OTPEuJill42]

I've had plenty of weird dreams, I don't know what they mean. But since I'm here I might as well ask this: What do different faiths teach regarding dreams and what they mean? Would it help for me to post some of the dreams I’ve had?

Dreams have ranged from topics like just plain creepy to floods to tunnels to interactions with the opposite sex...maybe I'm guilty of lust, which is taught to be a sin in the religion I grew up in. A lot of times when I have dreams about girls they are Asian like my mom, I wonder if that means I've issues regarding my mother. They don't tend to look like her though...

 

[Native]

I've had plenty of weird dreams, I don't know what they mean. But since I'm here I might as well ask this: What do different faiths teach regarding dreams and what they mean? Would it help for me to post some of the dreams I’ve had?

Dreams can be interpreted on several levels:
1) Personal
2) Social
3) Spiritual

All dreams speaks of one´s personal balance in these three areas and besides this, dreams also handles your different stages of life and transitional changes where old mind patterns have to be discarded and new installed.

Good Luck

 

[Pastek]

I've bought some years ago a dictionnary of dreams explanations, it's word by word.
Almost each things may have a signification, for exemple if you dream about water, fire, someone dead, if you fall from hight, an specific animal, etc

Of course most of times a dream is just a dream and means nothing special.

What we believe in our religion is that we can interpret some dreams but not everyone have this capacity.
There's dreams we can try to interpret, some who are from our own (desires, fears etc) and other from the devil.

My book is from Muhammad Ibn Sirin, you can find it here : http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...h-alias=aps&field-keywords=Muhammad+Ibn+Sirin

Muhammad Ibn Sirin was a Muslim interpreter of dreams who lived in the 8th century. He was a contemporary of Anas ibn Malik.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Sirin

I've had plenty of weird dreams, I don't know what they mean. But since I'm here I might as well ask this: What do different faiths teach regarding dreams and what they mean? Would it help for me to post some of the dreams I’ve had?

I can't help yu for that, i can only if you want search according to the words (if i find them in the book) for exemple a tunnel etc

 

[Native]

I've bought some years ago a dictionnary of dreams explanations, it's word by word.
Almost each things may have a signification, for exemple if you dream about water, fire, someone dead, if you fall from hight, an specific animal, etc

Most of the dream interpretation books are very shallow and even misleading. Then it is better to write down the dreams and meditate over the contents until the meaning become aware.

Of course most of times a dream is just a dream and means nothing special.

IMO they all means something - it´s just that some dreams are difficult to place and connect because they deal with some unconcious matters. Other dreams can even deal with future matters - and past.

 

[Quintessence]

Paganisms don't really have "teachings" in the sense you probably mean because they are not dogmatic religions, but there are many perspectives that Pagans from various traditions have on dreams. Dream work means two different things depending on context. It is either a form of divination (omens, specifically), or it is a form of journeying. In either case, it's not uncommon for Pagans to cultivate various skill sets to be petter prepared to dod ream work in order to accomplish various goals. Those goals could be connecting to the gods or recognizing messages from them when they happen, and/or it could be facilitating personal development in some way.

You will come across various "dream interpretation" books. They are all garbage. All of them. Dream interpretation guides are predicated on the mistaken notion that symbolic meanings are universal. They are not. The best person to learn what your dreams mean is always you. Always. A good dream interpreter will guide you through introspective questions to help you discover your own meaning.

 

[Native]

In either case, it's not uncommon for Pagans to cultivate various skill sets to be petter prepared to do dream work in order to accomplish various goals. Those goals could be connecting to the gods or recognizing messages from them when they happen, and/or it could be facilitating personal development in some way.

I agree in this and I think such practice also take place when native (especially young) people take a vision quest and tell the elders of their dreams and visions where elders know of the dream vision symbols and which personal way they lead to in the tribe.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

I agree in this and I think such practice also take place when native (especially young) people take a vision quest and tell the elders of their dreams and visions where elders know of the dream vision symbols and which personal way they lead to in the tribe.

In many such societies, the communication from the spirit worlds that is the dream/vision is to be enacted by the community...it is not usually a personal dream, although it is through an individual; it is for the community and gets interpreted by the community leaders. However, common dreams that individuals have (not the "power" dreams) are usually personal in meaning and teaching. Some cultures encourage people to discuss their dreams, and have methods to continue them to resolution and interpret or guide self-interpretation.

 

[Pastek]

Most of the dream interpretation books are very shallow and even misleading. Then it is better to write down the dreams and meditate over the contents until the meaning become aware.

IMO they all means something - it´s just that some dreams are difficult to place and connect because they deal with some unconcious matters. Other dreams can even deal with future matters - and past.

I agree that books alone are not a solution, they may just give some ideas about what it may be but that's pretty all. Like you said we need the whole picture.
Even with the help of a book (or many) i can't interpret any dream not even mines. I just think it can help and give us some leads but it's still unclear.

I remember just someone who used to have dreams and could understand them, he talked me a little bit about it.

 

[Sabour]

I've had plenty of weird dreams, I don't know what they mean. But since I'm here I might as well ask this: What do different faiths teach regarding dreams and what they mean? Would it help for me to post some of the dreams I’ve had?

Dreams have ranged from topics like just plain creepy to floods to tunnels to interactions with the opposite sex...maybe I'm guilty of lust, which is taught to be a sin in the religion I grew up in. A lot of times when I have dreams about girls they are Asian like my mom, I wonder if that means I've issues regarding my mother. They don't tend to look like her though...

Some dreams do have a meaning, others don't.

Some of the dreams that have a meaning would be clear but it rarely happens.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I've had plenty of weird dreams, I don't know what they mean. But since I'm here I might as well ask this: What do different faiths teach regarding dreams and what they mean? Would it help for me to post some of the dreams I’ve had?

Dreams have ranged from topics like just plain creepy to floods to tunnels to interactions with the opposite sex...maybe I'm guilty of lust, which is taught to be a sin in the religion I grew up in. A lot of times when I have dreams about girls they are Asian like my mom, I wonder if that means I've issues regarding my mother. They don't tend to look like her though...

Dreams are preminitions and remnants of one's past. I have many dreams. Spirits and ancestors trying to tell me something. They are good to guide you divnition anf apply answers to your life and wellbeing.

Usually my dreams tell something about a friend, school, or if its bizaar or silly, its usually something I think is important in my life and I find out Im wrong. I keepnsaying I will write my dreams. I dont usr a dream dictionary. I go by intuition and daily observation.

 

[Native]

Vivid dreams and revelations – Quote from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vision_(spirituality)

“A vision is something seen in a dream, trance, or religious ecstasy, especially a supernatural appearance that usually conveys a revelation, generally have more clarity than dreams, but traditionally fewer psychological connotations. Visions are known to emerge from spiritual traditions and could provide a lens into human nature and reality. Prophecy is often associated with visions. In simple words, it is a religious experience in which the experience can be seen and hence it is called a vision”.
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IMO these dreams/visions often deal with what Carl Gustaf Jung called the collective consciousness, i.e. the common human knowledge which includes knowledge of the creation.

 

[Tumah]

Rabbi Samuel the son of Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Johnathan, 'A person is shown is not shown in his dreams, except what he thought about in his heart as it says, "You king, your thoughts [from the day], came [to you] on your bed (Dan. 2:29)" and some say from here, "and the thought of your heart [from the day], you knew [at night when you dreamt].'
-Talmud

 

[arthra]

What do different faiths teach regarding dreams and meanings?

I'll attach some citations from Baha'i sources here:

"...we hear voices clearly in dreams. It is not with the physical ear that you heard; the spirit of those that have passed on are freed from sense-life, and do not use physical means. It is not possible to put these great matters into human words; the language of man is the language of children, and man's explanation often leads astray."

(Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 96)

"..in dreams he who is in the East sees the West: awake he sees the present, in sleep he sees the future. In wakefulness, by means of rapid transit, at the most he can travel only twenty miles an hour; in sleep, in the twinkling of an eye, he traverses the East and West. For the spirit travels in two different ways: without means, which is spiritual traveling; and with means, which is material traveling: as birds which fly, and those which are carried."

(Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - , p. 326)

"The mind is circumscribed, the soul limitless. It is by the aid of such senses as those of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch, that the mind comprehendeth, whereas, the soul is free from all agencies. The soul as thou observest, whether it be in sleep or waking, is in motion and ever active. Possibly it may, whilst in a dream, unravel an intricate problem, incapable of solution in the waking state. The mind, moreover, understandeth not whilst the senses have ceased to function, and in the embryonic stage and in early infancy the reasoning power is totally absent, whereas the soul is ever endowed with full strength. In short, the proofs are many that go to show that despite the loss of reason, the power of the soul would still continue to exist. The spirit however possesseth various grades and stations."

(Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith , p. 337)