How To Interpret Dreams & Trance
Dreaming has been regarded as a kind of extraterrestrial communication or a way for the divine to intervene in many ancient societies, including those of Egypt and Greece, and its message could be deciphered by those with the corresponding spiritual abilities.
The meaning and function of dreams have been the subject of numerous ideas in contemporary psychology and neurobiology schools.
Dream interpretation has been employed as a therapeutic technique. To go further into your subconscious and emotional condition, it could be useful as a self-awareness resource and it is seen as a medium through which the supernatural communicates with the natural world. However, we will be discussing the biblical method of dream interpretation in this article.
Since time immemorial, many religions have placed a high value on dreams especially the Christian faith since many biblical characters are claimed to have had dreams in which God appeared to them. Hence, It can be beneficial to interpret your dreams using a biblical perspective so that you can learn from God’s possible message to you and find solace and knowledge in it.
What is a dream?
A dream is a series of images, concepts, feelings, and experiences that frequently happen uncontrollably in the mind during particular phases of sleep mostly in the night and sometimes in the afternoon.
It is also worth noting that each dream that a person has lasts between five and twenty minutes on average, however, the dreamer may feel that the dream lasts much longer. Humans dream for roughly two hours per night.
Dream is also seen in the Bible, as channels of divine revelation that disclose what should be done, what will happen, or why certain things are happening in someone’s life.
Biblically, dreams are usually divine and are purposeful; for warning as in the case of Abimelech and Laban (Genesis 20 and Genesis 31:24) respectively, for instruction as in the case of Jacob in (Genesis 31:10-11) and many other examples in the bible.
How To Interpret Dreams & Trance.
The bible recorded 21 different dreams, 10 are in the book of Genesis, 6 in the book of Matthew, 3 in the book of Daniel, and 1 each in the books of Judges and 1 kings. All of these dreams were interpreted and came to fulfillment in their due season revealing to us that dream is a medium of communication between the divine and human. A dream becomes effectual when the dreamer understands the interpretation of the dream just as in Pharaoh’s dream in Genesis 41 which boosts Pharaoh’s (Egyptian) economy when accurately interpreted.
The place of dream interpretation cannot be over-emphasized because many people dream but because they do not have an accurate interpretation, they can’t take steps as regards their dream.
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3 steps to Dream Interpretation
There 3 steps that need to be taken for accurate interpretation of dreams. These steps are
- Remembering the dream
- Identifying signs and symbols in the dream
- Searching for the meaning of the dream.
1. Remembering the dream
This is the first and very important step of the 3 steps in interpreting dreams because a dream that you cannot remember becomes difficult to interpret this is emphasized in Daniel 2:3-7 when King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and he could not remember his dream, it became difficult for all astrologers and diviners to give interpretation to the king’s dream, hence Daniel and his companions had to pray for God’s intervention to reveal the dream and give them the interpretation of the dream.
Here are the things that can help you to remember and enhance the interpretation of your dreams.
i) Pen down your dream
You have to note down every little detail in your dream. This could be challenging at first, but with practice, remembering the specifics of your dreams will get simpler.
Any detail you can recall about the environment, the people there, or the things surrounding you could be crucial. God will make something extremely obvious to you if it is significant, therefore write down those significant things.
You can also pray for grace to remember your dreams when you wake up because human beings dream almost every day. It is just that they don’t remember it when they wake up just like the case of Nebuchadnezzar.
You have to pay attention to important things such as Animals, colors, directions, and numbers which are just a few examples of symbols that could be significant as we see in Joseph’s grain and stars dream in Genesis 37:1–10.
A dream may contain either negative or good symbols which can enhance the interpretation of your dream.
ii) Be observant of the emotions you feel.
Usually, your dream might have been exciting, sad, or alarming, you typically have a general emotional reaction to it. You have to take note of when these feelings appear in your dream, and which object or people trigger these emotions. For instance, if a certain object made you afraid or if you felt drawn to a figure, make sure to write it down in your recounting of your dream.
iii) Determine if the dream is about you or somebody else.
Pay close attention to your viewpoint and the dream’s exchanges. If you remained silent or avoided eye contact with individuals around you, it’s possible that you were merely watching or seeing the occurrences, which do not directly affect you. It can be more of a warning vision for something that might happen. The dream is likely intended to have an impact on you or your life if you perceive yourself as the main character.
1v) Ask yourself when the dream occurs.
It is scientifically believed that dreams are usually memories or future events that have been processed in the mind.
Hence, dreams might be made up of past experiences, current life events, or future events.
For instance, your dream might likely be a reflection from the past, if you see yourself in a dream that you are younger and surrounded by folks you used to know. You might be dreaming of a future time if you are uncertain about your location or your surroundings.
God may give you a dream about an incident that happened in the past that’s hidden in your heart and that creates pain in your life so that you can then pray for healing and be conscious that such an event will not repeat itself.
2. Identifying Symbols in your dream
This is the next step on our list of the 3 steps to dream interpretation. Symbols, numbers, animals, color, weather, etc. have been very powerful since time immemorial in helping to interpret dreams just as in the case of Pharaoh’s dream of 7 cows and 7 grains in Genesis 41, it is the number that symbolizes 7 years of plenty and 7 years of famine.
Symbols assisted Daniel in interpreting his dream in the book of Daniel chapter 7, where he saw some animals in his dream that symbolize human empires.
Joseph in his dream saw the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bow down to him; these elements in the book of Genesis 37:1–10 symbolize his parents and brothers.
Hence the place of symbols in the interpretation of dreams cannot be over-emphasized.
Here are some symbols to take note of in your dream
i) Note the colors of objects in your dreams.
Different colors stand for various aspects of symbols. It is widespread knowledge that colors have religious significance. For instance, because the Virgin Mary is frequently seen wearing blue clothing, blue is the hue that is associated with her. Blue stands for grace and well-being, Purple stands for creativity, royalty, and wealth, Red symbolizes Passion, Love, Anger, or fire, and Green stands for new beginnings, Abundance, Nature, and growth. The colours of the object that you see in your dream are important in interpreting your dream hence take note of them.
ii) Pay attention to animals.
Another symbol to take note of in your dream is animals, their actions, and emotions.
Animal symbolism can be challenging at times since they can have both positive and negative connotations in the bible.
For instance, if you see a Lion it might symbolize Jesus, who is the lion of the tribe of Judah. However, the devil is depicted as prowling like a roaring lion in the bible as well.
Cats can symbolize evil spirits, or they can be seen as comforting.
Dogs can also have positive or negative meanings. They can be man’s best friend, or symbolic of unbelievers.
Due to this conflicting character, it is good for you to take note of the attributes that such animals display in your dream so that you can easily know if it is negative or positive, this also will help in interpreting your dream.
iii) Take note of significant numbers.
Numbers are also significant in the interpretation of your dreams. The numbers might be in written form, but they are more likely to show up as a certain quantity of items. As an illustration, the bible describes how Joseph deciphered the dream that Pharaoh experienced. Pharaoh witnesses seven thin cows devouring seven giant cows in his dream. The dream, according to Joseph, foretells seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of famine.
Also in Genesis 40:9–15 and 16-19, the numbers of the branches and bread seen in the dream of the cupbearer and Baker indicate the number of days that the event will take place which is 3 days.
Likewise, In Daniel’s dream in the book of Daniel chapter 7, he saw four beasts. Also in the same dream he saw a beast with ten horns, all the numbers were significant in the interpretation of his dream.
iv) Take note of objects of importance.
Another thing that you need to take note of are objects or things that appear in your dream and what are they used for, these might be objects of religious importance or not but have a great significance as seen in the dream one of the Midianite in the book of Judges 7:13-14 who dream that a loaf of barley rolls into camp and overturns a tent. The objects of importance are the loaf and tent.
These two objects were interpreted thus; the loaf symbolizing Gideon’s sword and the overturned tent symbolizing the Midianite.
Another dream that reflects the importance of objects is the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel chapter 2 where he saw a statue made of various materials —which represent different world kingdoms. The statue is smashed by a stone which becomes a mountain, representing the coming kingdom of God.
Both dreams have ordinary objects in them but what happens to the objects is very significant, these are things that you need to look out for and note for you to be able to interpret your dreams.
3. Exploring for Meaning
The last step on our list of steps on how to interpret dreams is Exploring for meaning. After you have taken the two earlier steps what is next for you to do is to look out for meanings of everything that you have noticed in the dream.
It is good to note here that although there are many places that you can explore it is better to seek reference to the giver of the dream who is God for the accurate interpretation this we can infer from the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel 2:3-7 when King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and he could not remember his dream, it became difficult for all astrologers and diviners to give interpretation to the king’s dream, but gave the dream and the interpretation to Daniel.
Hence we need God’s mercy and grace to interpret our dreams correctly. There are indeed numerous materials, astrologers, and diviners who can help interpret dreams but most time they fail just as in the case of King Nebuchadnezzar.
Here are some ways to seek meaning in your dreams.
1. Don’t use a standard dream symbol dictionary
In seeking the meaning of your dreams You should not depend on a common dream dictionary to interpret symbols in your dreams but you should consider how they relate to the Bible to assess the significance of any object or symbols that appear in your dreams. For instance, common dream dictionaries might consider a goat to be a symbol of wealth, whereas, from a religious standpoint, a goat is typically connected to oppressors and unrepentant sinners.
2. Analyze each symbol.
Analyzing each symbol is another important action to take in understanding and interpreting dreams. This requires you to think about each symbol’s potential meanings, especially how they might apply to your current position. If you have a spiritual dream, it’s possible that God created it specifically for you to learn something such as In the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel chapter 4 he dreamt of a huge, magnificent tree being cut down to earth, and the stump and roots are left to go mad.
The dream represents Nebuchadnezzar’s coming downfall: God’s judgment on him for his arrogance. If you look at the symbols; Axe, tree, and the symbols in Matthew 3:10 “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” Same axe and tree. This shows that you can align the symbols in your dreams with the bible in a bid to interpret your dream.
Hence, if you look closely enough at the symbols, you’ll probably discover the secret significance that resonates with you.
3. Check if the dream is literal or symbolic.
You have to check if the dream is literal or symbolic. If you dream that someone or something dear to you is going to pass away, it can mean something literally or it might mean something symbolic. It may be a sign to break relations with that person or circumstance if someone dies in a dream.
It is good to note that different people’s dreams have featured a variety of popular religious symbols. Serpents and snakes are symbols of evil. Nakedness is a symbol of intimacy with God. The condition of your spirit might be compared to the status of houses and their beauty or decay. These images appear frequently in religiously themed dreams.
4. Consider the feelings you had the day before the dream.
You must examine your life to see if there are any areas where you experience the same feelings as you have in your dream.
Your dream can simply be your mind’s way of processing the day while you sleep if you are under a lot of stress or are highly busy. You may occasionally even experience a religious dream that doesn’t feel like a supernatural message. If it doesn’t seem substantial or vital, worrying about the interpretation might not be worthwhile.
Hence, you need to consider how your day went or what you heard or saw a day before the dream.
5. Pray about the dream
The next step to take is to pray about your dream. You need to ask God what he is trying to teach you if the dream seems to be a very vital message or warning.
A religious dream can occasionally be a challenge from God to get you to seek out a crucial truth. Do not disregard a dream just because it is unclear to you. Look for the solution in the Bible and in God.
It is also important that dreams can be an answer to your prayers. As a result, consider whether your dream is a response to a prayer that you have prayed to God. A dream may contain answers from God.
Conclusion
Dreams have been interpreted in many ways and through many methods such as the psychodynamic method of dream interpretation, the physiological method, the cognitive method as well as the biblical method. However, the most accurate and efficient way to interpret dreams is the biblical method.
