Of Dreams and Dreaming

I wrote this Saturday, 11-19-05)

I'm just getting over some kind of virus. That has probably contributed to the malaise that has brought me down these past two weeks. Today was the first day in about a month that I could sleep late without thinking about what I would have to do as soon as I got up. I lay there in the luxury of warmth and comfort, and dozed back off to sleep.

Then, a sort of dream worked its way into that almost awake zone:

I am in the classroom, and the regular teacher and I are cleaning up the room. The kids are clearing out their desks and cubbies, and piling their math kits and other materials alongside of one wall. They haven't left the room yet, so for awhile, there is the feeling of chaos as kids move back and forth and around the room, and the books and materials laying on the floor. They trample over strings of beads, and one student is collecting up decks of cards, left over from a previous lesson. I intercept him and take the box of cards, continuing to walk around gathering up the decks of cards, attempting to place them in the math boxes that are missing them. The teacher and I exchange glances as the kids, filing out of the room, make upbeat comments to us. There is a feeling of relief, that something has ended. There is big messy room to clean up and put back into order, books to put away, and math kits to put back together.

I was thrilled that I could remember the dream in the first place. There was a time when I could easily recall 3 or 4 dreams each night. Those were in the days when I was not working full-time, before I began teaching, and I had the time to record them as soon as I woke up.

But one thing about the dream did not thrill me. I had dreamed about school. My work. On a Saturday morning. Well, at least it had a suggestion of completion and relief. I still don't know what it means, but I haven't really sat down to analyze it yet.

There is something to be said for paying attention to dreams, though. I learned this rather late in life. But as it is said, better late than never.

Back in the mid-90's, I began to do some serious soul searchingabout who I was, where I was going, and what I wanted to do with my life. As a result, I began to pay attention to my dreams. I began to look at what they were telling me. Although I've been one who has been recalling dreams from the time I was a child, I had never made attempts to find meaning in them. For the most part, dreams were fanciful indulgences, and I was more of a curious onlooker than an active participant. I was thrilled by the flying dreams, troubled by the dark halls and doorways I often encountered, and totally intrigued when I was drawn into walking down stairways into other realms. Dreaming was entertainment for me, not unlike reading a good book.

I didn't understand any of these dream elements. I simply enjoyed them. That is, until in my forties when I began to do some personal research into the world of dreams, dream imagery, the meaning of signs and symbols we encounter, and other more advanced concepts like lucid dreaming. I began to look at the content of my dreams, the imagery, mood, setting, time, colors, and characters, and even recorded significant dialogue. I recorded this information dutifully, attempting to remain true to the dream story without adding interpretation. No drugs were involved. Just good, old-fashioned sleeping. The result is a 3-inch binder filled with typewritten pages of dreams encompassing a period of three or so years.

Dreams can affirm your direction, or demonstrate when you are involved in something which goes against your inner compass. A trusty dream character may suggest a word or make a gesture, offering approval or signaling disappointment. Challenges will be made in a dream, battles fought, foes defeated, and villages saved. Children may be lost then found, rivers are passages into new life, and a bird transforms into a prophetic woman right before your eyes. In a dream, a baby speaks like a wizened old man, a visitor gives you a tour of a building, and rooms have a lot more to tell you if you recognize the objects and their meaning. Doors invite, darkness is sinister or delightful, and a snake's bite provides healing strength. Dream imagery can whisper words, like keys to hidden secrets in one's mind. Unlocking the mysteries of who we are and what we are meant to be can be found in the questions raised by our dreams.

Even more importantly, the Word of Godholds the answers to the questions raisedby our living and by our dreaming. If one wants to know how to respond to the world or to individuals, one has only to read the stories of men and women who encountered the Lord in the trials and blessings of their lives to find examplesof what is good, and holy, and acceptable to the Lord. Our Lord's persistence in communicating to us the Way of His magnificent plan is generally, through the ages, ignored by the masses, and recognized by the few who took the time to listen, to pray, and to wait.

Dreams, and visions, the daytime counterpart, played a significant role in many of these encounters and communications between man and his Maker.

When the Divine speaks to the people in the Bible, the images He uses to get their attention and gain their understanding are varied, often powerful and frightening. Jacob's dream of the angels ascending and descending the heavenly ladder, Abraham wrestling with an Angel one night as he slept on the ground, and the dry bones in the valley of the prophet Ezekiel's dream, foretelling a time when the dead shall raise from their graves, refleshed, are not to be dismissed as "just dreams." Solomon, in a dream, asked the Lord for wisdom and understanding, and the Lord gave him this and more (1 Kings 3:3-15). God granted Daniel with understanding in all visions and dreams so that he could advise and counsel the king (Daniel 1:17-21).

Joseph had the gift of interpreting dreams, raising the status of dream interpretation because he analyzed the dreams of a king, and in doing so, followed the righteous path that lead to bringing wholeness to the family that had abandoned him as a child. The Lord spoke to the carpenter Joseph of Mary's innocence (Matthew 1:20-24) so that he would take her to be his wife. Dreams played a significant role in the lives of men and women throughout the ages.

Dreams play a significant role in the lives of people today. You only have to listen to them.

The following link is to a psychologist's website. If you would like to do further reading on the subject of dreams, and spirituality, it is a good place to start.

http://www.guidetopsychology.com/dreams.htm

http://www.guidetopsychology.com/spirit.htm