When I saw my mother-in-law talking very loudly in a distant relatives’ funeral, I then remembered that she didn’t have her hearing aids in, and of course, this made perfect sense … in a dream.
Sleep is good and was made to be good. Within the world of our dreams, we are often invited to grow.
Some dreams are pleasant and interesting, while others can be of the horrific, nightmarish genre that leaves a dark shadow over the next day and invokes fear about the coming evening.What if we had a method of debriefing the theatre of the night? Perhaps if we had a simple way of thinking through our dreams, we might be able to accept them more and see them as something useful.
Dreams are not necessarily there to give us advice about what we should and shouldn’t do. Instead, the dream is a way of offering a question to the self. What is God speaking to me about in this way?
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“Dreams are most useful in spiritual growth when we prayerfully listen to them rather than seek to interpret them. We should receive them as gifts from God, asking him what he wishes to draw to our attention through them.” — David Benner, Sacred Companions
Dreams offer us an invite to know our innermost thoughts (Daniel 2:30).
A few years ago, I learned a process to help me understand my dreams from Dr. David Benner.
Understanding Your Dreams
1. Write them down as soon as possible
Get everything into a journal with as much detail as possible while it is still fresh in your mind:
* Visuals: Colors, specific people, and vivid images.
* Reactions: Your immediate emotional and physical responses.
2. Write down your initial reaction
Take a moment to identify the immediate impact:
* What specific feelings did the dream arouse in you?
* How did you feel the moment you woke up?
3. Use T.T.A.Q. (Title, Theme, Affect, Questions)
* Title: Always give it a title. It is a short story or movie and deserves a title. The act of choosing a title offers unique insight into the meaning of your dream.
* Theme: What is it principally about? Write a short phrase that describes the topic. If it were a movie, would it be a thriller, a comedy, or a romance? Ask God to help you identify the overall theme.
* Affect: What was the emotional affect expressed in it? What were the feelings felt by the principal character in the story or movie? Were there certain emotions expressed by others? Describe the overall emotional tone or impact.
* Questions: What questions does the story seem to be asking of you? The authors of this technique suggest you listen to the story as if it were a friend asking you a meaningful question. The act of formulating the question itself will often give the interpretation.
4. Spend some time in reflection
Make opportunities for prayer, Scripture study, and reflection on the questions suggested by the story. You might like to discuss your dream with a trusted friend. Hold it gently. Don’t become fixated on it; instead, treat it as but one way in which God may be speaking to you.
For an introductory explanation of this technique, I would refer you to Care of Souls by David G. Benner.
A final cautionary word: Don’t build your life around a dream. A dream is just that—a dream—and it is only one part of your life. For guidance and making wise decisions, you always need to add in wise counsel from others, scripture study, and prayerful discernment.
Quotes to Consider
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“Very often, dreams speak to us in specific detail. They show us what we need to do now to heal ourselves or better our lives.” — Harold Klemp
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“Dreams are illustrations… from the book your soul is writing about you.” — Marsha Norman
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“A rich dessert of many layers, the realm of dreams will take you far beyond your daily life into levels of love and awareness that you have only dreamed possible.” — Debbie Johnson
Questions to Answer (Leave a Comment Below)
1. What has your experience with dreams been like?
2. Are you open to the idea of God speaking to you through your dreams?
Further Reading
- 7 Steps to Enable a Rhythm of Rest
- The First Step to a Great Day is How You Fall Asleep
- 6 Invitations to Know God Deeply Through Silence and Solitude
Barry Pearman
Image cc: Rodolfo Sanches Carvalho
