In the Book of Genesis, when Joseph travels to Egypt as a slave, his skill as a dreamer and dream interpreter earns him recognition and respect. Joseph’s interpretation of the Pharaoh’s dream not only secures him a position as the Pharaoh’s chief counselor; it also saves the country from a devastating famine.
Throughout the Bible, dreams play an important role in accessing the spiritual realm. God announces His covenant with Abraham in the midst of a dark and strange dream. In another stunning dream, Jacob sees a celestial ladder connecting the earth and the heavens. In the Gospels, God’s guidance also appears through dreams. In a dream, an “Angel of the Lord” appears to Joseph (a different Joseph) and tells him that Mary will give birth to a Divine child. In a dream, the Magi (Three Wiseman) are warned not to tell King Herod about the family. In a dream, the Angel of the Lord tells Joseph to flee to Egypt before Herod’s men can find them. And in a dream, they are told that Herod is dead and it is safe to return home.
Remembering Your Dreams
Many of us have hundreds of dreams each night, but do not remember them the next morning. Sometimes we remember a dream in the first moments of waking but lose it throughout the day. In order to remember and interpret more of your dreams follow these practices:
1. Before going to bed, clear your mind and tell yourself,"I will remember my dream when I wake up".
Having this intention as you go to sleep is very important. Ancient dreamers (such as the Egyptian priest) practiced dream incubation - before going to sleep they would recite certain incantations or perform certain rituals in order to receive specific types of dreams such as healing dream or a prophetic vision.
2. Have a regular sleep time and wake time.
3. Keep a pencil and notebook or dream journal next to your bed so that it will be within reach as soon as you wake up.
4. Upon waking from a dream, lay still in your bed, keeping your eyes closed and moving as little as possible. Wake up slowly. Hold on to the feelings you have and let your mind wander to the images of what you have just dreamt.
5. Write down as many details as you can, no matter how small or seemingly unimportant it may be. Do not judge the dream or worry if it makes sense. Sometimes it may help to draw pictures.
6. Have a friend, teacher, or relative that you regularly tell your dreams to. Learn to share your dreams and talk about them with others. The more often you acknowledge your dreams and bring them into the light of day, the easier it will be to remember them.
Psychoanalytic theorist Carl Jung describes dreams as a window into the unconscious (both the personal and the collective). In them we encounter archetypal figures and symbols. By exploring these archetypes through the narrative of the dream we can learn ineffable truths that lead to spiritual self-discovery.
One of the most compelling types of dreams is the lucid dream. In a lucid dream, the dreamer realizes that they are dreaming and is able to consciously participate in and control the experience of the dream environment. For most people this skill must be actively cultivated.
