“The dream is the small hidden door in the
deepest and most intimate sanctum of the soul
”
Dreams hold an eternal fascination for mankind. The meaning of these enigmatic images has been debated since the beginning of time - and there are still no absolute answers. Are these the surreal creations of a confused subconscious mind or is there a greater purpose to these dramas of the night? Benign, hostile, mystical, even apocalyptic in content, life is never dull in a dream!
Fundamentally there are three types of dream:
Prophetic dreams foretell the future in some way. They are advisory in purpose, and generally positive and helpful in content.
Mundane dreams relate to the here and now, helping us work through current day issues.
Nightmares link to past events. These blood curdling scenes reflect areas of deep trauma within the energy body. They represent unresolved feelings connected either to this lifetime or to a previous one.
Prophesy and Revelation
Throughout history dreams have been associated with revelation and prophesy. The ancients thought that the knowledge to be found in them was relayed from the gods.
Biblical examples of prophesy are to be found in Joseph’s and Pharaoh’s dreams (Gen 37, 41) as well the Book of Daniel. During these ancient times dreams were considered of such vital importance that professional interpreters were employed to explain their inner meaning. Priests also interpreted dreams. But the context is not just religious. Examples of dream visions are also found in classical literature. Both Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey feature messages sent to humans during sleep.
Dream visions are often encountered in the writings of Christian mystics. In 1373 the mystic and anchoress Julian of Norwich wrote an account of her fifteen “shewings” from God in a manuscript entitled Revelations of Divine Love. These were messages of love and guidance received while seriously ill.
So popular was this concept that it inspired an entire genre of visionary literature in Medieval Europe. Dream vision poetry had arrived! Geoffrey Chaucer is but one of many poets who used this literary device in their works.
Mundane Dreams
Of course the average dream can be quite unexceptional, revealing no more than day to day anxieties and insecurities. These are the dreams of running around naked (feeling exposed) and life getting out of control (deep insecurity). Idiotic rather than menacing these dreams act as a way of reducing stress.
Traumatic Nightmares
Nightmares are different however. Much darker in nature, and more frightening in content, the origins of these tragic scenes have to be questioned. Guns, explosions, destruction and death take centre stage. All is fear and panic. There are physical responses too - adrenalin in the bloodstream pushing up heart rate, blood pressure and metabolism. No wonder people wake up drenched in sweat.
Nightmares can contain strange anomalies. Ages differ wildly from reality. Children in particular often know that they are much older in the dream. Scenery can be historical or unfamiliar. Race, skin colour, social background, it can all change and yet feel so right. I believe that these are clues to a previous incarnation - dramas played out on the battlefields of life.
Each nightmare of course must be judged on its own merits, but there is no doubt that trauma is stored within the energy body and does affect the dream state. This is particularly true of children who are generally more sensitive than adults, and therefore more receptive to past life recall.
French Resistance 1940s
Claire had suffered from nightmares about the French Resistance for years. The scene was always the same. She was part of a resistance cell of fighters against the Nazis. Running across an open field, and desperately hoping to reach cover, the enemy was hot on the trail. Her comrades began to fall under a hail of bullets. She never did manage to reach the deserted barn for which they were heading.
This dream is unusual. It began when Claire married her husband John – and it ended when they divorced! Evidently John’s physical presence was an important factor in the nightmare’s manifestation. This potent impact on his wife’s energy body suggests a close connection between the two in that previous lifetime, and one which was disturbing Claire at a very deep level.
Soul groups often incarnate together, supporting each other while lessons are learnt, and it seems most likely that this is the case here. John’s appearance in Claire’s current life stirred up unsettling memories of a time when they had known each other under very different circumstances. Whatever his role at that time John must have been intimately connected with this final terrifying scene.
English Civil War 1640s
From early childhood Louise had suffered repeatedly from a profoundly disturbing dream. Set in the 17th century she experienced herself bound to a tree with sturdy ropes. In this dream she was not a child but a young woman, and she was aware that Roundhead soldiers stood around watching her. It was in the open countryside, and she felt helpless and terrified.
Somehow this young woman had become embroiled in the Civil War. Louise knew that she was about to be raped and would die shortly afterwards. The high energy manifested at this time may be why this scene repeats itself as a memory. The trauma is still lodged unresolved in her body.
Wall Street Crash 1929
As a small child Mark used to dream that he lost all his money on the stock market. Although it seemed quite natural at the time, he found himself in the body of a grown man, rather than as a six year old. Dressed impeccably in city suit, top hat, polished shoes and holding a gold topped cane, he was very wealthy indeed. The job was financial, connected to investment. It was New York.
As the dream progresses Mark knows that the money cannot last. There is a sense of foreboding. Although he doesn’t experience the moment when the money is lost forever, Mark is aware that his wealthy lifestyle will end with a stock market crash. He also understands that materialism is pointless, that ultimately it doesn’t work.
This time we are not shown the final moments of a past life (that is evidently not important) but are taken back to an earlier period when the wealth was still in tact. The dream is a reminder to Mark of his spiritual mission in this lifetime. He is shown wealth many times but always with the knowledge that it cannot be – and should not be. The purpose of this recurring dream is to keep Mark on track so that he can achieve the spiritual goals that he set himself for this incarnation.