Dreamwork and how faith can be impacted on an interpersonal level.

Dreamwork and faith can intersect to have the power to shape our lives in profound ways. If we pay attention to our dreams, they can influence our beliefs, actions, and overall well-being.

Many years ago, I went through a divorce. Many nights I was plagued with nightmares. I was being chased, getting lost and in one dream I was homeless and eating garbage out of dumpsters to survive. While I was living from paycheck to paycheck at that time in my life, I was not destitute.

Then came this one dream which I wrote down and recently came upon this week. I had forgotten all about it. This is why I write down my dreams.

In the dream I had fallen off a cliff. I don’t remember the impact, but I had fallen in a vast lake. I was right in the middle and when I turned around, the cliff was no longer in sight. The water was freezing and no matter how hard I swam; I couldn’t get out from the middle of the lake. I couldn’t see the shore no matter which way I turned. I knew I was doomed. Suddenly, a large arm came from the skies and helped me out of the water. I found myself suddenly at the bottom of the cliff. A voice told me that everything would work out fine. I started climbing the cliff.

I woke up.

And while I knew I still had an emotional and psychological climb ahead of me, I held on to the faith that everything was going to work out. I wrote down the dream, prayed a prayer of faith, and acted on the faith. Eventually, I climbed back to the top.

This is one example of how a dream had a transformative impact in my life. Dreamwork and faith can collaborate into your life and even into your daily practice.

The Bible as the inspired Word of God show examples of how people can have faith dreams and respond to them. One of the most famous dreams is Jacob’s Ladder:

Jacob’s dream:

Genesis 28:11-15, ESV-

And Jacob dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Jacob’s acknowledgement:

Genesis 28: 16-17, ESV-

Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

In the book, Dreams and Spiritual Growth, the author points to this scripture to show the dream and Jacob’s response. While Jacob is in awe that God would speak to him, he responds to God in a conditional way which wasn’t the ideal.

(“If God will be with me…give me bread to eat and clothing to wear…then the Lord shall be my God…” Genesis 28: 20, ESV emphasis mine).  

But Jacob at least acknowledges and promises himself to God. As Jacob’s story continues, God kept His promises and Jacob’s life changes in a dramatic way. Since Jacob has met God and later even wrestled with an angel, he becomes a spiritual leader among his people.

It all started with a dream. Jacob “the cheater” becomes Israel “he that strives with God.”

Jacob had complete conviction that God spoke to him in a dream. The images in his dream gave him a sacred place where heaven and earth meet.

This is one Biblical example of many in which dreams guide individuals in the midst of our lives.

By embracing the power of our dreams and the strength of our faith, we embark on a journey of self-discovery and personal evolution. It doesn’t have to be a dramatic dream either.

We can learn to cultivate a deep connection with our inner selves which can illuminate the path to a fulfilling and purposeful life.

All we have to do is take a closer look at our dreams. I encourage you to start your own dream exploration journey.

Tips to start:

1. Start a dream journal. Write down whatever you can of the dream, even if it’s one image.
2. Try setting intentions before going to sleep and practicing mindfulness for better dream recall. Don’t worry about what you can remember and what you can’t. Frustration will stall you.
3. Find a trusted friend, counselor, spiritual director, or dream worker to tell your dreams. It can be cathartic simply to share the dream with another person. Your emotions in your dreams can be a guiding factor. If you were anxious in a dream, ask, “Where in my waking life have you been feeling anxious?”
4. Feel free to get a dream dictionary or play with symbols or themes in a dream. As I continue writing my dreams, I often see patterns emerging or an archetype keeps showing up. (Archetypes include Wise Man/Woman, Trickster, The Hero, The Explorer, The Outlaw, etc…)
5. Play with the dream in your waking life to see if any added meanings become clear. Make sure it feels safe to do so. For example, in my lake dream, I could take a bath, visit a swimming pool or play with water in a sink. It seemed silly to me when I first did it, but I often walk away afterwards with a feeling of peace and release. A few times, I felt something profound.

We dream—it is good we are dreaming—
It would hurt us—were we awake—
But since it is playing—kill us,
And we are playing—shriek—

What harm? Men die—externally—
It is a truth—of Blood—
But we—are dying in Drama—
And Drama—is never dead—

Cautious—We jar each other—
And either—open the eyes—
Lest the Phantasm—prove the Mistake—
And the livid Surprise

Cool us to Shafts of Granite—
With just an Age—and Name—
And perhaps a phrase in Egyptian—
It’s prudenter—to dream—

Emily Dickinson

See also: Harnessing the Power of Nighttime Dreams for Healing, Personal Growth and Self-Discovery – Katie Rea Spiritual Direction 🌞

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