Friends beheaded in my dreams

[hasikelee]

For the past few months, I have dreamed of various friends/acquaintances being beheaded in front of me.

This is bizarre and very disconcerting, to say the least. I have a dream with a beheading in it about once a week. Definitely a nightmare, but not a night terror. I have not watched any movies that would trigger this, nor read any news clips. I don’t have any other indications of unhappiness or mental distress.

The dreams are all different from each other and not a repeat, but they do have a similar structure. Sometimes the setting is in a church, outside, at work or in my house.

Essentially, I am talking to a person I know in real life. That person starts crying and telling me he/she wants to see Mother Mary. I start to comfort the person and talk about Catholicism. Then the person falls to his/her knees in front of me and holds out his/her hand. In the hand is a gold, circular object with a crucifix over a dragon. The dragon is moving around. The person always says the same thing, that I need to be prepared.

I look up to ask the person what it all means, and see a figure that looks like Mary walk behind the person and slice off his/her head. The head rolls onto my feet! It’s disgusting and very graphic.

Then I wake up.

The first couple times this happened, I shrugged it off as stress or eating late at night. Then I thought maybe it’s my over active imagination because I have been talking to some coworkers about Catholicism.

Now I’m getting just a teensy bit freaked out.

I’ve never been one to analyze my dreams and I am against believing in messages in dreams. Maybe there’s some sense to this one though???

Help!

 

[jimmy]

Wow that is a freaky dream. I do not know what it means but reading it is frightening.

 

[water]

I look up to ask the person what it all means, and see a figure that looks like Mary walk behind the person and slice off his/her head. The head rolls onto my feet! It’s disgusting and very graphic.

This definitely does not sound like our Mother Virgin Mary.
I am not sure what your dreams were all about; however, you could pray God for protecting and giving you a pleasant sleep. Ask St. Michael the Archangel to protect you too. Of course, bring the dream to Virgin Mary and ask Her to protect you as well.

I am guessing your dreams have to do with something you thought about during the day. You might be worried for the salvation of your co-workers; thus, weird dreams came to your mind.

I hope you have a good sleep.

 

[Reepicheep]

Hasikelee:
First, I would take Water’s advice. Pray, asking the protection of the Blessed Virgin and your guardian angel.
Then go to a priest and ask about this.

The design on the circular object worries me. The dragon is traditionally a symbol of the devil. And as Water said, that does not sound like anything the Blessed Virgin would do.

 

[hasikelee]

All scariness and grotesque images aside, what really bothers me about this dream is that I had similar nightmares a long time ago. Not beheading dreams, but dreams where a figure who looked like Mary was doing something disturbing.

This went away for many years. Now it seems to be back again. I believe the figure is never Mary, but it is a startling feeling. Oftentimes the figure will shapeshift and I get a feeling as if I bought into it but figured out [that it is not Mary] too late.

I will pray evermore fervently and try to get to Mass more often!

 

[water]

Let’s make these dreams more positive. If the dreams make you worried and scared, come to God more and more and pray more and more. If the dreams make you think of the Blessed Mother, then come to Her. Eventually, the dreams will go away, and what left behind is your devotion to God.

Peace be with you.

 

[FiremanFrank]

Before getting into the possible significance of your dream, a quick review here on what we should rememeber about them from a Christian perspective.

As a rule of thumb, dreams should never take precedence over the instructions, guidance, or Sacraments of our Church.

Second, dreams might be a way of God trying to get our attention on something (this requires a good deal of spiritual discernment/prayer on your part!).

So here is what I think: I think that this dream is not without merit. Too much religious symbolism going on here to ignore.

Now, to the meaning of the images in your dream. A few are obvious, the others I have taken from a very sound Christian book on dream imagery as it relates to biblical symbols.

(in the order that the symbols had presented themselves in your dream)

• People are coming to you (God is using you in some intercessory fashion).
• They are crying (signifies repentance, change of heart).
• They want to see the Blessed Mother (she is God’s #1 intercessor against evil).
• You talk to them about Catholicism (you are giving testimony to Truth).
• The person falls to their knees (total submission).
• They hold out their hands (surrendering their will).
• They hold a round Gold object in their hands (this signifies the work and mercy of God).
• It has a Crucifix over a moving dragon (the saving action of God’s death on the Cross is battling the workings of Satan in our lives - the devil is active).
• They tell you to be prepared (every Christian should always be prepared for spiritual warfare - it might indicate you are to be involved in intercessory spiritual warfare for others - if so, you are blessed!)
• Mary slicing off their head (in the context of this dream, people’s heads indicate their mind, will, intellect, and pride. So it appears that the BVM … with your help … is going to rid them of their own devices in favor of God’s love and graces!)
• Their head rolling toward your feet (once again, clearly indicates the part that you play in this intercessory action).
• This occurrence is disgusting to you (viewing and/or participating in spiritual warfare is tough … but of course well worth it in the end!).
  Also, the fact that this dream is coming to you more than once suggests that these activities might be closer rather than farther away in their happening.

Rejoice!

And fear NOTHING , but God Himself!

 

[puzzleannie]

images in dreams are usually straightforward, and make sense to the individual if he gives it some thought. They are not usually arch-symbols and don’t have cosmic meaning for everyone, except in the sense that people from the same culture might interpret a symbol that has meaning in their culture the same way. Bible readers would probably equate the dragon with Satan, while Asians might interpet something entirely else from the dream image of a dragon.

If there is a meaning in a dream, and it really is the subconscious using images and sensory (name removed by moderator)ut from waking life to process memories and events in waking life, it usually comes clear the more you think about it. Just go about it logically as if you were receiving information, emotions etc. about the people in your dreams from more ordinary sources. First look at your current relationship with the people in your dreams. For instance, have you in fact discussed religion with some of these people? Think about possible conflicts (even old unresolved resentments) with any of these people, does any thing in the scenario of the dream shed light there?

Talk out loud to your self about the various images and events in the dream, and look for their literal meaning. For instance, some people I know use the expression “talking out of the top of his head” to describe a person who is arguing with them or contradicting them. So for them, the literal image of someone’s head coming off could simply mean there is a serious disagreement or continuing argument going on.

Also the person in the dream could stand for someone else. For instance if I dream about my grandmother, maybe she stands for my whole family on that side, my heritage, the baggage from my past etc. But that meaning would be specific to me, to what is going on with me at this time.

Dream imagery is usually very literal in meaning, and the meaning is usually specific and personal to the dreamer, so after some thought it might become more clear to you.

For instance, a friend of mine has been in discussion, almost argument, with family members who claim believe that a certain individual in town has been having visions of Mary and hearing locutions, and claims to be a healer. My friend is trying to convince them that this person is not having an authentic religious experience, because a lot of what she does and says is directly contrary to Church teaching, although she claims to be Catholic. If my friend told me about a dream described in OP, I would wonder if the dream was not telling her to be very careful about these people who claim to have messages from Mary.

 

[hasikelee]

Before getting into the possible significance of your dream, a quick review here on what we should rememeber about them from a Christian perspective.

As a rule of thumb, dreams should never take precedence over the instructions, guidance, or Sacraments of our Church.

Second, dreams might be a way of God trying to get our attention on something (this requires a good deal of spiritual discernment/prayer on your part!).

So here is what I think: I think that this dream is not without merit. Too much religious symbolism going on here to ignore.

Now, to the meaning of the images in your dream. A few are obvious, the others I have taken from a very sound Christian book on dream imagery as it relates to biblical symbols.

(in the order that the symbols had presented themselves in your dream)

• People are coming to you (God is using you in some intercessory fashion).
• They are crying (signifies repentance, change of heart).
• They want to see the Blessed Mother (she is God’s #1 intercessor against evil).
• You talk to them about Catholicism (you are giving testimony to Truth).
• The person falls to their knees (total submission).
• They hold out their hands (surrendering their will).
• They hold a round Gold object in their hands (this signifies the work and mercy of God).
• It has a Crucifix over a moving dragon (the saving action of God’s death on the Cross is battling the workings of Satan in our lives - the devil is active).
• They tell you to be prepared (every Christian should always be prepared for spiritual warfare - it might indicate you are to be involved in intercessory spiritual warfare for others - if so, you are blessed!)
• Mary slicing off their head (in the context of this dream, people’s heads indicate their mind, will, intellect, and pride. So it appears that the BVM … with your help … is going to rid them of their own devices in favor of God’s love and graces!)
• Their head rolling toward your feet (once again, clearly indicates the part that you play in this intercessory action).
• This occurrence is disgusting to you (viewing and/or participating in spiritual warfare is tough … but of course well worth it in the end!).
  Also, the fact that this dream is coming to you more than once suggests that these activities might be closer rather than farther away in their happening.

Rejoice!

And fear NOTHING , but God Himself!

Wow, that’s really scary stuff. I’m not one to go out and save the world. I prefer cleaning the house and playing with my little siblings. I’m just not the big center of attention, the Joan of Arc or Mother Theresa.

I do know that what you say correlates with how I feel sometimes, in that it seems like things always do roll towards me. People I barely know come to me and tell me things, things I don’t necessarily want to hear, trouble I don’t want to be a part of. KWIM? Of course, I feel naturally able to be sympathetic and helpful to them, but the things are disgusting to me at the same time. I don’t know how that can be.

Like, for example, the coworker that told me about her forced abortion. I wanted nothing more than to give her a hug and cry with her. But at the same time, the act of the abortion disgusts me sharply and overbearingly.

Yes, I have talked with several people in real life regarding Catholicism, spiritual issues and Mother Mary, and those people have showed up in the dream. That is why I thought it was simply my mind working through it and not some significant message.

Anyways, I know wholeheartedly that I have the talents and that I would respond to His call, but it would feel like a horrible burden and a big cross. I know it sounds weak, but I fear the idea of it.

 

[guanophore]

I will take a stab at your dream from a depth psychological perspective.

For the past few months, I have dreamed of various friends/acquaintances being beheaded in front of me.

The figures in your dream represent parts of yourself. Their heads are coming off. One question to ask; Is the dreamer losing his/her mind? this often happens when falling in love.

This is bizarre and very disconcerting, to say the least. I have a dream with a beheading in it about once a week.

Well, don’t be too disconcerted. God is trying to save your life, and it may require a little beheading!

"Job 33:15-18 "In a dream, a vision of the night, When sound sleep falls on men, While they slumber in their beds, Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction, That He may turn man aside from his conduct, And keep man from pride; He keeps back his soul from the pit, And his life from passing over into Sheol. "

Definitely a nightmare, but not a night terror. I have not watched any movies that would trigger this, nor read any news clips. I don’t have any other indications of unhappiness or mental distress.

Ever try to push a beach ball under the water, or stand on a paddleboard?

The dreams are all different from each other and not a repeat, but they do have a similar structure.

The faithfulness of the Dreamer Within is that He keeps coming back with the message, until we finallly “get” it.

Sometimes the setting is in a church, outside, at work or in my house.

This may mean that this dynamic is at work in all aspects of your life.

Essentially, I am talking to a person I know in real life. That person starts crying and telling me he/she wants to see Mother Mary. I start to comfort the person and talk about Catholicism. Then the person falls to his/her knees in front of me and holds out his/her hand. In the hand is a gold, circular object with a crucifix over a dragon. The dragon is moving around. The person always says the same thing, that I need to be prepared.

This is very awesome. It demonstrates that you recognize the part of yourself that is seeking. This desire in you is familiar. The symbols in the dream will respond well to amplification. What preparation do you need?

I look up to ask the person what it all means, and see a figure that looks like Mary walk behind the person and slice off his/her head. The head rolls onto my feet! It’s disgusting and very graphic.

Sometimes dream symbolism is very disgusting and graphic. One thought that comes to mind is that a relationship, whether it be with Mary or anyone else, is achieved through the heart, not the head.

Then I thought maybe it’s my over active imagination because I have been talking to some coworkers about Catholicism.

It is true that your imagination is hard at work, but it is because it is time for you to confront some inner work that needs to be accomplished.

Now I’m getting just a teensy bit freaked out.

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and discipline. Choose to trust that your prayers have been answered, that God is weeding out anything that may keep you from Him.

I’ve never been one to analyze my dreams and I am against believing in messages in dreams. Maybe there’s some sense to this one though???

Why would you be against that? What about the wealth of testimony in the scriptures about the profound meaning of dreams?

Help!

Just some musings. May the Light of all Truth shine abroad in your heart through Christ.

 

[Gertabelle]

So much of what has been said here is exactly what I would have said, so I won’t repeat it. Personally, I see nothing evil about the dream, though it is disgusting. Sometimes we need to get disgusted or disturbed in order to shake us out of our complacency.

I just wanted to add in that I have a sort of gift for dreaming, just like I have a gift for singing or teaching. I have extraordinarily vivid dreams and I remember many of them. Since my adolescence I have asked God to use my dreams to speak to my heart in a way that I might listen. During the day I’m a much lesser listener.

Your dream sounds like God speaking to your heart. I think the interpretations here are sound, but the main thing is for you to ask God what YOU need to learn from this.

I also suggest writing down the images you remember with as much detail as you can remember. Leave nothing out. If you noticed it in the dream (the color of a bush in the background, for example) write it down. Add to the writings if you have the dream again or if you remember more. Keep what you have written someplace and come back to it in about a month. I always found that my dreams, from a symbolic point of view, spoke to exactly what I was experiencing at the time, even if I couldn’t see it in the moment.

Always pray before you go to sleep, asking God’s guidance and the protection of His holy angels. Perhaps He has found a way to get your attention to matters that you are not seeing during the day.

Many blessings, and a restful sleep, if that is what God wills.

Gertie

 

[hasikelee]

I will take a stab at your dream from a depth psychological perspective.

Just some musings. May the Light of all Truth shine abroad in your heart through Christ.

I really appreciate your (name removed by moderator)ut, but I am very confused. For example, I have been in a relationship for 5 years so I am not falling in love. Do you mean falling in love with sin or with a new part of my life?

And what does the analogy of the beachball mean?

 

[FiremanFrank]

Personally, I see nothing evil about the dream, though it is disgusting.

Yes, there is nothing evil about the dream, but there is a definite indication of the fight of good vs. evil in the dream (the crucifix in the person’s hand over the image of a moving serpent is pretty self-explanatory).

As I said before, this dream goes way beyond mere “psychological” interpretations. This one means something more. It is definitely spiritual in nature.

So he shouldn’t listen to any “psycho-babble” as it regards this dream.

Sometimes we need to get disgusted or disturbed in order to shake us out of our complacency.

Yes.

I also suggest writing down the images you remember with as much detail as you can remember.

In one of my 4 dreams of Christ, Jesus specifically told me to write down what He was about to tell me. So yes, if one senses that a certain dream is special, then they should write it down.

Leave nothing out. If you noticed it in the dream (the color of a bush in the background, for example) write it down.

Once again, true. Objects, their colors, location, etc., are very important in trying to understand these special dreams.

Add to the writings if you have the dream again or if you remember more.

Dreams that continually repeat themselves is a message of the importance/urgency of what that dream symbolizes.

10 years ago I had nightly dreams of tidal waves that lasted for 6 months. Then, my whole life was literally turned upside down. “Wiped out” from top to bottom.

Another time while I was at work, I dreamt 3 times in a row in one evening that there was a reported structure fire. I shrugged it off upon awakening, ready to leave the firehouse and go home with the arrival of the next shift.

As I was pouring a cup of coffee, the station’s alarm went off and yes - we had a structure fire. And it was in the same area of the city that it appeared to me in my dreams.

But I had fought many fires w/o having dreamt about them first, so why now this time? Well, I got hurt at this one. I was out of work for 2 months.

Next time, I’ll pay closer attention when I have a dream that repeats itself like that …

Always pray before you go to sleep, asking God’s guidance and the protection of His holy angels.

Seeing that I had not asked God for these type of dreams, but they were still coming to me anyway - I now sprinkle my bed and pillow with Holy Water every night, saying:

• God,
  watch over me when I sleep,
  and watch over what I dream,
  and through them,
  allow me to understand your Holy Will,
  to do your Holy Will,
  and to obey your Holy Will.

Amen.*

 

[shirleytowers]

With all respect to those who are trying to help you interpret the dream, ultimately the person to tell what it means is you. What does beheading mean to you?

The one thing I think we can all agree on is that the dragon moving means the devil is moving, is active.

But also I agree with others that the dreams do mean something spiritual.

 

[Shoshana]

I you receive the dreams over and over again, you are not getting it at all. Pray before going to bed and ask God to give you an anwer. He will.

The devil never conceals himself in an animal when dreaming…usually that is the shadow part of the person. I know for a fact that the devil shows himself as he truly is in a dream…you will not be mistaken. Masks for him are not necessary in a dream. You will really know when you are dealing with a demonic force…

 

[hasikelee]

I you receive the dreams over and over again, you are not getting it at all. Pray before going to bed and ask God to give you an anwer. He will.

The devil never conceals himself in an animal when dreaming…usually that is the shadow part of the person. I know for a fact that the devil shows himself as he truly is in a dream…you will not be mistaken. Masks for him are not necessary in a dream. You will really know when you are dealing with a demonic force…

This is very interesting as the two things that I do find curious in the dream are the dragon and the mary-figure.

I have had dreams of the Mary-figure in the past and they are always frightening.

Culturally, I find the dragon to be more comforting than evil or satanic.

 

[Shoshana]

This is very interesting as the two things that I do find curious in the dream are the dragon and the mary-figure.

I have had dreams of the Mary-figure in the past and they are always frightening.

Culturally, I find the dragon to be more comforting than evil or satanic.

It is very much through experience that I speak. One time, I would get this dream on a continual basis which would upset me. I got tired of it all and I asked the Lord to show me what it meant…the word forgiveness came and I wrote a letter to said party and have not had the dream since.

We must listen to our dreams…it is usually the sub-conscious coming to the surface…but not all the time…it can also be used as knowing God will. We only need to look in the bible and the early church fathers to realize this. The mystery of the Trinity was given to us through a dream.

As for the devil, again, trust me that he does not hide himself in a dream…there will be no mistaking him whatsoever. It is absolutely horrifying to say the least…worse than any nightmare or beheadings. He is mean and ugly…again I speak from experience and from reading christian books about it…God bless you…

 

[Shoshana]

In the end, it will be only you that can interpret your dreams and sometimes with the help of a director. Take your dreams seriously and it is amazing what unfolds…

 

[CatholicSam]

If I had that dream, I’m 99% sure I’d take it as a call to pray for the person who’s being beheaded.

I had a dream that was going very well and had a great “atmosphere” to it. I was in a tour group, and we were settling into some spectator stands to watch the sun set in an exotic location. All of a sudden a tiger walked onto the scene and we were all thrilled to see such scenery. Then it came towards us and we saw it was actually the size of an elephant. Then it went right up to a girl in the front row (who was someone I’d gone to school with and who I haven’t thought about in a long time) and I thought, we need to say a Hail Mary for her safety right now! I wanted to start praying alound, but I felt shy and I didn’t say anything. Then the tiger put her head in its mouth and crushed it graphically. Then I woke up.

I thought our dreams have several similarities (Mary, heads, etc.). When I woke up I felt disturbed and prayed for my old school friend. I also thought that if I feel called to prayer I would **never **ignore it again. I had this dream at the beginning of my last pregnancy, so that may have had something to do with it too.

 

[FiremanFrank]

As for the devil, again, trust me that he does not hide himself in a dream…there will be no mistaking him whatsoever.

The history of Church approved apparitions has proven you wrong on that one Shoshana.

Because at many of those apparitions of our Lady, the Devil has in fact “appeared” as an angel, the BVM, and others.

Also, when St . Padre Pio was a child, he recorded in his memoirs that the Devil appeared to him as a man dressed as a priest.

So if the Devil can do that when we are awake, then he most certainly can also do that while we are in the dreaming state.