Help Discerning a Dream (Interpretation)

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Wm777

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The other night, after several long and successive prayers (which started as far back as Aug 15th, 2018), I had a dream - just before I woke for the day…

The night before, I had been reading and praying for humility, which can be a frightening thing to seek, but I felt okay with it. In the morning, as I was waking, the dream presented me with a few things I have been trying to interpret; but - for the life of me - I don’t understand…

The first thing is, I “saw” a lady I used to date a few years ago - we had to break it off just over a year ago, but I prayed for her every day for around three years. I felt a great deal of love “seeing her” again. I know, however, since I was dreaming, it likely wasn’t her, unless perhaps she was thinking of me or something. I tend think it was a part of my mind coming forward into a sort of lucid moment. In any case, I felt comfortable and relaxed, even happy and blessed, as if in a state of infused grace.

But here’s the odd part.

I heard locutions. It was quiet in the house and outside. But I distinctly “heard” a male voice yelling at me for quite awhile, until I woke. As I woke, the speaker of the voice seemed to be “walking away”, as if in a huff… at the time, it was so clear, it could have (and probably should have) been written out; but, when I fully woke, I was so happy and relaxed - I just didn’t care, and went about my day… consequently, I forgot what was actually said… I feel perfectly fine, but it’s caused a bit of strife, like in a confused way.

What I mean is, part of me says it was God yelling at me, and another part says it was the devil. Or, perhaps, another way to look at it might be - part of me says maybe I should heed it as an admonishment, but then another part says - “No, just let it go. God gave you an infused protective grace, which is why the dream didnt really bother you, so focus on the happy graces.” The latter interpretation seems to be my modus operandi, since I had the dream about a week ago.

I intend to speak with some closely held people about it, but right now I just wonder maybe what you all think. What do you think it might mean? How “should” it be interpreted, if at all? What should I pray for?

Thanks and Prayers!

Wm
 
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the Bible tells us about significant dreams, dreams that figure into God’s plan of salvation. They seem to be both dreams and interpretations a special gift at a particular time and for a particular purpose.

This website is not the best place to get advice like this. So, what I say as an opinion that the content of the dream might be related to something, perhaps pleasurable, in your past. When I dream, which is infrequently, the dreams fade away pretty quickly after I awake. I would not advise anyone to put much faith in dreams for any purpose. The patriarch Joseph interpreted Pharoah’s dreams in Egypt. Daniel told the king his dream and interpreted it. Joseph the spouse of Mary had a dream message which I recall as being delivered by an angel. These were supernatural events and seem to occur on only very special occasions.
 
Wm777 said:
The other night, after several long and successive prayers (which started as far back as Aug 15th, 2018), I had a dream - just before I woke for the day…

The night before, I had been reading and praying for humility, which can be a frightening thing to seek, but I felt okay with it. In the morning, as I was waking, the dream presented me with a few things I have been trying to interpret; but - for the life of me - I don’t understand…

The first thing is, I “saw” a lady I used to date a few years ago - we had to break it off just over a year ago, but I prayed for her every day for around three years. I felt a great deal of love “seeing her” again. I know, however, since I was dreaming, it likely wasn’t her, unless perhaps she was thinking of me or something. I tend think it was a part of my mind coming forward into a sort of lucid moment. In any case, I felt comfortable and relaxed, even happy and blessed, as if in a state of infused grace.

But here’s the odd part.

I heard locutions. It was quiet in the house and outside. But I distinctly “heard” a male voice yelling at me for quite awhile, until I woke. As I woke, the speaker of the voice seemed to be “walking away”, as if in a huff… at the time, it was so clear, it could have (and probably should have) been written out; but, when I fully woke, I was so happy and relaxed - I just didn’t care, and went about my day… consequently, I forgot what was actually said… I feel perfectly fine, but it’s caused a bit of strife, like in a confused way.

What I mean is, part of me says it was God yelling at me, and another part says it was the devil. Or, perhaps, another way to look at it might be - part of me says maybe I should heed it as an admonishment, but then another part says - “No, just let it go. God gave you an infused protective grace, which is why the dream didnt really bother you, so focus on the happy graces.” The latter interpretation seems to be my modus operandi, since I had the dream about a week ago.

I intend to speak with some closely held people about it, but right now I just wonder maybe what you all think. What do you think it might mean? How “should” it be interpreted, if at all? What should I pray for?

Thanks and Prayers!
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A dream is usually just a dream and nobody in these forums can give you an interpretation.
 
I think I’ve heard many posters say that this forum isn’t the best place to get answers for almost anything at all, so why do we post here?

Nonsense, I doubt many people ask a question on here thinking they are talking to experts, we don’t talk to ordinary people thinking we’ll get an expert opinion, just AN opinion. Not a problem.

I studied my own dreams using three different methods many years ago. Every morning I wrote down my dreams, if I awoke in the night I’d write them down, the more I wrote them down the more dreams I had. I was spending around three hours a day analysing my dreams…it drove me nuts so I gave up. Every now and then I have a significant dream and may record it. Mostly they’re confusing.

If you were thinking on humility and the desire for it your dream may be related to it. Something you desire reminiscent of something you once desired…your ex. Something perhaps you felt you need, ie she is humility a desired thing. If you had her, humility, you’d be content, happy.
The shouting could be the noise of life, the hustle and bustle always tearing you away from your ideals, away from feelings of contentment and happiness, back to the world of noise and distractions.

I don’t see any more than that unfortunately but I hope that helps. Dreams can be your unconscious doing some filing, perhaps something deemed significant is thrown up to the conscious mind for contemplation. Only you really know the underlying meanings really.

I think the ex girlfriend is a complex symbol containing a wadge of information, it may be something you want back, perhaps you once had humility and it slipped through your fingers? The noise could also just be your mind waking you up, bringing you back to the world. Interesting.

Disclaimer: I am a human being, with a mind, and I’ve had dreams, beyond that totally unqualified. 🙂
 
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@Wm777
Wm777 said:
The first thing is, I “saw” a lady I used to date a few years ago - we had to break it off just over a year ago, but I prayed for her every day for around three years. I felt a great deal of love “seeing her” again. I know, however, since I was dreaming, it likely wasn’t her, unless perhaps she was thinking of me or something,do you have plans to get back to her again?,if Jesus wants it and your desire, you may bump into her again and again . I tend think it was a part of my mind coming forward into a sort of lucid moment. In any case, I felt comfortable and relaxed, even happy and blessed, as if in a state of infused grace.
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when you pray for a particular person, whomever you love,God show us, the spiritual state of that person,to you through dreams,if that person is going through sufferings or some kind difficulty ,you can see them crying or feel sad or sorrowful state,in your dreams ,and if they going astray or falling into sin ,Jesus will warns us or caution us to pray for them.it could be she is also thinking of you,if you have peace,its nice ,but if its disturbing,then its not from God.

Now, you should not accept or take all dreams, as God sent, unless its from God, we have to discern them. Sirach 34:5 and omens and dreams are unreal,and like a woman in labor, the mind has fantasies.6 Unless they are sent by intervention from the Most High, pay no attention to them.
Wm777 said:
What I mean is, part of me says it was God yelling at me, and another part says it was the devil. Or, perhaps, another way to look at it might be - part of me says maybe I should heed it as an admonishment,
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If,God is admonishing you, he will make it know to you clearly,you will have peace,if your disturbed and have negative feelings, its from the evil one ,you need to speak to your spiritual Father to discern it, if your not able too
 
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About 30 years ago,when I was working I was chatting with my supervisor, who was a 60 year woman about my dream that morning. After I left her office, she went into her manager’s office, another 60ish gal with her “Dream Book” to interpret my dream.

Needless to say, they ended up playing like $30 work of numbers, wheeled and boxed, over my dream.

I felt sort of guilty as I cost these bosses the money.
 
It is good to discern God’s Will in all things, but the purpose of discernment is to lead to peace and acceptance of a person’s journey in cheerfully conforming to God’s Will.
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There were times in my life, not many, when I dreamed in a fashion not like my usually
fuzzy dreams of random nature. But clear vivid dreams with obvious meanings to take
salvation seriously. And they certainly helped me on the journey God gave me.
__
Peace.
 
Dream interpretation isn’t really a Catholic question, and it’s prone to all sorts of NewAge abuse.

If a person is concerned about a dream, they should ponder over it and pray to God about it to find the answer. Not ask a bunch of strangers. I don’t ask questions about my dreams here.
 
His dream was about humility not about kittens or swallows in a blue sky.

Relevant.
 
From lesson 30 of the Baltimore Catechism III:

“Q. 1155. What are dreams and why is it forbidden to believe in them?

A. Dreams are the thoughts we have in sleep, when our will is unable to guide them. It is forbidden to believe in them, because they are often ridiculous, unreasonable, or wicked, and are not governed by either reason or faith.”
 
What is the Baltimore Catechism? Is it like the Vatican version but for the US?

Should I be afraid of sleeping too?
 
Lee1 said:
What is the Baltimore Catechism? Is it like the Vatican version but for the US?
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The Baltimore Catechism was a text designed to teach the faith before 1970. School children often memorized the book and even engaged in competition with children from other schools back in the day.
 
I flagged this post for moderation (removal), but some have identified it as relevant, so I’d like to say a few more things.

The root of the intention here is not just the dream, but discernment. Here is the dictionary definition of discernment via a Google search (note the Christian definition at #2):

https://www.google.com/search?q=discernment+definition&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1

Whether I agree with you or not, it is with sincere thanks and all due respect to everyone who has participated so far that I say the notion that dreams (or any individual, subjective interpretation - conscious or otherwise) is irrelevant to God’s plan of salvation seems completely absurd to me.

If I may explain why…

1.) It may easily be said Christ’s own Passion easily indicates the work of a human individual confronting a hostile society with the hopes and intention of redeeming and therefore saving members of that same society of people. Everyone - from criminals to Saints - knows and experiences it everyday. That merciful action was indeed a special event that occurred +2000 years ago, but to say such an action lacks relevance today (or at any point in time) would undermine the true purpose and foundations of Christianity, especially Catholicism. If God has a plan of salvation, then it is not God who needs saving. Those in need of redemption are us humans.

2.) The emphasis of dreams in scripture is being drastically underestimated here. The reason is, you simply have to consider how many times dreams God communicates to individuals via dreams - it wasn’t just two or three times, which would still be a lot in a book so short as the New Testament. The fact is, dreams (and, similarly, visions of abstract symbology) are used a lot more than that -


3.) When people didnt have many books, such as in St Francis of Assisi’s day, they relied heavily upon dreams and visions. It was an important way for them to understand God’s interaction in their thought and lives. Hence, the relevance of dreams is not exclusively new age or merely psychological rubbish, but the content and interpretation of dreams has been approved of and passed down through oral tradition over the ages, and discerning how to interpret them has always been an issue, even for Joseph, Pilate, Daniel, and so on.

4.) Just because dreams are not conscious thought does not mean they are not thoughts; and, it doesnt mean they dont have an impact upon one’s thinking. If someone here posted the query as a conscious thought, i.e. a non-dream, I dont think it would have met with the same resistance. But - whether it is conscious contemplation or a dream - it is all still a thought (a form of awareness).

Maybe I should ignore it; or, maybe I shouldn’t.

I have yet to understand it, though.

Thank you all again.

Wm
 
semper_catholicus said:
From lesson 30 of the Baltimore Catechism III:

“Q. 1155. What are dreams and why is it forbidden to believe in them?

A. Dreams are the thoughts we have in sleep, when our will is unable to guide them. It is forbidden to believe in them, because they are often ridiculous, unreasonable, or wicked, and are not governed by either reason or faith.”
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Thank you for this bit of insight. 🙂 Really. I will take it into consideration.

But - for the record - I didnt state a position of belief one way or another.

I asked for assistance in discerning its meaning.

Perhaps it is just a bunch of nonsense. But, then, if so - what’s nonsensical about them? Or, specifically, what’s nonsensical or irrelevant to my dream (or anyone’s contemplations)?

Thoughts are thoughts, and I think they need be understood for what they are.
 
semper_catholicus said:
From lesson 30 of the Baltimore Catechism III:

“Q. 1155. What are dreams and why is it forbidden to believe in them?

A. Dreams are the thoughts we have in sleep, when our will is unable to guide them. It is forbidden to believe in them, because they are often ridiculous, unreasonable, or wicked, and are not governed by either reason or faith.”
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One question here, though, to illustrate my point a bit further…

And - if the angry voice was not of God - then where did it come from? Anger is usually associated with the devil.

Based upon the information you have provided from the Baltimore Cathechism - lets assume the dream was in fact just a bunch of nonsense - so, then, one possible way to look at the response is to say - since the whole thing is irrelevant, and yet God is Love - you dont think God is angry with me (because it was all just in my head)?

Is that correct?
 
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You’re free to answer the question,but please understand why others may not want to answer. You said you didn’t understand why we often say a person should look elsewhere for info and I tried to explain why.

I don’t feel I could tell someone else who I don’t know very well that their dream probably means such and such. I can often discern what my own dreams mean and I can offer suggestions for my family and close friends, but a stranger on the Internet? I don’t feel comfortable, it’s too much like psychology or divination.

This forum was really set up to answer questions about Catholicism. Not just any question under the sun a person might have relating in some way to their thoughts, even about humility.
Like I said, dream interpretation isn’t a Catholic practice and many take the position that a dream is just a dream, not some big insightful thing.

Many people also go down the path of thinking they saw God in a dream which quickly gets into unapproved private revelations, a prohibited board topic, or start thinking they saw something demonic which leads down the path of all sorts of frankly not very well reasoned stuff.
 
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I don’t think I’m able to determine the meaning of your dream, nor do I want to. Perhaps, if this is really troubling you, maybe you should speak to a wise and experienced priest.
 
Wm777 said:
you dont think God is angry with me (because it was all just in my head)?
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I don’t understand the connection between seeing your ex in a dream, in a seemingly loving way, and God being mad at you.

Anyway, what you described as locutions are not an uncommon part of waking. In my experience, such odd things during dreaming are related to, if not completely caused by, stress.

Apart from your dream, try to objectively look at what you’ve done… you prayed for humility, which you described as being potentially frightening; then you had a dream; then you say it didn’t bother you; but then you’re scrambling to find meaning for your dream as if it is somehow important to yourself…that last part is tending toward the opposite of humility.
 
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