Impure Dreams?

[Eloueen]

If this is posted to the wrong place, forgive me!

I know that we’re supposed to confess impure thoughts - but what about impure dreams? I sort-of feel like it’s the same thing, even though dreams aren’t a conscious choice.

On the same topic - how can one try to not have such things? It seems to me that it’s very uncontrollable, and no matter how well you try to live that your brain/subconscious would just do it’s own thing anyway.

~ Elou ~

 

[nate12387]

If this is posted to the wrong place, forgive me!

I know that we’re supposed to confess impure thoughts - but what about impure dreams? I sort-of feel like it’s the same thing, even though dreams aren’t a conscious choice.

On the same topic - how can one try to not have such things? It seems to me that it’s very uncontrollable, and no matter how well you try to live that your brain/subconscious would just do it’s own thing anyway.

~ Elou ~

You do not have to confess immoral dreams. It does not fall under mortal sin and I personally wouldn’t even call it a venial sin. All though it is grave matter, you do not fully conscious of it and you do not have full intent of the will. Two of the three things here that are required you do not have.

 

[presidentjlh]

Dreams are not willed by the dreamer, therefore you are not even guilty of venial sin.

Nocturnal emissions are not sins either. Anything that happens unconsciously is not sin, it is not controlled. Sin is only sin if one wills sin.

 

[Ferds_Guiang]

I think we have a similar thread somewhere. Yes impure dreams are not sins because these lack one of the main ingredients for which a person can be held responsible and that is Voluntariness. When we dream we do not will to dream since we’re asleep.

 

[jegow]

If this is posted to the wrong place, forgive me!

I know that we’re supposed to confess impure thoughts - but what about impure dreams? I sort-of feel like it’s the same thing, even though dreams aren’t a conscious choice.

On the same topic - how can one try to not have such things? It seems to me that it’s very uncontrollable, and no matter how well you try to live that your brain/subconscious would just do it’s own thing anyway.

~ Elou ~

You do not have to confess impure dreams unless you have taken those images to your imagination to think of at a later time. So don’t be scrupulous over that - you’ll know if you entertained those images beyond dreamland.

How can one try to stop these things? The greatest step to lessing the reoccurrence of dreams of this nature is to purify your mind. When you dream your imagination many times pulls at preexisting memories or images and presents them as a dream. In other words, your imagination regurgitates what has been in your head either that day or days before. If you have been entertaining impure thoughts or look at impure things, those images stay in your imagination and could possibly become the subject of a future dream. So to purify your mind - you have to purify what types of things you put into it. Ask God for the graces you need to do this.

To illustrate my point. I’m a big Star Wars fan and I have been watching ‘The Clone Wars’ on Cartoon Network lately. I have had to watch recordings because of my schedule so I have been watching somewhere around two episodes a day (lunch and dinner entertainment). Recently, the dreams I remember when I wake up all have me in them using the force. As cool as the prospect of being a Jedi is it is just a dream - and I know that the only reason I have dreams like that is because I have been watching a lot of Star Wars lately. Hopefully I am not the only person with an overactive imagination that has experienced something like this. Point made - our minds replay the things we put in them - especially during rest.

Anyways, hope that helps.

 

[guanophore]

You do not have to confess impure dreams unless you have taken those images to your imagination to think of at a later time. So don’t be scrupulous over that - you’ll know if you entertained those images beyond dreamland.

How can one try to stop these things? The greatest step to lessing the reoccurrence of dreams of this nature is to purify your mind. When you dream your imagination many times pulls at preexisting memories or images and presents them as a dream. In other words, your imagination regurgitates what has been in your head either that day or days before. If you have been entertaining impure thoughts or look at impure things, those images stay in your imagination and could possibly become the subject of a future dream. So to purify your mind - you have to purify what types of things you put into it. Ask God for the graces you need to do this.

To illustrate my point. I’m a big Star Wars fan and I have been watching ‘The Clone Wars’ on Cartoon Network lately. I have had to watch recordings because of my schedule so I have been watching somewhere around two episodes a day (lunch and dinner entertainment). Recently, the dreams I remember when I wake up all have me in them using the force. As cool as the prospect of being a Jedi is it is just a dream - and I know that the only reason I have dreams like that is because I have been watching a lot of Star Wars lately. Hopefully I am not the only person with an overactive imagination that has experienced something like this. Point made - our minds replay the things we put in them - especially during rest.

Anyways, hope that helps.

What if what the Scriptures say were true, and God was trying to communicate something to you through your dream? The historical church took dreams seriously in this way.

 

[jegow]

What if what the Scriptures say were true, and God was trying to communicate something to you through your dream? The historical church took dreams seriously in this way.

That can happen - but I highly doubt that God would be communicating impure things by any medium let alone dreams. My response on dreams was solely based on the OP concerning the culpability of impure dreams.

In the case of dreams in Scripture we have to remember on what basis they happened. The first thing to look at would be frequency they happened. Not many people were communicated to this way. Second, the dreams always concerned something big; the fall of a kingdom, a glance at the future, a warning or instruction on pivotal events.

While the Church believes that God communicated and can still communicate through dreams she also warns her members against anything that is New Age (i.e. dream interpretation).

Needless to say - if the object of one’s dreams are immoral the chances are pretty good that God is not communicating something to you.

 

[Rascalking]

Dreams are not willed by the dreamer, therefore you are not even guilty of venial sin.

Nocturnal emissions are not sins either. Anything that happens unconsciously is not sin, it is not controlled. Sin is only sin if one wills sin.

Really well said my friend.

 

[guanophore]

That can happen - but I highly doubt that God would be communicating impure things by any medium let alone dreams. My response on dreams was solely based on the OP concerning the culpability of impure dreams.

You are right, which is why the instruction given on this thread is right on. One cannot judge the contents of the nature “impure”. Just as the normal bodily functions are not, in themselves impure. Nothing that comes to us in a dream can be evaluated morally because it emanates from the unconscious, and as such, is amoral.

In the case of dreams in Scripture we have to remember on what basis they happened. The first thing to look at would be frequency they happened. Not many people were communicated to this way. Second, the dreams always concerned something big; the fall of a kingdom, a glance at the future, a warning or instruction on pivotal events.

Dreams come to everyone every night. The ones recorded in Scripture are “big dreams” that are infrequent, and carry powerful divine elements. However, it would be a mistake to assume that the dreams we have every night are not essential to our spiritual development.

While the Church believes that God communicated and can still communicate through dreams she also warns her members against anything that is New Age (i.e. dream interpretation).

The interpretation of dreams is not “new age”. I will concede that the New Age movement has co-opted that which was given to the Church and perverted it.

Dan.1
[17] As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all letters and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
Dan.5
[12] because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshaz’zar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation."

Needless to say - if the object of one's dreams are immoral the chances are pretty good that God is not communicating something to you.

Nothing in a dream can be immoral. It is not possible.

 

[nate12387]

Nothing in a dream can be immoral. It is not possible.

I take issue with this. People can dream immoral things, though it does not make it a sin. Just like I could have immoral thoughts and it is a sin. The concept is exactly the same, though the state of your soul is different.

 

[Daedelus76]

Years ago when I was involved with alot of Buddhism I would meditate alot and noticed my dreams really were greatly reduced, at least I couldn’t remember them. Often times I would have the sensation that time had passed but there would be a blank there (I would have the vague sense I had dreamed something, but it was more dreaming about color/light without alot of real “meaning”, though it wasn’t unpleasant at all).

One of the “stages” in enlightenment (bhumi, literally “ground”) in Mahayana Buddhism involves cessation of having impure content in dreams. Of course in eastern asceticism there’s alot the ability, after training, to control some things that western science used to consider “involuntary” (some of this today is analogous to biofeedback). Buddhism doesn’t emphasize free will and doesn’t think in terms of guilt as much, though. There were/are scrupulous Buddhists but the tone of the religion didn’t seem as conducive to it. If you have impure dreams, you aren’t “guilty” so much as unfortunate.

There’s also the phenomenon of “lucid dreaming”, something I have less experience of The person becomes aware that they are dreaming and seems to be able to voluntarily control parts of the dream.