Odd Dream/Nightmare

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HerrZJA

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Tonight I had a very, very odd dream, which I will attempt to transcribe in full. It came following my first attempt at using the contemplative prayer technique from my Mystagogy papers. I had a weird feeling about the technique when I first read it. Maybe now I know why. I was contemplating the concept of Obedience, so that might tie in.

So anyway. I was working for/endentured to an old man who ran a hotel in an “old city” atmosphere I didn’t really recognize, but could have been almost any residential area near the harbour in my current city. The hotel was small, no more than twenty rooms. I distinctly remember two groups.

My girlfriend was in the first group, along with several older men and her mother. Her mother and her had to leave a night early, but on the last night of the first group’s stay, the old man gave a speech to several, encouraging them to stay and help him kill off the next group!

The next group arrived, again, mostly older men, and, again, I recognized someone from my past; a man I’ll call K who I greatly respected in College and a lapsed catholic himself. Midway through a dinner with all the guests, the Old Manager got up and lit tit the back of K’s sweater on fire. K didn’t notice, but I realized the longer I glared at him that the fire had moved to being inside of his chest.

Almost as soon as I woke up, I understood that the dream had something to say about Sin as one possible interpretation. Is that my subconscious playing tricks on me? Just a dream, right?
 
I would say it is just a dream, but there is really no way of knowing for certain. It is certainly a frightening dream though. 😃 I have had crazy dreams that seemed to have a religious ties as well. I usually play them off as dreams, but some of them seem so important and complicated that I find it hard to believe I made them up in my own in my subconscious.
 
HerrZJA said:
My girlfriend was in the first group,
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HerrZJA said:
I understood that the dream had something to say about Sin as one possible interpretation.
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Define http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon5.gif “girlfriend” http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon5.gif in your first statement.

If there are things between you and her that should be only done through the Church marriage covenant, then your second statement is true…
 
I strongly suggest that this not be discussed here.
Get to a priest, explain this to him and ask for guidance and/or a recommendation of a good Spiritual Councilor.

This may be nothing at all, but anyone desiring to move into the deep contemplative prayer practices should not do so without spiritual guidance.

Peace
James
 
HerrZJA said:
Almost as soon as I woke up, I understood that the dream had something to say about Sin as one possible interpretation. Is that my subconscious playing tricks on me? Just a dream, right?
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yes it is a just a dream and a dream is by definition your subconscious “playing tricks”, that is, processing and playing back through very literal images the (name removed by moderator)ut your conscious has recently received. Your immediate reaction is probably your best clue to what the dream means to you. How you put that to use in understand your current spiritual conditions is up to you, and if it is a particularly troublesome dream or idea, bring it to your spiritual director or priest.

btw there is NO technique to force yourself into the state of contemplation
the masters of contemplative prayer such as Teresa and John of the Cross state this repeatedly

you have probably been given some useful guides to mental prayer, moving beyond vocal prayer (where all prayer begins) but there are no techniques that guarantee you will move into contemplation. God gives that gift when you are ready and receptive.
 
Sam_777 said:
Define http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon5.gif “girlfriend” http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon5.gif in your first statement.

If there are things between you and her that should be only done through the Church marriage covenant, then your second statement is true…
Click to expand...
I don’t mind saying that it wasnt what you were thinking. The chaste living counter refers to a totally different, uh, impulse. Herself and I are very close, but we know our bounds.

Thanks to everyone else for your help. Figures it was just background processing. I’d been really worried about sin for a day or too, so I guess now in the light of day it seems a little more obvious what happened.

As to that contemplative prayer “technique”, I won’t be trying that again.
 
Here’s my interpretation:

The first group represents your present, with your gf and her mother there.
The several older, strange men represent the unknown in your present.
The old man in charge represents God and your sub-concious will.

The second group represents your future.
The old man wanting to kill your future represents your inner fear of something in the future.
The old friend represents something about your past that you know will be brought up again in your future.
The old man setting your friend on fire is your sub-concious will to remove/get rid of this unwanted issue from your future.
 
If you pray for revelation and God gives it, then it has meaning. Otherwise, I’d think of it just as a silly dream.
 
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