Spiritual / Psychological Significance of Dreams

Spiritual / Psychological Significance of Dreams

Twenty One Conversational Probes (Optional)

Frequent?

Black & White?

Color?

Any memorable nightmares?

Unresolved issues as themes?

Silent?

Talkies?

Wrap around sound?

Recurring?

Able to resume after waking?

From childhood still vivid?

Able to resume after waking?

If so, have they waited?

Many daydreams?

Characters and actors known?

Unknown?

Fantasies?

Falling dreams?

Death threats?

Remembered in the morning?

All of the above?

Other?


Discuss.

The only thing I will say about dreams is

They are significant in the bible
They are used by God (at least sometimes) to send powerful messages
It was a powerful, unforgettable dream sequence that gave me the rock I hold to when my faith starts to wane.

Dreams have played such a signifcant role in my life and Christian walk, I make sure to pay close attention to any dreams I can remember.

When I first crossed the line and became Christian, I had dreams--significant, meaningful, and many times disturbing--on a very regular basis. Now, many years separated from that time, I have very few dreams anymore that I can remember.

Originally posted by sumydid

The only thing I will say about dreams is

They are significant in the bible
They are used by God (at least sometimes) to send powerful messages
It was a powerful, unforgettable dream sequence that gave me the rock I hold to when my faith starts to wane.

Dreams have played such a signifcant role in my life and Christian walk, I make sure to pay clos ...[text shortened]... . Now, many years separated from that time, I have very few dreams anymore that I can remember.

Fascinating.

Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
Fascinating.

I'll tell you about it privately some time.

The dream sequence was so incredible, even believers have a hard time trusting that I'm telling the unvarnished truth. Atheists, the few that I have shared those pearls with... predictably trampled the whole testimony, shredded it asunder, labeled me a liar, and chalked it all up to at best, exagarrated and fanciful and at worst, a big steaming pile of BS.

Originally posted by sumydid
The dream sequence was so incredible, even believers have a hard time trusting that I'm telling the unvarnished truth.

Whether it's "true" you had the dream as you describe, or not true, what difference does it make to anything objective or external to you?

Originally posted by FMF
Whether it's "true" you had the dream as you describe, or not true, what difference does it make to anything objective or external to you?

It doesn't, really. The only difference it made was with me, internally. And I'm quite certain that was the intent all along. Thanks for putting "true" in quotes though. I guess you can't help but display distrust in me, even in your non-combative posts.

Originally posted by sumydid
It doesn't, really. The only difference it made was with me, internally.

So you concede that it does not mean anything to anyone - apart from yourself - whether people believe you or not?

One wonders, then, why 'people believing you or not believing you' is relevant in any way.

Originally posted by sumydid
Thanks for putting "true" in quotes though. I guess you can't help but display distrust in me, even in your non-combative posts.

Someone online telling me about the religious significance of their dreams and complaining about people not believing he had the dreams as he described them, does not raise issues of "distrust" in my mind. What difference does it make whether I 'trust' or 'distrust' you on something so utterly ephemeral and unsubstantial to anyone besides yourself?

Originally posted by FMF
Someone online telling me about the religious significance of their dreams and complaining about people not believing he had the dreams as he described them, does not raise issues of "distrust" in my mind. What difference does it make whether I 'trust' or 'distrust' you on something so utterly ephemeral and unsubstantial to anyone besides yourself?

Your posts don't make any difference to me. I only mused at the fact that even when you are being non-combative, you still can't seem to resist putting a dig in your post.

I understand, though. No biggie. Just making an observation. Let's move on. Or at least, I will.

Originally posted by sumydid
Let's move on. Or at least, I will.

Sure. Moving on (or back to what we were discussing). My point is just that you made an ostentatious and rather tangential 'point' of talking about whether or not certain people believed in the significance of your dreams or even believed you had had them at all; what's that all about? It seems to detract from what you are attempting to share, as if you and your dreams have been - in your mind - some sort of victim of injustice at the hands of others. In what sense is the refusal of others to believe you germane to the personal significance you see in your own dreams?

I was responding to the original post.

--> Dreams play a significant role in the bible
--> Dreams have played a significant role in my personal Christian walk
--> I have shared my dream experiences with others and they find my testimony difficult to believe


If you have some kind of problem with my response to the original post--a post which asks me to respond in just the manner I did--then the best thing I can suggest is for you to simply ignore it.

Originally posted by sumydid
I was responding to the original post.

--> Dreams play a significant role in the bible
--> Dreams have played a significant role in my personal Christian walk
--> I have shared my dream experiences with others and they find my testimony difficult to believe


If you have some kind of problem with my response to the original post--a post which asks me ...[text shortened]... pond in just the manner I did--then the best thing I can suggest is for you to simply ignore it.

I am responding to this part of what you posted:

The dream sequence was so incredible, even believers have a hard time trusting that I'm telling the unvarnished truth. Atheists, the few that I have shared those pearls with... predictably trampled the whole testimony, shredded it asunder, labeled me a liar, and chalked it all up to at best, exagarrated and fanciful and at worst, a big steaming pile of BS.

What is the relevance of this? There seems to be some sort of psychological factor here that goes beyond the dreams themselves.

If you don't want to discuss your own post, then so be it.

I have shared my dream experiences with others and they find my testimony difficult to believe

You don't seriously believe that your dreams - or my dreams for that matter - amount to any kind of "testimony" in an objective sense, do you?

Originally posted by FMF
I am responding to this part of what you posted:

[b]The dream sequence was so incredible, even believers have a hard time trusting that I'm telling the unvarnished truth. Atheists, the few that I have shared those pearls with... predictably trampled the whole testimony, shredded it asunder, labeled me a liar, and chalked it all up to at best, exagarrated and ...[text shortened]... dreams for that matter - amount to any kind of "testimony" in an objective sense, do you?[/b]

If taken completely at face value, the experience I had which included dreams and real, live events after those dreams, it amounts to powerful testimony.

The problem is, my testimony is not taken at face value and generally not trusted. Add to it that I'm not a gifted orator and what you get is a life-chaning event for me, and not much of anything to anyone who would listen to me describe it.

It's frustrating but I am still blessed to have had it happen to me.

I remember as an Agnostic, I always said, "If God presents Himself to me unquestionably, then I will believe. Otherwise, I have no reason to believe."

Ironically, I never got the prerequisite experience I insisted upon, until after I transmogrified into a Christian.

Originally posted by sumydid
The problem is, my testimony is not taken at face value and generally not trusted.

Why is it a "problem" that some people are unimpressed by you telling them about your dreams and don't take the content you describe at "face value"? You have already conceded - correct me if I'm wrong - that it doesn't make any difference to you. Do you actually wish that people would act in some way upon what you say is the meaning of your "testimony"?

Originally posted by sumydid
If taken completely at face value, the experience I had which included dreams and real, live events after those dreams, it amounts to powerful testimony.

The problem is, my testimony is not taken at face value and generally not trusted. Add to it that I'm not a gifted orator and what you get is a life-chaning event for me, and not much of anything to any ...[text shortened]... erequisite experience I insisted upon, until after I transmogrified into a Christian.

FMF is a nosey guy and he is trying to get you to tell him what the dream was about that made it seem incredible to you and unbelievable to others. So just ignore him, if you do not wish to relive the details again.