Home 
Dreams: Listening to God
March 11, 2012
DREAMS: Listening to God
For an all-text version, click here.
THIS YEAR'S THEME: The Year of the Lord
THIS MONTH'S TOPIC: Listening to the Lord
TODAY'S MESSAGE: Dreams: Listening to GodOpen your Bible
Light a candle
Opening Song
Be Thou My Vision
Readings
Readings
From the Bible;
5 Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward, 6 he said, "Listen to my words:
"When a prophet of the LORD is among you,
I reveal myself to him in visions,
I speak to him in dreams. Numbers 12:5-6 NIV
From Swedenborg:
The men of the Most Ancient Church had the knowledges of true faith by means of revelations, for they conversed with the Lord and with angels, and were also instructed by visions and dreams, which were most delightful and paradisal to them. AC 125
1976. There are three kinds of dreams. The first kind come from the Lord mediately through heaven; such were the prophetic dreams that are treated of in the Word. The second kind come through angelic spirits, especially those who are in front above at the right, where there are paradisal scenes; from this source the men of the Most Ancient Church had their dreams, which were instructive (see n. 1122). The third kind come through the spirits who are near when man is sleeping, which are likewise significative. But fantastic dreams come from a different source.
The sight of the eye exists from interior sight, and for this reason after the death of the body man sees equally as well and even better than when he lived in the body-not indeed worldly and corporeal things, but those of the other life. Those who were blind in the life of the body, see in the other life as well as those who had keen vision. So too when man sleeps, he sees in his dreams as clearly as when awake. AC 994.4
How does God speak to you?
In order to hear God, we need to understand the language in which God speaks. Last week, we considered Swedenborg’s view of correspondences. God is flowing into everything. That flow is often called “influx.” Everything, therefore, shows us something about God. The things of this world are not God. But they represent something about God – they correspond to something about the Divine.
When is the Divine most actively using the language of correspondence in communicating with us? Swedenborgian psychologist Wilson Van Dusen says one of the best ways to listen to God is in our dreams. He says that dreams are the divine commenting on our life. Van Dusen says it is curious to me how seldom dreams are used by most spiritual seekers. Yet, one seeker who definitely used dreams was Swedenborg.
We know dreams were important to Swedenborg, because his own dream journal was a crucial facet of his spiritual journey.
He kept diaries of his travels, and by 1743 was switching from a focus on daily events to dreams. One version of the dream journal has commentary by Wilson Van Dusen. He points out that this was the period in his life when Swedenborg was transitioning from being a scientist to being a spiritual writer.
Van Dusen says that “dreams are in a dramatic language of correspondence.” Therefore, translating that language into understandable form is a major step.
It is the dreamer who can best interpret his/her dreams. Swedenborg not only wrote his dreams, but his interpretation of them.
.Here is a sample from the dream journal with Van Dusen’s commentary:
#16: It seemed I lay on a mountain with a gulf under it; there were knolls upon it; I lay there and tried to help myself up, holding by a knoll without foothold; a gulf was below. It signifies that I myself wish to help myself from the abyss of hell, which is not possible to be done.
Van Dusen comments: I agree with Swedenborg’s interpretation. He has just been through the kind of struggle that creates hell. … There is an abyss or gulf of hell beneath him. It signifies that he wishes to help himself from the abyss of hell, but he can’t. What mountain is this? It is big, isn’t it, this mountain that he lies on, this lesson he is learning? And the mountain doesn’t have just one rise, but it has knolls or little hills, as this problem he lies on has a number of little hills or lessons. … I am very impressed that apparently after a relatively brief acquaintance with dreams he is reading this well two centuries before our present abundance of dream studies.”
Psychologist Carolyn Blackmer says of Swedenborg’s dream journal: Swedenborg took his dreams seriously and became his own interpreting psychoanalyst, a sign of his excellent mental health, to judge from the methods he used and the uncompromising rigor of his interpretations. He did not shrink from the harsh light of unfavorable interpretations, and he used all the devices that modern analysts employ to help their patients understand themselves through their dreams.
Dreams are a form of influx, and, Van Dusen says, are how we can “catch God in the act of creating.” They are hard to understand, however, as dreams do not speak our language.” Why don’t dreams just ‘tell it like it is for us? Asks Wilson Van Dusen. His theory is: “the Dream Maker wants to leave the dreamer free to pay attention or to forget it. For another, the dreamer must approach the very nature of the Dream Maker.”
Overall, Van Dusen says, we need to keep in mind these things about the “Dream Maker.”
• We see the Dream Maker best when we give up all conscious control
• The Dream Maker is very concerned about the real nature and quality of each life
• The Dream Maker comes from a higher perspective that sees our problem and its solution clearly.
Van Dusen tells us: “The one creating your dream knows you better than you do and wishes to represent to you the quality of your life. Because it feels the connection of all things, it easily speaks a language of representations.’
Meditation, like dreams, is best when we are “doing practically nothing but what is given by influx.” Van Dusen says the East tends to use breath or mantra as a focus. In Western Christianity, the Jesus prayer, or passages of scripture are common. In the Greek Orthodox tradition, icons are frequently used. There is also a contemplative Christian tradition which finds God in the quiet and the dark, and is closer to Eastern forms. There is no one right way for everyone, but the Dream Maker will guide us to the right meditation for us when we ask.
Many people talk to God by putting out a question for guidance or strength or wisdom. Answers come in dream messages or in a peaceful calm in meditation that has no words or explanation. It can come as a little intuitive hunch at any time in a day. Often, when going through something difficult or confusing, there is no clarity for quite a while. Then, one morning, one wakes up, and suddenly sees problem and the world from a different perspective.
Van Dusen says, “Enlightenment is an expansion of the little self into its full identity. Afterwards you play your true role in time and become deeply human and unique.” We are all on this journey every day; yet we frequently forget that our best guide books are in our dreams and meditations.
Do you record and study your dreams? Do you quietly observe what happens when you meditate?
If you would like to practice “listening to God,” try to remember you dreams. Take a few minutes of quiet before getting out of bed to recall. Write it down if you can. Return to it periodically during the day, and consider what meaning it seems to have within the context of your day.
So often we complain that God doesn’t talk to us. Actually, God does communicate with us, but we often forget that God communicates in ways that are quite different from how we talk with each other.
Let us pray.
5 Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward, 6 he said, "Listen to my words:
"When a prophet of the LORD is among you,
I reveal myself to him in visions,
I speak to him in dreams. Numbers 12:5-6 NIV
From Swedenborg:
The men of the Most Ancient Church had the knowledges of true faith by means of revelations, for they conversed with the Lord and with angels, and were also instructed by visions and dreams, which were most delightful and paradisal to them. AC 125
1976. There are three kinds of dreams. The first kind come from the Lord mediately through heaven; such were the prophetic dreams that are treated of in the Word. The second kind come through angelic spirits, especially those who are in front above at the right, where there are paradisal scenes; from this source the men of the Most Ancient Church had their dreams, which were instructive (see n. 1122). The third kind come through the spirits who are near when man is sleeping, which are likewise significative. But fantastic dreams come from a different source.
The sight of the eye exists from interior sight, and for this reason after the death of the body man sees equally as well and even better than when he lived in the body-not indeed worldly and corporeal things, but those of the other life. Those who were blind in the life of the body, see in the other life as well as those who had keen vision. So too when man sleeps, he sees in his dreams as clearly as when awake. AC 994.4
Message
Dreams: Listening to God
How does God speak to you?
In order to hear God, we need to understand the language in which God speaks. Last week, we considered Swedenborg’s view of correspondences. God is flowing into everything. That flow is often called “influx.” Everything, therefore, shows us something about God. The things of this world are not God. But they represent something about God – they correspond to something about the Divine.
When is the Divine most actively using the language of correspondence in communicating with us? Swedenborgian psychologist Wilson Van Dusen says one of the best ways to listen to God is in our dreams. He says that dreams are the divine commenting on our life. Van Dusen says it is curious to me how seldom dreams are used by most spiritual seekers. Yet, one seeker who definitely used dreams was Swedenborg.We know dreams were important to Swedenborg, because his own dream journal was a crucial facet of his spiritual journey.
He kept diaries of his travels, and by 1743 was switching from a focus on daily events to dreams. One version of the dream journal has commentary by Wilson Van Dusen. He points out that this was the period in his life when Swedenborg was transitioning from being a scientist to being a spiritual writer.
Van Dusen says that “dreams are in a dramatic language of correspondence.” Therefore, translating that language into understandable form is a major step.It is the dreamer who can best interpret his/her dreams. Swedenborg not only wrote his dreams, but his interpretation of them.
.Here is a sample from the dream journal with Van Dusen’s commentary:
#16: It seemed I lay on a mountain with a gulf under it; there were knolls upon it; I lay there and tried to help myself up, holding by a knoll without foothold; a gulf was below. It signifies that I myself wish to help myself from the abyss of hell, which is not possible to be done.
Van Dusen comments: I agree with Swedenborg’s interpretation. He has just been through the kind of struggle that creates hell. … There is an abyss or gulf of hell beneath him. It signifies that he wishes to help himself from the abyss of hell, but he can’t. What mountain is this? It is big, isn’t it, this mountain that he lies on, this lesson he is learning? And the mountain doesn’t have just one rise, but it has knolls or little hills, as this problem he lies on has a number of little hills or lessons. … I am very impressed that apparently after a relatively brief acquaintance with dreams he is reading this well two centuries before our present abundance of dream studies.”
Psychologist Carolyn Blackmer says of Swedenborg’s dream journal: Swedenborg took his dreams seriously and became his own interpreting psychoanalyst, a sign of his excellent mental health, to judge from the methods he used and the uncompromising rigor of his interpretations. He did not shrink from the harsh light of unfavorable interpretations, and he used all the devices that modern analysts employ to help their patients understand themselves through their dreams.Dreams are a form of influx, and, Van Dusen says, are how we can “catch God in the act of creating.” They are hard to understand, however, as dreams do not speak our language.” Why don’t dreams just ‘tell it like it is for us? Asks Wilson Van Dusen. His theory is: “the Dream Maker wants to leave the dreamer free to pay attention or to forget it. For another, the dreamer must approach the very nature of the Dream Maker.”
Overall, Van Dusen says, we need to keep in mind these things about the “Dream Maker.”
• We see the Dream Maker best when we give up all conscious control
• The Dream Maker is very concerned about the real nature and quality of each life
• The Dream Maker comes from a higher perspective that sees our problem and its solution clearly.
Van Dusen tells us: “The one creating your dream knows you better than you do and wishes to represent to you the quality of your life. Because it feels the connection of all things, it easily speaks a language of representations.’
Meditation, like dreams, is best when we are “doing practically nothing but what is given by influx.” Van Dusen says the East tends to use breath or mantra as a focus. In Western Christianity, the Jesus prayer, or passages of scripture are common. In the Greek Orthodox tradition, icons are frequently used. There is also a contemplative Christian tradition which finds God in the quiet and the dark, and is closer to Eastern forms. There is no one right way for everyone, but the Dream Maker will guide us to the right meditation for us when we ask.
Many people talk to God by putting out a question for guidance or strength or wisdom. Answers come in dream messages or in a peaceful calm in meditation that has no words or explanation. It can come as a little intuitive hunch at any time in a day. Often, when going through something difficult or confusing, there is no clarity for quite a while. Then, one morning, one wakes up, and suddenly sees problem and the world from a different perspective.
Van Dusen says, “Enlightenment is an expansion of the little self into its full identity. Afterwards you play your true role in time and become deeply human and unique.” We are all on this journey every day; yet we frequently forget that our best guide books are in our dreams and meditations.
Do you record and study your dreams? Do you quietly observe what happens when you meditate?
If you would like to practice “listening to God,” try to remember you dreams. Take a few minutes of quiet before getting out of bed to recall. Write it down if you can. Return to it periodically during the day, and consider what meaning it seems to have within the context of your day.
So often we complain that God doesn’t talk to us. Actually, God does communicate with us, but we often forget that God communicates in ways that are quite different from how we talk with each other.
Let us pray.
Inspiration & Prayer
Are you one of the people that write down your dreams? Dream analysis is a wonderful practice to have. For many years I have studied dream books, interpretation, and now know that results we get in our dreams are a direct result of listening to the wisdom of our Lord. No one is an expert on your dreams. Why? because no one else has the same filters that you do or the same outlook. We each are unique in our perspective because it is our experience that we analyze through. When doing dream work in a group, I like Rev. Jeremy Taylor's method best, and recommend his books on dreams. He is an Internationally respected teacher on Dreams. Want to get started? Every night set a pen and paper next to your bed, and write down your dreams. It is best if you do not turn on a light. Write them down in the dark, and go back to sleep.
Happy Dreaming!
"Lord, thank you for the influx of your wisdom in our dreams. Help us to know the truth of your Wisdom by guiding our interpretations. Help us to remember that our dreams are unique to us, because you bring them. We give thanks for the clarity you give us, and ask for the grace to follow your guidance always. Let us remember to pray before we sleep for good dreams for ourselves and others. Keep us in gratitude for all you bring to us. AMEM
Love, Rev. Judith
Are you one of the people that write down your dreams? Dream analysis is a wonderful practice to have. For many years I have studied dream books, interpretation, and now know that results we get in our dreams are a direct result of listening to the wisdom of our Lord. No one is an expert on your dreams. Why? because no one else has the same filters that you do or the same outlook. We each are unique in our perspective because it is our experience that we analyze through. When doing dream work in a group, I like Rev. Jeremy Taylor's method best, and recommend his books on dreams. He is an Internationally respected teacher on Dreams. Want to get started? Every night set a pen and paper next to your bed, and write down your dreams. It is best if you do not turn on a light. Write them down in the dark, and go back to sleep.
Happy Dreaming!
"Lord, thank you for the influx of your wisdom in our dreams. Help us to know the truth of your Wisdom by guiding our interpretations. Help us to remember that our dreams are unique to us, because you bring them. We give thanks for the clarity you give us, and ask for the grace to follow your guidance always. Let us remember to pray before we sleep for good dreams for ourselves and others. Keep us in gratitude for all you bring to us. AMEM
Love, Rev. Judith
Closing song
Here I Am, Lord
Prayer Service
Extinguish your candle.
Close the Bible
Go in peace, listening to God's wisdom in your dreams.
Prayer Service
9 PM Eastern; 6 PM Pacific;
Chapel Chat Room
Coffee Hour Chat
9:30 PM Eastern; 6:30 PM Pacific;
Fellowship Lounge
Next week: Swedenborgian themes in the movie, "What Dreams May Come"
