Need advise about elusive dreams.

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Hi I don't know where to post this but I need advise on how to proceed in my walk with God. I often have dreams that I feel are from God. Usually if I want to remember a dream I'll write it down when I awake and hope I can read my writing later.

But lately my dreams have been coming in like data formula. Like a sheet page set in front of me that makes perfect sense in my dream. If I had photographic memory it would be perfect but I don't.

Has any else had this type of dreams that dissolve immediately in front of them and if so could you tell me how to hold on to them longer. I love having this connection to Him but feel I'm missing most of the leading.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Hi, Cassia; good to see you again; not seen you on the forums for a while.

Regarding dreams, our minds may well become focused temporarily on certain things; I do think that when we are awake afterwards it's always good to seek confirmation from the Scriptures about whatever it is we may have intensely and maybe fleetingly thought about in our dreams. Because it's the conclusions that we come to from reading the Scriptures that will be the lasting element.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

It's like I read them, acknowledge in my mind what was there and then wake up so I never had time to wrap my head around them. It's very hard to explain.
What I see when I wake up is the sheet but when I try to remember it then I have to reread it and it doesn't work.

 

[faroukfarouk]

PS: I think dreams can be a bit like a tattoo: it can be a snapshot of the way someone feels intensely at a particular point in time, but also the person himself or herself can move on from that point afterwards (and this is why a tattoo design - preferably faith based? - needs careful planning if it's not to be regretted).

In a sense, we need to be guarded about coming to quick conclusions about the content of dreams.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Hi, Cassia; good to see you again; not seen you on the forums for a while.

Regarding dreams, our minds may well become focused temporarily on certain things; I do think that when we are awake afterwards it's always good to seek confirmation from the Scriptures about whatever it is we may have intensely and maybe fleetingly thought about in our dreams. Because it's the conclusions that we come to from reading the Scriptures that will be the lasting element.

Searching scriptures would be what I would do to verify if I could remember the dream but usually it is a scriptural formula.

 

[faroukfarouk]

It's like I read them, acknowledge in my mind what was there and then wake up so I never had time to wrap my head around them. It's very hard to explain.
What I see when I wake up is the sheet but when I try to remember it then I have to reread it and it doesn't work.

This was Pharaoh's problem also in Egypt! and sometimes he didn't tolerate people very well afterwards! I find that ideas which are maybe latent in my mind in waking hours can suddenly come together in dreams, with the connections not having been previously apparent; but again it's good to be guarded about coming to permanent conclusions too quickly.

 

[Albion]

It's like I read them, acknowledge in my mind what was there and then wake up so I never had time to wrap my head around them. It's very hard to explain.
What I see when I wake up is the sheet but when I try to remember it then I have to reread it and it doesn't work.

The same thing happens to me, but I think that's the nature of dreams. With these dreams, you most likely aren't hearing from God as opposed to thinking about God.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

PS: I think dreams can be a bit like a tattoo: it can be a snapshot of the way someone feels intensely at a particular point in time, but also the person himself or herself can move on from that point afterwards (and this is why a tattoo design - preferably faith based? - needs careful planning if it's not to be regretted).

In a sense, we need to be guarded about coming to quick conclusions about the content of dreams.

That's what I meant about the photographic memory in that you want to have the exact memory and not an imitation. Like a tatoo in that sense I guess.
As it is maybe it is just a moving thru things in my mind in a progressive memory. I just wish I could follow a bit better.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Albion makes a good point. It's interesting that Paul in Acts, before going to Jerusalem, received warnings from people about what would happen if he went; this does not mean he was not right to go, or that he was not being led of the Lord. Sometimes a warning or a piece of advice from a dream can be constructive up to a point, although it may not be the complete picture of the mind of God: this needs to be prayerfully discerned through the Scriptures, sometimes after much prayer and meditation in the Word.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

The same thing happens to me, but I think that's the nature of dreams. With these dreams, you most likely aren't hearing from God as opposed to thinking about God.

Yes true nuff, because the things I've been thinking on are the threads to what was the content of the dream. But dang it was all figgered out right there then I awake and am back to square one

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Maybe I'll pray tonight for a formula to remember dreams

 

[faroukfarouk]

That's what I meant about the photographic memory in that you want to have the exact memory and not an imitation. Like a tatoo in that sense I guess.
As it is maybe it is just a moving thru things in my mind in a progressive memory. I just wish I could follow a bit better.

Balzac has a short story about an artist called Frenhofer - it's called 'The Unknown Masterpiece': he was absorbed with his beautiful masterpiece on the canvas, but then nearer the end one realizes that only he could see it; his canvas with markings didn't make sense to anyone else: his wonderful masterpiece was in his imagination.

When one receives a tattoo in a design that at the time is a wonderful snapshot of how one intensely feels, the correlation with how one feels may be strong and exhilarating at that moment; but for it to be a more permanent expression of one's feelings the design needs to have been desired and planned over a period of time, preferably a long period, if you see what I mean.

What we need to do is to combine our sometimes intense mental capacity for wonder with the results of Biblical meditation and prayer, so that the conclusion is permanent.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Balzac has a short story about an artist called Frenhofer - it's called 'The Unknown Masterpiece': he was absorbed with his beautiful masterpiece on the canvas, but then nearer the end one realizes that only he could see it; his canvas with markings didn't make sense to anyone else: his wonderful masterpiece was in his imagination.

When one receives a tattoo in a design that at the time is a wonderful snapshot of how one intensely feels, the correlation with how one feels may be strong and exhilarating at that moment; but for it to be a more permanent expression of one's feelings the design needs to have been desired and planned over a period of time, preferably a long period, if you see what I mean.

What we need to do is to combine our sometimes intense mental capacity for wonder with the results of Biblical meditation and prayer, so that the conclusion is permanent.

Hi ya I've never been able to follow the tatoo theology very well, but thanks

 

[paul1149]

I've had that type of dream, and I've also had many others that were more standard, but which also evaporated upon wakening. I went through a period of unsuccessfully trying hard to remember them, but then finally settled on trying to ascertain the tone of the dream. Was it a fear dream, a warning, an encouragement, an exhortation? And then processing that in general terms.

IIRC, Daniel also had a dream or vision he did not understand, and he went around for weeks spiritually drained by it. Finally the meaning came to him. Sometimes it takes time to get to the kernal of what's going on, and there is no substitute for the process of waiting persistently. If the dream is that important, I doubt you'll be able to let it go easily. Otherwise, a general understanding of what was going on might suffice.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

I've had that type of dream, and I've also had many others that were more standard, but which also evaporated upon wakening. I went through a period of unsuccessfully trying hard to remember them, but then finally settled on trying to ascertain the tone of the dream. Was it a fear dream, a warning, an encouragement, an exhortation? And then processing that in general terms.

IIRC, Daniel also had a dream or vision he did not understand, and he went around for weeks spiritually drained by it. Finally the meaning came to him. Sometimes it takes time to get to the kernal of what's going on, and there is no substitute for the process of waiting persistently. If the dream is that important, I doubt you'll be able to let it go easily. Otherwise, a general understanding of what was going on might suffice.

Hi Paul. I got carried away for a moment installing your seagreen format. It's great!

Thanks for the advise of trying to catagorize the dream in some way. I'm sure that will help a lot at least to see the flow. Thank you

 

[Albion]

Maybe I'll pray tonight for a formula to remember dreams

Seriously, I suspect that the only way to do that is to write the details down as soon as you awaken.

But I'm still convinced that most dreams are a recombination of images that you had in your mind from the past several days and are not necessarily very important ideas at that. It happened to me last night, as a matter of fact, and I can see where three unconnected thoughts, none of them very important, were combined into a dream I had.

 

[SnowyMacie]

It's actually rare to remember dreams at all, for most people, they disappear almost immediately upon awakening, some people even claim they do not dream at all, though science has shown that everyone dreams. It's even more rare to have vivid, realistic dreams. Have you noticed any change in your sleep patterns lately and/or diet? Has your stress level changed? What are your concerns in life? There are numerous factors that effect our sleep and dream content and intensity as dreams are a reflection of what is currently going on in our lives.

It seems to me that you are dreaming that you are interpreting your dreams, but you can't seem to quite get a grasp of it. In other words, you are searching for meaning in your dreams, and as a result you are dreaming about finding meaning in them.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Seriously, I suspect that the only way to do that is to write the details down as soon as you awaken.

But I'm still convinced that most dreams are a recombination of images that you had in your mind from the past several days and are not necessarily very important ideas at that. It happened to me last night, as a matter of fact, and I can see where three unconnected thoughts, none of them very important, were combined into a dream I had.

That's good that you can decifer thought patterns like that from dreams. Most times I don't remember dreams at all so when I do I would like to understand where they are coming from.
I'm sure most are the unconscious mind unwinding. But because it was revelation is why I thought these were more.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

...
It seems to me that you are dreaming that you are interpreting your dreams, but you can't seem to quite get a grasp of it. In other words, you are searching for meaning in your dreams, and as a result you are dreaming about finding meaning in them.

That's very profound ... could be ..

 

[afishamongmany]

Maybe I'll pray tonight for a formula to remember dreams

Hello Cassia, There is no such formula and you/we don't need to have one.
I have always dreamt a lot and years back for a long time I used to, as best could, note them down. Then often spend considerable amounts of time and energy trying to 'get the meaning'.
I know now that the main purpose of the majority of our dreams is not to communicate specific messages to us from God. The dreaming process is essentially therapeutic for body, mind and spirit. We need to dream, even those who think they don't, do dream.
Does God communicate through dream? He sure does but such communications are rare and not easily forgotten.
When I wake do I still try to understand what I can, of what I can remember, of my dreams? Sure but only for a matter of seconds rather than minutes. Don't get hung up on your dreams. Just pray and let them lie.
As Peter says we have a more sure word to take heed to (2Peter1:19).
May your dreams be sweet and your feet sure,
><>