The Earth
THE SPIRITUAL EARTH
- Chapter 64 -
Dreams and their interpretation
The following is an account of particular visions, of good as well as bad people, which originate either from Heaven or from Hell. That is why it is absolutely necessary to obtain correct information, and instructions in proper behavior, in order to know how to conduct oneself in the presence of such phenomena.
There are many different kinds of visions. The most common and well-known types of visions are nocturnal dreams. Here the question arises: Who actually dreams, and what are the pictures in dreams?
During an ordinary sleep, only the soul dreams. This dreaming is none other than a chaotic viewing by the soul into her own circumstances. But then dreams have no orderly connection with anything, and are similar to pictures in a kaleidoscope which change with every movement and never appear again precisely in the same manner.
The reason for this incoherent viewing of circumstances and circumstantial pictures is that the soul herself is not in contact with the outer world, and especially not with her spirit. These kinds of visions are of no benefit to the soul, except that, after such a dream, she should remember in what absolute state she is.
If you summarize all your dreams and, wherever possible, even write them down, the soul will get a good picture of herself; such a summary will show her how she is within herself - what her main desires are, her endeavors, and how her whole being is actually made up, and also how she will be made up when she has completely loosed herself from the flesh.
These types of dreams are called forth in the soul neither by the hellish nor by the heavenly spirits, but are entirely the soul's own product, of which she remembers at times more and at times less, and soon she does not remember them at all. In normal people it depends entirely upon the composition of their nerve spirits. If the nerve spirit be more inclined towards the soul, a person possesses the ability to remember almost every dream. If, however, a human being is more inclined towards the physical body, then he will have little or no reminiscence of his dreams at all. This is usually the case with people who are very sensuous and material.
But it is considerably different with certain clear dreams when it seems to the dreaming person that the phenomena are reality. When he awakens it is very difficult for him to decide if it was a dream or reality. Such visions or dreams are not dreams that belong to the soul but the result of those spirits that surround her, he they good or evil. If they are evil, the soul and her body will awaken from such dreams utterly exhausted. If, however, these visions are the work of good spirits, then upon awakening the soul and body will find themselves in an invigorated state.
Both types of visions will be allowed only for the benefit, and not the detriment, of the soul. In terrifying visions she should find a warning, and in good visions she should find strength. The reason why these visions become so clear is that the spirits first loosen the nerve spirit from its physical service and connect it with the soul. In such a state the soul has a feeling of naturalness, because she is in union with her nerve spirit, and is therefore stronger in order to be able to accept and retain through the senses of the body the stronger and more significant dream pictures.
The viewing of the somnambulant or medium belongs to this category of inner visions, as well as the viewing during the so-called anesthesia. These visions have within themselves a certain meaningful connection, and a particular order, too, because here the soul is being told the truth by the spirits surrounding her. In such visions the soul is frequently shown future events by the spirits, and this is not difficult for the spirits, since they know the order of things that unalterably must follow one after the other, and they themselves are the producers of this order.
This kind of vision may be considered of some value. However, no one should consider this to be an unalterable fate, as the heathens once did. Nevertheless, beyond that, no one's free will should ever be infringed upon. If someone seriously wants something different from that which a spirit has shown him in a vision, then he should turn only to Me. Then things will change, provided that the person believes and trusts; and this is why he turns to Me, because I alone can change all things at a moment's notice. Therefore you should not be too deeply concerned by these visions, which quite often occur; because if they are good you do not have to worry, and if they are evil they may be changed. Of course, for those who firmly believe in these visions and expect that I have less power than they do, it might possibly become a flat - that is: "Let it be done" - which takes place.
Human nature is indeed so weak that often it even willingly and faithfully follows all kinds of future events from the simplest of dreams. In addition, human beings have already made certain rules whereby certain things must occur agreeably to those dreams. These regulations of dreams, and their (so to speak) certain consequences, are naturally just as extraordinarily stupid as the one who regulates them. There are dreams about water which are said to represent the death of a relative or acquaintance. Fire supposedly represents a lie or joy. Bread, manure, and dreams about weddings are considered to be prophecies of a death in the family. When you dream of bees it means a fire is to erupt; when you dream of ants there will be a flood, or you may expect many worries. Grasshoppers, crickets, and birds signify war, not to mention dreams about winning the lottery. Such pictures that present themselves to the soul in a dream are, however, analogies of the state of the soul, but by no means prophecies of future events.
Verily, such a belief is evil; it will cause great harm to the soul, because the soul, by becoming accustomed to these things, entirely abandons her faith in Me.
Even though such simple dreams belong only to the soul, these foolish pedantic interpretations belong, in accordance with that philosophy, to evil spirit scoundrels. These crawl into the flesh when such opportunities arise, as the blow-flies and flesh-flies crawl on a heap of flesh, and draw out of it such, like astral-soul dream visions, and then persuade the soul into such absurd prophecies that are nothing but the filth of such evil spiritual flesh-flies.
I tell you this so that you may know what to think in future about dreams, and what you should in reality think of real visions, which we shall discuss in due course. Every phenomenon has, however, its corresponding purpose as well as its corresponding reason, excluding imaginary follies.