Dreams: A Personal Understanding and Spiritual Reflection
I dream every night. To be honest, dreams can be exhausting at times. However, they continue to fascinate me deeply, even though my wife has grown tired of hearing about them each morning when I recount my latest dream.
From a scientific perspective, dreams are often associated with REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, the stage of our deepest rest. During this time, the brain is active, and we are more susceptible to dreaming. I’ve dreamt my entire life, even as far back as I can remember from my childhood.
Some believe that food plays a significant role in influencing dreams. For instance, consuming cheese, spicy foods, or anything that disrupts digestion can induce stressful dreams—manifesting as nightmares, themes of running, fighting, or even violence. Similarly, sexual dreams may result from heightened hormonal activity, reflecting underlying desires.
One thing I’ve noticed is that dreams often seem triggered by past memories or recent events. It’s as though the mind is pulling out old, archived “files” and distorting them into a narrative. For example, people I haven’t thought about in decades sometimes suddenly appear in my dreams, vividly and unexpectedly.
I could likely write an entire book on the subject of dreams and my experiences. Yet, I often refrain from sharing certain dreams out of concern for being misunderstood or judged. That said, I’ll share a couple of notable dreams here that I hope you’ll find intriguing.
The Influence of Fasting on Dreams
An interesting phenomenon occurs when fasting, particularly on water alone. After a few days of fasting, I’ve found that dreams become incredibly vivid and lifelike. For those who are spiritually attuned, fasting seems to open a gateway to spiritual dreams. When I’ve fasted for several days, my dreams felt so real that upon waking, it was as though they had truly happened.
About 20 years ago, when I was deeply devoted to God and had started my ministry, I experienced a profound spiritual dream during a fast. At the time, my father and I had challenging discussions about faith. He was also a Christian, but our theological views differed greatly. I struggled with our relationship because, in my eyes, he seemed “wishy-washy” in his faith, holding onto worldly traditions like Christmas and Easter.
One year, I visited him in Western Australia to assist with a contract job. During this time, I fasted and prayed fervently, asking God to help my dad let go of worldly practices and dedicate himself fully to God. My fasting bothered him, but what followed shook me to the core.
The Dream of the Snake
In the dream, I was sitting on the back veranda of my childhood home in Carnarvon, WA. To my left was a pool, and beside me sat my dogs. My father stood in front of me, and we were having a deep discussion. Suddenly, a large black snake appeared. My dogs barked at it but refused to approach. The snake was aggressive.
I jumped into the pool, finding safety in the water, and yelled at my father to join me. Instead, he grabbed a shovel, attempting to kill the snake. The snake, however, overpowered and devoured him right before my eyes.
When I woke, I was deeply shaken and ended my fast that day. For years, I struggled to understand this dream, but eventually, its meaning became clear.
The water represented God’s protection, while the snake symbolized sin and Satan. My father, in his self-reliance, refused to seek safety in God’s provision and instead tried to fight the serpent on his own. This dream revealed to me that I couldn’t change my father. It was a hard but important lesson: salvation is personal, and each of us must choose to rely on God for protection.
A Vision of Darkness and the Enemy
Another profound dream came during a time when I had turned away from God. I dreamt that I stood on a calm, black sea with small waves. In the distance, I saw four walls hovering above the water, forming a square. These walls shimmered with waterfalls of beautiful, vibrant colors, yet the walls did not meet at the corners, they simply hovered above the sea. Drawn by curiosity, I walked closer.
At the center of the square stood a massive golden throne. Upon it sat a pale, thin man dressed in black, with long black hair and pitch-black eyes. I immediately recognized him as Lucifer. As I tried to charge at him, determined to attack, I found myself completely immobilized. A force held me back, and he smirked at me, exuding a sense of power and control. He said nothing, but his gaze conveyed a chilling message: I was helpless.
I woke from this dream haunted and shaken. In retrospect, it symbolized the period of my life when I had turned away from God. The dream felt like a grim reminder of the grip Satan had on me at the time. Thank God, today I walk once more in His protection.
The Power and Purpose of Dreams
Dreams are powerful. The Bible is filled with examples of God using dreams to deliver prophetic messages and instructions. I firmly believe that walking in righteousness and fasting can lead to revelations and truths through dreams. They serve as a spiritual medium through which God can speak to us, guide us, or warn us.
As Scripture says:
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.”
—Joel 2:28 (TLV)
Dreams are a profound and mysterious part of our human experience, deeply connected to both the spiritual and the physical. They offer insight, challenge us, and sometimes reveal truths we may not yet fully understand.
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