catholic answers forum dream interoperation working4christ

CrispSnowflake · #1 Yesterday, 8:09 am

Is it okay if I go on a website to interpret my dreams?
Sometimes I may have an odd event occurring in my dream and I look it up on the internet to discover what it means.

These are some websites I use.
http://www.dreammoods.com/
http://www.experienceproject.com/

I know that Joseph and Daniel interpreted dreams.

I just hope that the websites I go on aren't occultic.

Is it alright if I go on these websites to interpret my dreams? Or should I pray to God to tell me what my dreams are about?

Thank you in advance!

arak · #2 Yesterday, 8:47 am

I am glad you posted this because I go on Dreammoods all the time. I have very vivid dreams every night and can remember them in great detail. I am anxious to hear what people say about visitng the website. The thing about DM for me is that 98% of the time, it is accurate about what my dreams might mean. For example, last night green apples were in my dream and DM says "To see green apples represents developing love or love that has yet to blossom" I have met someone recently and I am hoping and would like to see love develop. Another time I had a dream of a tornado and it said "To see a tornado represents feeling out of control or overwhelmed." At that moment in my waking life is exactly how I was feeling. I don't rely on the interpretations to tell me how to live or to predict future and what I should or shouldn't do. It's more entertainment for me. I do believe that our dreams are important though and that God does speak to us through dreams just like he did to people in the Bible.

Nom the Wise · #3 Yesterday, 8:48 am

The websites you've linked here don't seem particularly "occultic" per se, but then again they're not particularly Catholic which would give me pause.

Remember that divination is forbidden by Church teaching. That being said, all dream interpretation need not be divination (or some form of private revelation from God).

I prefer the school of thought that advocates that we can usually figure out the meaning of our dreams for ourselves, that our dreams are really just manifestations of our subconscious mind and that they usually have something to do with what's going on in our life at that moment. I once posted a thread years ago to get people's thoughts about some dreams that I had, and that worked out pretty good. Folks on CAF brainstormed with me and I got some good insights. Why not try that rather than rely on a website where you don't really know who's running the show?

Dorothy · #4 Yesterday, 9:22 am

Keep in mind that Joseph and Daniel were interpreting dreams that were given by the Holy Spirit, and that they did so by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We all need to stay close to the Lord in prayer and not look for meaning to our lives through such websites.

fred conty · #5 Yesterday, 9:29 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrispSnowflake

Is it okay if I go on a website to interpret my dreams?
Sometimes I may have an odd event occurring in my dream and I look it up on the internet to discover what it means.

These are some websites I use.
http://www.dreammoods.com/
http://www.experienceproject.com/

I know that Joseph and Daniel interpreted dreams.

I just hope that the websites I go on aren't occultic.

Is it alright if I go on these websites to interpret my dreams? Or should I pray to God to tell me what my dreams are about?

Thank you in advance!

All those in the bible having dreams sent by God had special missions or were caught up in some holy event for which they were prepared by the dream. Unless you feel you are some great holy person caught up in some great and holy event, it would be best to attribute those dreams to a piece of cheese that didn't really set well with you.

Dreams are a way of sucking a person right down the wrong road. The best policy is to ignore them and better spend the time in prayer.

But if you do think the dream is especially important, run it by your spiritual director or confessor in confession and see what he thinks of it. Then follow his advice.

Just some thoughts.

Nom the Wise · #6 Yesterday, 9:34 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by fred conty

All those in the bible having dreams sent by God had special missions or were caught up in some holy event for which they were prepared by the dream. Unless you feel you are some great holy person caught up in some great and holy event, it would be best to attribute those dreams to a piece of cheese that didn't really set well with you.

Bezant · #7 Yesterday, 9:44 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrispSnowflake

Is it okay if I go on a website to interpret my dreams?

Dream interpretation can fall in the category of superstition, or more seriously, divination, which the Church condemns:

Quote:

2111 Superstition is the deviation of religious feeling and of the practices this feeling imposes. It can even affect the worship we offer the true God, e.g., when one attributes an importance in some way magical to certain practices otherwise lawful or necessary. To attribute the efficacy of prayers or of sacramental signs to their mere external performance, apart from the interior dispositions that they demand, is to fall into superstition.

2115 God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it.

2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. 48 Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.

2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion....

This is something you should to discuss with your priest.

**Joe 5859** · #8 Yesterday, 10:14 am

I am not familiar with those sites, but I would steer clear. Dream interpretation strikes me as the type of thing that could easily (if not necessarily so) veer off into the category of horoscopes, palm reading, and tarot cards. Such a site can simply offer commentary that is so general that it always seems to apply because it is always possible to read into something so vague.

We need to be careful about comparing the stories in Scripture about the interpretation of dreams with such modern day phenomenon. Those cases in Scripture occurred in specific circumstances. That does not mean there is therefore no danger in us seeking interpretation for our dreams from whoever is offering.

Robin des Bois · #9 Yesterday, 10:55 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrispSnowflake

Is it okay if I go on a website to interpret my dreams?
Sometimes I may have an odd event occurring in my dream and I look it up on the internet to discover what it means.

These are some websites I use.
http://www.dreammoods.com/
http://www.experienceproject.com/

I know that Joseph and Daniel interpreted dreams.

I just hope that the websites I go on aren't occultic.

Is it alright if I go on these websites to interpret my dreams? Or should I pray to God to tell me what my dreams are about?

Thank you in advance!

Daniel and Joseph were Prophets.

bolinstephen · #10 Yesterday, 11:18 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robin des Bois

Daniel and Joseph were Prophets.

And St. Paul says that some have the gift of prophesy.

I would recommend staying clear of dream interpretation websites. Dreams can have meanings- the Bible specifically teaches this. But they have personal meanings- if your dreams have meaning at all. Talk to a priest if your dreams are bothering you.

Sunbreak · #11 Yesterday, 3:00 pm

I don't suppose going to those websites are really any big deal, but I don't think that every dream about a particular things means the same thing to every person that dreams about those things. If I dream about a cat and you dream about a cat, it might mean something different. Why not try to figure out what the dream means on your own? Sometimes in the past I have had vivid dreams. Usually I could see some correlation with what was happening to me in the real world. For example, when in a stressful job where I felt things were getting out of control, I would often dream about being in a car where the brakes didn't work or have dreams about continually trying to turn on a light switch that didn't seem to work.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Is it okay if I go on a website to interpret my dreams?