Simplifying a Spiritual Dream: 5 Essential Tips and Pitfalls

Simplifying a spiritual dream helps uncover your dream’s meaning. There are proven practices that make dreams more straightforward to understand and pitfalls we should avoid. This post will explore five essential tips for simplifying a spiritual dream, including a real dream example. We discuss dream source, language, perspective, structure, and the summary statement. Later, we will highlight five common mistakes dream interpreters make.

1. Identifying the Source of the Dream

Before analyzing a dream, it is wise to determine its source and whether the contents are believable. Dreams from the Holy Spirit provide credible information and grant us wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. However, dreams from other sources may be less dependable.

Spiritual dreams typically display the following 5 characteristics:

• Color – Colorful, vivid, bright, or mimic ambient colors seen in the daytime.
• Content – Helpful and give revelation, understanding, and discernment.
• Comfort – Rarely cause any angst or fear, though they may sometimes communicate unpleasant information or a correction from the Lord.
• Confirmation – Scriptures, sermons, and prophecy support the same message.
• Context – Speak to our real-life experiences or something needed for the future.

Conversely, dreams from the Soul have “washed-out” or muted colors. They can elicit strong emotions (often hostile), seem incomplete or void of solutions, and leave questions rather than answers. Dreams from the kingdom of darkness are typically black and white or grayscale and should be treated as false. Occasionally, a false dream may look colorful, but its source will be evident from its content or instruction, which opposes Scripture.

Furthermore, we should respond to all dreams since they are prophetic messages (Exodus 12:6). Either vocally accept the message from the Holy Spirit or cancel messages from other sources. Assuredly, we can always ask and rely on the Holy Spirit for help to understand and confirm the meaning of our dreams.

2. Simplifying a Spiritual Dream with Language

Deciphering a dream should not be as difficult as saying or spelling the name Rumpelstiltskin. After all, the Bible provides us with two essential tips – write down our dreams and simplify them by capturing the main facts (Habakkuk 2:2-3; Daniel 7:1). Consider the following single-scene spiritual dream that I saw earlier this week:

In a moment of profound reverence, I found myself seated at the feet of my Lord, Jesus. I clung to the hem of His garment, resting my head upon His knee in a posture of humble adoration. As I opened my hands, palms upturned, a shower of heavenly fruit descended upon them – delicate slices of orange, a divine sustenance bestowed from above.

This encounter, marked by a tangible sense of the divine presence, spoke to the depths of my soul. In the stillness, I was reminded of the grace and nourishment that flow from the Lord, who graciously invites us to partake of His blessings and find rest in His presence.

My Lord Jesus was seated, and I sat at His feet. I wrapped my arms around His leg and rested my head on His knee. I felt a quiet peace and was honored to be with Him. Next, I opened the palms of my hands side by side and received cut pieces of oranges falling from Heaven.

This dream is about receiving the fruit (or rewards) of perseverance (symbolized by the orange) and wisdom (additional meaning of orange) when I embrace the Lord’s purpose (leg) for me and rest in Him.

3. Viewing from a Heavenly Perspective

What you see depends on where you stand. Doesn’t this dark forest look less foreboding from an aerial view?

Similarly, viewing our dreams from heaven gives us a panoramic view of how all the scenes fit together to paint a single picture. This elevated perspective also helps us to see how individual dreams, seen over several years, fit together to convey a cohesive message, support a vision, or confirm our spiritual destiny.

4. Simplifying a Spiritual Dream’s Structure

The structure of a dream will give you basic yet essential information.

First, determine the number of scenes in a dream, just as you would identify a new scene in a movie. Scenes are similar to different chapters in a book or rooms in a house. Each scene will give new information not usually seen in a previous scene but that adds to the story. Looking at the structure, can you spot any visions within your dream? Visions give substantial clues as to what your dream is about.

Then, determine who the lead actor is. This person will typically appear in all or nearly all scenes. If the dreamer is the lead, is the dreamer inside the dream or merely watching the events from outside the dream? (If the dreamer is not inside the dream, the dream is not about the dreamer.)

For a more in-depth discussion on scenes, leads, dreams, and visions, please check out our free introductory course: Laying Dream Foundations. We have included dream diagrams and pictures to help you visualize dream structures.

After identifying each scene, summarize the message from each scene in one or two sentences. In doing so, tell the story in a continuum from one scene to the next. Then, you can start including more symbols seen in the dream. Our intermediate course, Building Interpretive Skills, provides several examples of this process, including dream diagrams. With practice, summarizing scenes becomes easier.

5. Summarizing a Dream’s Meaning

Here are some final tips for understanding a spiritual dream. One is to add a dream title, and another is to summarize the dream. Ultimately, ensure the Scriptures support the dream interpretation.

A unique and memorable title helps you to summarize and recall your dream. Such as “Receiving Bits of Orange from Heaven after Embracing and Resting on Jesus’ Leg.” Or “Catching Heavenly Fruit After Restfully Embracing the Lord’s Leg.”

Writing the dream’s meaning is easier after you have simplified each scene. The dream interpretation should be summarized in context in one sentence (or two).

For example, “Resting and waiting in the Presence of the Lord with humility (kneeling) as I embrace His purpose (leg) will grant me wisdom for my work (hands) and endurance (perseverance) that God will reward (fruitfulness).“

As it turns out, perseverance and wisdom are two topics the Lord has spoken to me about for months through different sources. (Proverbs 4:7; 9:10; Romans 5:3-4; 8:25; Hebrews 4:1-11; James 5:11).

Finally, Spiritual dreams will always be supported by the Scriptures. Just as the Holy Spirit speaks to us in the Bible about the life of Lord Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven, He will communicate similar topics to us in our dreams. Next, let’s examine some interpretive pitfalls.

5 DON’Ts when Simplifying a Spiritual Dream

Here are some common mistakes dreamer interpreters should avoid.

1. Do not focus on dream symbols before identifying your dream source and simplifying its structure. Otherwise, how will you know which of two, three, or five different meanings applies to a symbol?
2. Do not view your dreams as isolated messages unrelated to what the Holy Spirit has been speaking to you about through Scriptures, sermons, other believers, and your spiritual destiny. Also, do not expect to understand the whole message of your dream after reading it once or twice. Five or ten years from now, your spiritual dream may still be speaking Truth to you.
3. Do not overlook embedded visions (and dreams within dreams) because these will clarify the context of the dream.
4. Do not fail to write down your dream clearly and summarize its interpretation. Your dream meaning should be as easy to understand as the Gospel of the Kingdom.
5. Since dreams are prophecies, do not forget to vocally accept the words from the Holy Spirit and reject messages from other sources. As is true for prophecies, prayer and reading the Scriptures are essential to understanding dreams. Expect the Holy Spirit to speak even through what may appear to be a randomly selected Bible reading.

Resources to Help You with Your Dreams

In conclusion, simplifying a spiritual dream facilitates learning and understanding. While dream interpretation is not a science, it is a gift that grows with practice. The best part is that all God’s sheep can hear His Voice, including through dreams (John 10:27).

For more discussion topics on dreams, symbols, and interpretation, please see our A-to-Z List of posts or register for a Course or Tutoring. Shalom!

_{**All images are from depositphotos.com and used under a standard license. Image authors from top (excluding 5 Characteristics of Spiritual Dreams): VadimVasenin, Klanneke, londondeposit, maxpro, YuriyA}, _{AsierRomeroCarballo}, _NewAfrica