Sunday, September 28, 2003		Dream Theme

LIKE other religious symbols, places of worship when seen in dreams denote the dreamer’s conscience. Such dreams of religious significance tend to occur if a person is carrying feelings of guilt, or is he find himself unable to solve a problem, or if he is filled with some fear.

As per Indian thought, dreaming of places of worship such as churches, temples or mosques is a good omen. It foretells success. It means that you will also get a wonderful chance to travel. But if, in the dream, the place of worship looks old and forlorn then you are warned to be cautious. It denotes that your future is not very bright. You shall encounter several obstacles in your path. Such a dream might also mean that your enemies are silently plotting your downfall.

As per western thought, seeing a place of worship in your dream portends bad times. It means that you shall face hostility in your social circle and your business matters shall remain unsettled. Should you see a place of worship from a great distance then it means that you shall face delays in reaching a goal you have aimed at for long. Should you see yourself and your lover in such a place, it foretells problems in your relationship. Should the place be broken down then it means that an unfortunate event is around the corner.

Psychoanalytically speaking, religious imagery in our dreams has to do with our tendency to deny the presence of God and the place of spirituality in our lives. Our dreams attempt to jolt us into accepting the presence of God. In fact, the condition of the religious place is often of great importance. Should it be beautiful and invoke a sense of peace in you, it enhances the importance of spirituality in your life. But should if it is broken and dark and gloomy, it denotes your lack of faith in God. If you see yourself in such a place and feel that God is speaking to you then it is, in all probability, your conscience reminding you do your duty or sort our some unfinished business. Such a dream also denotes your need for a place where you are free from the tensions of everyday life. In such dreams, we find solace in associating with God.

A 38-year-old man would often see a broken-down temple in his dreams. He would walk in and, to his surprise, it would be decorated with beautiful idols of gold and silver. He would not be able to understand the contrast between the outer and the inner condition of the temple. He concluded that the exteriors of the temple were deliberately kept in a poor condition in order to safeguard the riches within. The dream denotes the conflicts of the present-day generation. Those belonging to this generation are aware of the presence of God because of their cultural moorings, but their lifestyle does not allow them enough time to spend on spirituality and neither do they accept the presence of a supernatural being. This conflict between being unwilling to believe in something of whose existence there is no proof and at the same time being unable to deny its existence because of cultural conditioning, evokes such dreams. The dilapidated condition of the temple points to his unwillingness to accept the presence of God, while the beautiful interiors point to his innate belief in God. If he accepts the presence of God, he shall cease to see such conflicting symbols in his dreams.