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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
About Dreams...	Dan	Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Question: I have read many of your responses about dreams and taking them away or not based on their origin. It's good to know I am not alone. My whole life, I had dreams of the future. Not big prophetic dreams. Dreams of my own life. Not all come true, but many. Nothing bad, just scenes or conversations, a week to years before. At one point in college, I did a research paper on it, and kept a dream diary per a research suggestion. I had a particularly long dream one time talking with a friend about his father who had passed away. I wrote it all down as best as I could remember. Three weeks later, it happened verbatim, down to the 45 minute quoted conversation. I didn't coach the conversation or even remember it until it was done. Then I had my friend open the dream diary where he read his entire portion of the conversation. I've gotten used to these dreams and always felt a bit comforted in that I was where I was supposed to be in life. I take to heart that all knowledge of the future comes from God, and as such, these dreams do as well. I find it a bit... odd, for lack of a better word, that God would take time to let me know I was in the right place, but that is another story. Lately, in the last few years, I have had more different, and often disturbing dreams. It started with one where I was in some kind of older style kitchen with no windows. It reminded me of an old rectory kitchen, to be honest, panelled walls, etc. There was a man there, whom I had never met, but I knew to be the father of a friend of mine. He had passed away a couple years earlier on Thanksgiving, while she was having dinner with my family. My friend had always said she didn't get along very well with her father, and he was verbally abusive, etc. As I said, I never met the man. In the dream, he asked me to tell his daughter that he loved her. I laughed, because, based on what she had said, she clearly wouldn't care to hear it. I told him that from what I heard, he wasn't exactly much of a father. He stood, a rather tall man, and waved his arms around to the side... You are right, in life, I didn't know how to love or even what love was. But this place, motioning with his arms, is all ABOUT love. And he asked me to tell her again. I stood to leave, and he said, "pray for intercession". With that, and after seeing a picture of him, it certainly felt like purgatory, or his version of it anyway. I told her about it, she scoffed, but also was somewhat comforted. I pray for him now, as he asked. Since then, others seem to come in dreams, in their own versions of purgatory. Some, very close to heaven, some very very close to hell. I'm no saint, not even close. But if I don't pray for them, I feel like I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing, and not helping where it is clearly needed. I guess my questions start with the normality, but I know it isn't normal. Is there any resource for help? Focus? The dream of heaven's gates were the most beautiful thing I ever saw.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Dan: No one, even in a dream, can know the future. Only God knows the future. A prophetic dream that appears to come true can have have only one of four possible explanations: 1) It is from God. If the future is revealed to a person by God there will be a specific purpose for it. It doesn't "just happen" or happen for trivial or non-consequential reasons. God-given prophecies come true 100% either in fact, or according to conditions God demands (e.g., either do this or that will happen sort of thing like He often did with the Kings in the Old Testament). 2) It is from the devil. The devil cannot know the future, but he can appear to know future events due to close observation of events, situations, personalities, etc. Human beings can do this too but the devil can do it far beyond any human capacity. 3) It is coincidence. The laws of coincidence are remarkable. Most people have no idea how much a seemingly unrelated event or even what appears to be a miraculous event can actually fall within the realm of coincidence. 4) It is self-fulfilling prophecy. When dealing with dreams of future event of oneself, or if a prophecy about a another person it told to that person, the most likely explanation of the prophecy coming true, other than coincidence, is because the person subconsciously arranges events and makes decisions that facilitate the prophecy (even if the prophecy has been consciously forgotten. What you have described as to future events in your own life fall within coincidence and self-fulfilling prophecy. If they were from God they would always come true. Your college experience also fails to meet the test as coming from God in my opinion. God does not reveal the future for obituary reasons. The devil, however, will encourage these dreams as it leads people away from God and into divination even if the dreamer doesn't realize it or trying or wanting to divine anything. Even St. Peter was unwittingly used by the devil and inspired by the devil to dissuade Jesus from his mission (Matthew 16:22-23) so we know this is possible. Thus, if the dreamer himself is not seduced but is unwittingly being used by the devil, those who learn about the dreams can be seduced into divination. In your case, the devil could have inspired the person to say the words that you predicted, just as the devil inspired St. Peter to say the words he said. Concerning the dead father of your friend we again must question the source. If God was allowing this man, presumably in purgatory, to send a message to his daughter, why did not God have tell the daughter directly either in an apparition or a dream. There is no reason to give the message to you to pass on. This is what psychics and mediums do -- act as intermediaries between the dead and the living. No, I am sorry but I think your experiences, while not sought after by you, are nevertheless not from God. We also need to error on the side of caution and skepticism in matter like this. In your case the details you have mentioned just do not fit how God does things, as I understand it, when he reveals the future to people. I think you need to renounce these experiences. Ask God to not allow these dreams. In our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog I recommend the prayer, Renunciation Of Satan and Claiming the Full Victory, Bedtime Protection Prayer, and Rebuking Particular Spirits. The Hedge of Protection is also a good prayer to pray. On the last one, rebuke the ungodly spirits of false prophecy, divination, and dreams. Replace those spirits with the Spirit of "true knowledge," "trust in God," and "normal dreams", respectively. As for praying for people you dream about, that is good, but I would certainly question the source of the dreams in the first place. By the way, if God is giving you dreams about people in this manner, it would be to pray for them, not to tell them about the dream. If you find out that prophecy comes true, you should not tell them about the dream after-the-fact either. I also recommend that you read, A Still, Small Voice: A Practical Guide on Reported Revelations by Father Benedict J. Groeschel. Because of all the possible psychological issues that can be involved, in addition to the possible trickery of the devil, it is not possible to discern and interpret these things by oneself. Thus, when a person feels they are having prophetic dreams, or visions, or locutions, or seeing apparitions of Mary, and the like, they MUST seek and find a wise Spiritual Director to help them discern and interpret the experiences. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

About Dreams...

Dan

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Question:

I have read many of your responses about dreams and taking them away or not based on their origin. It's good to know I am not alone.

My whole life, I had dreams of the future. Not big prophetic dreams. Dreams of my own life. Not all come true, but many. Nothing bad, just scenes or conversations, a week to years before. At one point in college, I did a research paper on it, and kept a dream diary per a research suggestion. I had a particularly long dream one time talking with a friend about his father who had passed away. I wrote it all down as best as I could remember. Three weeks later, it happened verbatim, down to the 45 minute quoted conversation. I didn't coach the conversation or even remember it until it was done. Then I had my friend open the dream diary where he read his entire portion of the conversation.

I've gotten used to these dreams and always felt a bit comforted in that I was where I was supposed to be in life. I take to heart that all knowledge of the future comes from God, and as such, these dreams do as well. I find it a bit... odd, for lack of a better word, that God would take time to let me know I was in the right place, but that is another story.

Lately, in the last few years, I have had more different, and often disturbing dreams. It started with one where I was in some kind of older style kitchen with no windows. It reminded me of an old rectory kitchen, to be honest, panelled walls, etc. There was a man there, whom I had never met, but I knew to be the father of a friend of mine. He had passed away a couple years earlier on Thanksgiving, while she was having dinner with my family. My friend had always said she didn't get along very well with her father, and he was verbally abusive, etc. As I said, I never met the man. In the dream, he asked me to tell his daughter that he loved her. I laughed, because, based on what she had said, she clearly wouldn't care to hear it. I told him that from what I heard, he wasn't exactly much of a father. He stood, a rather tall man, and waved his arms around to the side... You are right, in life, I didn't know how to love or even what love was. But this place, motioning with his arms, is all ABOUT love. And he asked me to tell her again. I stood to leave, and he said, "pray for intercession". With that, and after seeing a picture of him, it certainly felt like purgatory, or his version of it anyway. I told her about it, she scoffed, but also was somewhat comforted. I pray for him now, as he asked.

Since then, others seem to come in dreams, in their own versions of purgatory. Some, very close to heaven, some very very close to hell.

I'm no saint, not even close. But if I don't pray for them, I feel like I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing, and not helping where it is clearly needed. I guess my questions start with the normality, but I know it isn't normal. Is there any resource for help? Focus? The dream of heaven's gates were the most beautiful thing I ever saw.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Dan:

No one, even in a dream, can know the future. Only God knows the future. A prophetic dream that appears to come true can have have only one of four possible explanations:

1) It is from God. If the future is revealed to a person by God there will be a specific purpose for it. It doesn't "just happen" or happen for trivial or non-consequential reasons. God-given prophecies come true 100% either in fact, or according to conditions God demands (e.g., either do this or that will happen sort of thing like He often did with the Kings in the Old Testament).

2) It is from the devil. The devil cannot know the future, but he can appear to know future events due to close observation of events, situations, personalities, etc. Human beings can do this too but the devil can do it far beyond any human capacity.

3) It is coincidence. The laws of coincidence are remarkable. Most people have no idea how much a seemingly unrelated event or even what appears to be a miraculous event can actually fall within the realm of coincidence.

4) It is self-fulfilling prophecy. When dealing with dreams of future event of oneself, or if a prophecy about a another person it told to that person, the most likely explanation of the prophecy coming true, other than coincidence, is because the person subconsciously arranges events and makes decisions that facilitate the prophecy (even if the prophecy has been consciously forgotten.

What you have described as to future events in your own life fall within coincidence and self-fulfilling prophecy. If they were from God they would always come true.

Your college experience also fails to meet the test as coming from God in my opinion. God does not reveal the future for obituary reasons. The devil, however, will encourage these dreams as it leads people away from God and into divination even if the dreamer doesn't realize it or trying or wanting to divine anything. Even St. Peter was unwittingly used by the devil and inspired by the devil to dissuade Jesus from his mission (Matthew 16:22-23) so we know this is possible. Thus, if the dreamer himself is not seduced but is unwittingly being used by the devil, those who learn about the dreams can be seduced into divination.

In your case, the devil could have inspired the person to say the words that you predicted, just as the devil inspired St. Peter to say the words he said.

Concerning the dead father of your friend we again must question the source. If God was allowing this man, presumably in purgatory, to send a message to his daughter, why did not God have tell the daughter directly either in an apparition or a dream. There is no reason to give the message to you to pass on. This is what psychics and mediums do -- act as intermediaries between the dead and the living.

No, I am sorry but I think your experiences, while not sought after by you, are nevertheless not from God. We also need to error on the side of caution and skepticism in matter like this. In your case the details you have mentioned just do not fit how God does things, as I understand it, when he reveals the future to people.

I think you need to renounce these experiences. Ask God to not allow these dreams. In our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog I recommend the prayer, Renunciation Of Satan and Claiming the Full Victory, Bedtime Protection Prayer, and Rebuking Particular Spirits. The Hedge of Protection is also a good prayer to pray.

On the last one, rebuke the ungodly spirits of false prophecy, divination, and dreams. Replace those spirits with the Spirit of "true knowledge," "trust in God," and "normal dreams", respectively.

As for praying for people you dream about, that is good, but I would certainly question the source of the dreams in the first place. By the way, if God is giving you dreams about people in this manner, it would be to pray for them, not to tell them about the dream. If you find out that prophecy comes true, you should not tell them about the dream after-the-fact either.

I also recommend that you read, A Still, Small Voice: A Practical Guide on Reported Revelations by Father Benedict J. Groeschel.

Because of all the possible psychological issues that can be involved, in addition to the possible trickery of the devil, it is not possible to discern and interpret these things by oneself. Thus, when a person feels they are having prophetic dreams, or visions, or locutions, or seeing apparitions of Mary, and the like, they MUST seek and find a wise Spiritual Director to help them discern and interpret the experiences.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.