The interpretation of dreams is hardly an exact science. When we mine Islamic and Baha’i texts for instruction, we find that much depends on factors like the favor of God and purity of the heart. These textual traditions agree that while techniques may help to induce dreams of significance and familiar symbols may point in consistent directions, only divine guidance ensures that we distinguish between the truth and illusion of our nightly reveries. If divine guidance is in place, the truths of the dream realm can be closer to ultimate reality than our wakeful experiences. The state of sleep frees the soul to perceive beyond the bodily senses. On the other hand, our baser desires can cloud our dreams and turn them into a meaningless jumble in the same way that our lower nature can taint our spiritual perception throughout earthly life. When read together, texts from Islam and the Baha’i Faith reveal a complex framework in which dreams lead us closer to or pull us farther from divine truth.
The interpretation of dreams is hardly an exact science. When we mine Islamic and Baha’i texts for instruction, we find that much depends on factors like the favor of God and purity of the heart. These textual traditions agree that while techniques may help to induce dreams of significance and familiar symbols may point in consistent directions, only divine guidance ensures that we distinguish between the truth and illusion. If divine guidance is in place, the truths of the dream realm can be closer to ultimate reality than our wakeful experiences. The state of sleep frees the soul to perceive beyond the bodily senses. On the other hand, our baser desires can cloud our dreams and turn them into a meaningless jumble. When read together, texts from Islam and the Baha’i Faith reveal a complex framework in which dreams lead us closer to or pull us farther from divine truth.