6 An Introduction to the Psychology of Dreaming
The Bible
The Bible is filled with material on dreams: reports of dream experi-
ences, examples of dream interpretations, and comments on the nature and
function of dreams. However, this does not mean that a unified theory of
dreams is presented in the Bible. The 66 books that make up the Old and
New Testaments were written over the course of many centuries by many
different authors with often sharply differing theological views. These
books were not collected into a single canonical text until the Vulgate Latin
translation by Jerome in the early fifth century CE. It would therefore be
foolish to look for a single consistent line of reasoning about dreams across
the many books of the Bible. Rather, the Bible offers a variety of perspec-
tives on dreams, and these complex, interrelated perspectives have had a
huge influence on Western thought about the experience of dreaming.
The Bible presents dreams as one of the chief means by which God
communicates with humans. A primary message conveyed by dreams in
the Bible is simply God’s immediate, vital presence in the life of the
dreamer. This message is illustrated in Abram’s experience of “a dread
and great darkness” falling upon him (Gen. 15), Jacob’s dream of the
heavenly ladder (Gen. 28), Samuel’s experience in the temple of the Lord
(1 Sam. 3), and Solomon’s dream at Gibeon (1 Kings 3). Beyond revealing
God’s numinous presence, many of the dreams also convey messages of
reassurance, guidance, and counsel to the dreamers. For example, the
book of Matthew describes three dreams experienced by Joseph, the hus-
band of Mary, that reassure him and help him lead his wife and their
newborn baby, Jesus, to safety, away from the dangerous King Herod
(Matt. 1–2). Similarly, Paul receives dreams that guide him in his mission-
ary work, directing him to be faithful and go preach the gospel in certain
needy lands (Acts 16, 18).
A few dreams in the Bible offer specific prophecies of what will happen
in the future. Pharaoh’s dream of the seven fat cows and seven lean cows,
followed by a dream of seven plump ears of grain and seven thin ears of
grain, together foretell a coming famine in Egypt (Gen. 41). Gideon over-
hears a dream described by a Midianite soldier that foretells the victory of
Israel over its Midianite enemies (Judg. 7). At times, dreams in the Bible
are frightening and serve as warnings to people. Jacob wrestles with a
mysterious being until daybreak (Gen. 32), and Job suffers horrible night-
mares (Job 7). Abimelech is warned in a dream not to touch Abraham’s
wife Sarah (Gen. 20), and the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar’s night-
mare warns him that he will be driven mad if he does not submit to God’s
rule (Dan. 4). While Pontius Pilate sits in judgment of Jesus, his wife says,
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