keithleycreek

Wondeful article. I look forward to reading Nancy Browne's book. I am in the process of publishing a book of my own on dream interpretation, and am encouraged by her elevation of the topic.

Thanks! They are the best antidote to earwigs I ever saw. Best garden I ever had was when they were my bug/weed patrol.

"In general, the more food we eat in its natural state and the less it is refined without additives, the healthier it will be for us. Food can affect the mind, and deficiencies in certain elements in the body can promote mental depression." Ezra Taft Benson, 1974 https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1974/10/do-not-despair?lang=eng&_r=1 In the past, I rolled my eyes at granolaheads and others whose dietary preferences were too "crunchy" for my taste. Then we had a friend stay with us for a while who preferred only organic foods. At first I thought it was elitism, but then I saw the horrific hives on her hands immediately after I sneaked non-organic lettuce into our dinner salad. It was humbling. Without going into all of my concerns about the politicization of our food supply, let me just say: the health of our people is more important than possible loss of profits due to honest labeling. GMOs can obviously be useful. Golden rice is a great example of that. Some have posted charts stating various kinds of genetic modification, saying "What isn't modified?" And, it is true, much of our food supply IS modified in one way or another. But there has been an insidious blurring of the lines of definition on the topic. Natural modification, such as crossbreeding or, as suggested by one scriptorian here, grafting, has been done for millenia. Those are not GMO, by the definition of those who oppose it. But inserting Roundup genes into corn meant for human consumption? That's the kind of thing horror movies are made of. The prophet's guidance, given long before GMO was even a household word, is wisdom indeed.

Thanks, LiterateParakeet. I'm glad the Lord knows the full effects of trauma, the years of nightmares and suffering that no one sees. I know from experience that it does get better. Sometimes professional help is needed, and there is certainly no shame in that. Honestly, I wouldn't read most of what is available on dreams and dream interpretation right now either (my book excepted of course) It's a little strange walking into such a minefield of weirdness as the topic of dreams with my book, but I know it is the right thing to do. It will help and comfort a lot of people.

NeuroTypical, I really like your first-level discernment technique. You are right, an inspired dream will be more memorable, even momentous, so your method will filter out all but the most useful information. I think there is learning to be had in most dreams, however. It just may or may not be something you want to pursue. Also, memory is a flexible characteristic - there are things you can do to extend memory, like writing something down. Writing down a dream helps in a lot of ways. Your dream is very interesting. I wonder if there is something in your life or the life of your family that you don't want there. Maybe it is promising you benefits and that it will only be there a short time - but you know in your heart that it cannot be trusted and could potentially harm you or your family. Some kind of less-than-ideal compromise. It could be a warning of something coming down the pike or something already in your life. I don't pretend to know.The dream came to you, so only you can really interpret it. But consider that each of the components of the dream carries symbolic meaning that could be generally understood OR unique to you.

Thanks for your posts, Carborendum and NeuroTypical! Very different responses, naturally, from two very different people. You are right, Carborendum, that was a heck of a way to introduce myself - but then I am new to mormonhub and didn't know any better. It is easy to forget in an online venue that readers don't know you personally and might be inclined to assume the worst. LOL You might be interested in what LDS Topics says about dreams as a type of revelation: https://www.lds.org/topics/revelation?lang=eng. In my book I reference Elder Sterling W Sill, who discussed the potential profitability of dreams and learning from them in one of his books. There is less said in more recent years, but IMO it is not because dreams are invalid themselves, but because people have largely lost the ability to understand them. Dreams are like music - a language all their own, and a highly symbolic one at that. Not all people dream. That's a fact. Those who do may or may not receive inspired dreams. There is nothing wrong with NOT receiving dreams, either. The Lord gives different gifts to each person. But it's also OK if people do dream and interpret. I dream, but I have also had gifts of music, art and language, which, along with some heavy trials and the scriptures, have helped me to figure some things out. I also have a soundly-based testimony of the Gospel and revelation in general, and am comfortable with who I am. Dreams have kind of a bad reputation because they are affected by any kind of physical, mental, emotional or spiritual illness. They are not an entry-level approach to receiving revelation. Far from it. There are also issues of agency. Many people don't need much of an excuse to lord authority over others, and for unstable people, dreams might provoke such actions. Also, as you said, dreams are influenced by the things that have been on your mind, but that doesn't negate potential for instruction in and of itself - in fact, it is evidence that the Lord is using what you know to teach you something you may not understand fully . Perhaps dreams were a more commonly understood or reliable source of revelation in another day and age, when there were no electronic distractions. I am continually amazed at the Lord's ability to cobble different symbols together to teach me something that otherwise would never have entered my head.

Hello, Existing forum posts on dream interpretation on this site seem to be mostly populated with questions about how the process works, and concerned questions about the sanity of those who dream or try to interpret. However, the scriptures are full of instances of people receiving instruction from the Lord through dreams. I am finalizing a manuscript on the subject, and am interested in your take, your experiences, and ideas. I dream regularly, usually vividly, colorfully, and with a high degree of spiritual import and impact. Over the years I have developed an understanding of the process of interpreting that I want to share. I am looking for ways to share my work and experiences without being relegated to the "Professor Trelawney" category. I wonder what kind of interest there is on the subject here, particularly as my manuscript is directed to a thoughtful, serious LDS market. I look forward to hearing from you! Cindy