The Importance of dreams

One of the casualties of western political thought is the belief in dreams. My recent conversation with my coworker and teaching a lesson at church helped me understand the differences in the American and Thai mindset. In America, dreams are generally considered mildly entertaining, but not to be taken seriously. In Thailand, however, people often take dreams much more seriously—often as omens for the future or past. This became apparent when I taught a lesson on spiritual gifts during priesthood meeting at church one Sunday. Many returned missionaries who had served here in Thailand mentioned how investigators would often have dreams confirm the truthfulness of the church. Several investigators saw the faces of the missionaries in a dream before they arrived, making it easy for the missionaries to knock on their door and share the gospel. While individuals vary greatly, there seems to be much less interest or credence given to dreams in the U.S. than in Thailand. While in high school in Virginia, few would talk about their dreams. Those that did would simply mention it as a joke rather than as a portent for the future.

The significance of dreams extends throughout Southeast Asia. In From the Land of Green Ghosts the Burmese author from a remote hill tribe explains how dreams were significant in his life. At one point, his girlfriend is tortured, raped and killed in a Burmese prison for participating in a underground student organization. For weeks and months the author felt uneasy about his girlfriend’s death. According to tradition, the deceased come to visit the living in a dream before they finally go to the next world. Finally, Thwe, the author, recounted that his girlfriend visited him in his dreams and said a final goodbye.

For those with a religious background, dreams have more meaning that simple interest. The bible recounts prophets such as Joseph, Abraham, Isaac and Paul as receiving guidance from dreams. Only with Joseph’s dream was he able to save Egypt during the famine. Similarly, dreams can play a significant role in our lives if we choose to believe in them.