Both St. Paul and Muhammad had powerful experiences where they heard a voice which they believed was God. Yet this is not the only way in which God reveals himself to people. Some religious people say that God communicates through dreams or visions. We all dream for a period of time when we sleep, but very often our dreams are quickly forgotten when we wake. We usually only remember them if they have been particularly puzzling, frightening or exciting. There is a fascination with dreams, and people often try to interpret them. Did you know that to hear laughter in a dream is supposed to be a sign of good times to come? To be dancing with someone is supposed to be a sign of contentment?

Think about a dream you have had recently and try to write it down in as much detail as you can. Share your dream with the class and then try to get an interpretation. Do you think dreams are significant and should we take note of them? Write down your thoughts in no less than 150 words giving reasons for what you think. Link to www.dreamweavers.org



Some religious people have claimed that God has revealed himself to them in a dream. When they wake up they believe that they have had some contact with God, and often received some sort of instructions from him.

In the Bible is the story of Joseph. He had many dreams that he felt were from God. He was also able to interpret the dreams of others. You may wish to read the full account of Joseph and his dream in Genesis, chapters 39-41. Here is an extract.

The king said to him, 'I have had a dream, and no one can explain it. I have been told that you can interpret dreams.'

Joseph answered, 'I can not, Your Majesty, but God will give a favourable interpretation.'

The king said, 'I dreamt that I was standing on the bank of the Nile, when seven cows, fat and sleek, came up out of the river and began feeding on the grass. Then seven other cows came up which were thin and bony. They were the poorest cows I have seen anywhere in Egypt. The thin cows ate up the fat ones, but no one would have known it, because they looked just as bad as before. Then I woke up...'

Joseph said to the king...'God has told you what he is going to do. The seven fat cows are seven years ...The seven thin cows which came up later... are seven years of famine. It is just as I told you - God has shown you what he is going to do. There will be seven years of great plenty in all the land of Egypt. After that, there will be seven years of famine, and all the good years will be forgotten, because the famine will ruin the country.'

(Genesis 41:15-21,25-30)


Joseph believed that dreams were inspired by God, and that God had given him the power to interpret them. What evidence would you wish to see to prove that Joseph's interpretations were reliable? Look up Genesis 47:13-25. In your own words, describe what happens. Does this prove sufficient evidence that Joseph interpreted the dream accurately? What does this suggest about Joseph's relationship with God? 'You'd do a lot better if you stopped wasting your time dreaming and faced reality!' ... Are you impressed by dreamers? Give reasons for your answer.



Dreams are usually considered to come from within our minds. That is why we think they can tell us something about ourselves when we try to interpret them, and also why we can interpret

them often by simply thinking about our recent experiences and what has been on our mind. Therefore, there is an arguments that if someone claims God spoke to them in a dream, it is really only them imagining God spoke to them, because it came from their own mind. Could or would God actually come into a mind from without, with the purpose of talking to us in dreams? Some people believe that God is always present within us, and so maybe a dream about God is inspired by him inside us. What we do know is that those who claim God revealed himself to them in a dream, are completely convinced that it really was God. It is impossible to prove whether God revealed himself in this way. We can listen to accounts of people's experiences and decide what we think.