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Download this free book, ECK Wisdom on Dreams to find the answer and much more. You will learn how to
Try the techniques and spiritual exercises on pages 9, 29, 37, and 53 and experience an ancient promise renewed.
—Sri Harold Klemp
There is an ancient and universal tradition about the true nature of dreams which has lost favor in modern times. This view holds that dreams are of divine origin, that they are a portal to spiritual worlds, and that they bear messages from heaven and prophetic insights.
The Gilgamesh saga of ancient Mesopotamia shows us that dreamers used various techniques to increase the chances that a deity would appear in their dreams. A god might send a dream message to a single priest or a group of dreamers.
The Egyptians were said to believe that dreams were caused by the soul taking out-of-body journeys during sleep. In the Old Testament, God says, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream.”
In Jacob’s famous dream at Bethel, he saw a ladder reaching up to heaven, with angels ascending and descending upon it. At the top was the Lord. When Jacob awoke from the dream he exclaimed, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
The Chinese also believed that the soul could separate from the body during sleep and journey into the spiritual worlds, where it could communicate with the departed, then return to the body with memories of the visit. High Chinese officials were expected to seek divine guidance through their dreams so they would obtain the insights needed for wise political judgment.
In ancient India the soul was also thought to leave the body during sleep and visit other places. Indian texts also state that children dream of impressions from past lives and that old people could dream of the world to come.
The Greeks, such as Homer, believed dreams had a divine origin and that the messages were often direct and readily understood. Like nearly all ancient cultures, the Greeks believed that the soul was able to leave the body at night, take trips into other worlds, and visit with the gods.
The list goes on, but these examples show the widespread belief held by our ancestors in the spiritual nature of dreams.
It is one of the greatest losses of modern psychology in its pursuit of scientific foundations that this ancient view was discarded. For spiritual dreams are as prevalent today as they were in ancient times.
Thousands of people are reporting out-of-body journeys in the dream state—journeys to distant locations on earth or to higher spiritual dimensions.
They are reporting prophetic dreams, past-life dreams, telepathic dreams, healing dreams, and dreams of illumination and divine love, guidance, and protection. The dreamers having these kinds of adventures are too numerous to ignore.
The dream teachings of Eckankar define the nature of Soul. You are Soul, a particle of God sent into the worlds (including earth) to gain spiritual experience.
The assumption is made right from the start that spiritual dreams are real, that they are a vital part of life, and that they are an essential and key element in one’s spiritual growth.
The goal is spiritual freedom in this lifetime, after which you become a Co-worker with God, both here and in the next world. Karma and reincarnation are primary beliefs.
Do you want to understand the nature and reality of your dreams? And experience the wondrous potential for love and happiness they can bring into your life? Learn more about spiritual dreams.
Harold Klemp, the spiritual leader of Eckankar, is one of the foremost advocates of spiritual dreaming in the world today.
By Deena Wolfson
Some years ago I opened my home to another student of Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ. She had come to Chicago to undergo major surgery. I happened to have space in my home, so I invited her to stay with me while she recovered. We became close friends.
Since that time, whenever we see each other, she always tries to thank me, saying, “I can’t believe this stranger opened her home to me.”
I have always had difficulty accepting expressions of gratitude, because it seems as if I’m patting myself on the back. So, I’d shrug off her comments with, “No, no, that’s fine. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
In doing that, I would just push my friend’s gratitude away.
That is, until recently when she and I were talking. I suddenly realized that in denying her the gift of showing me gratitude, I may have been letting her feel she owed a debt she could not repay. I asked her to please forgive me and told her quite simply, “You’re welcome.”
I remember her gentle and loving smile. We both acknowledged the role of Divine Spirit in all this. I am more grateful for this lesson than words can express.
Giving and receiving are opposite sides of the same coin.
I know animals are Soul. Does that mean we are breaking karmic law when we hunt, eat meat, or wear leather?
For fun, let’s look at the other side of this coin.
Plants are Soul too. Research has shown they can feel pain. Need there be grower’s remorse at harvest? Does snipping basil leaves for lunch incur a karmic penalty?
Or does karmic law give a pass to gardeners, vegans, and florists? I think so.
So do what your conscience bids, because a law of nature requires all sentient beings to consume something to survive. Be humble about your choice of consumption. Don’t lord it over that of others. Bad karma.
Be thankful to have food. Thank the Spirit of Life for Its bountiful goodness.
—Sri Harold Klemp
Download this free book, ECK Wisdom on Karma and Reincarnation to find the answer and much more. You will discover
Try the techniques and spiritual exercises on pages 16, 49, and 59 to begin a more joyful and fulfilling life today.
—Sri Harold Klemp
Paul Twitchell, the modern day founder of Eᴄᴋᴀɴᴋᴀʀ, once said that people pick up the karma of the one they marry. I thought a divorce would end such karma. But the way it sounds, this is not so. I have to wonder how I will ever work it off, as I have been married four times. Could you clarify this, please?
Yes, marriages do cast long shadows. Children of such unions are a prime example. If there is a divorce, who will care for them? What about visitation rights? If the parents are of different faiths, to which church will the children go? And so on.
But cheer up. All karma can be worked off.
First, accept your responsibility in such matters by fulfilling the legal and moral obligations that accompany divorce.
Second, give up all your resentments and anger toward your former mate and any acquaintances that came of the relationship.
—Sri Harold Klemp
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