I couldn't fall asleep again. I tried wearing an eyemask, which had helped before, but it felt like there was too much pressure on my nose, and I didn't want to have another nosebleed. I wonder what would happen if I just took a handkerchief and blindfolded myself. Would that be a suffocation hazard?
When I fell asleep, I had a nightmare about a tsunami hitting St.Petersburg (don't laugh!). I was standing near the gulf of Finland and suddenly from the city came this wall of water. I was stuck between a huge wall of water and the gulf; there was nowhere to go; I had to swim. I tried diving into the biggest waves as I was taught, but there was so much water that it felt like it would never end. I left the water tumble over me, and somehow I didn't drown. Then I found myself in an emergency shelter. They had ordered everyone into shelters in case of aftermath from the tsunami, but being Russians, everyone was disobeying and escaping from the shelters. They were calling the tsunami a monsoon for some reason.
A few days later I was riding in a bus and there was a crowd of policemen standing around a pile of dead policemen, who had been killed by the tsunami. They had gathered around one body and were having an impromptu funeral. All the policemen were wearing dark blue uniforms.
These dreams are coming from someone who does not watch television!
I've been having a lot of dreams about suffocating and drowning lately, maybe I sleep with too many pillows?
Hmmmm... I think that's what St. Pete's pollution does to a person after a while.
ReplyDeleteOn a serious note though, in my life I find that when I begin to dream these vivid, strange dreams it is because of some change that is going to happen (a change of place, a change in circumstances, new people, ministry opportunities coming into my life, etc.). The moment I begin to fly in my dreams - hold on to your seat, the change is on the way! Do you fly in your dreams?
No, I don't fly in my dreams. I tend to dream about situations that could possibly occur, but which would be very frightening and/or surprising if they did.
ReplyDeleteWhy are you anonymous?
I missed the option where I can put the name :)
ReplyDeleteI am Vitali. I live in Tallahassee, FL. I immigrated from Russia a while ago and this morning I was searching the web about Christian churches in Russia and saw your blog. I lived in St. Pete for about 6 months before coming to the US. I was working at an orphanage (helping building it) near the Rybatskoe metro station. The orphanage is called "The Ark". Are you familiar with it?
I always liked St. Petersburg. At least I liked it better than I did Moscow.
Greetings, Vitali! Yes, I know "The Ark," I have friends who work there.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you are feeling overwhelmed?
ReplyDeleteThose sound miserable.
Actually, my flying dreams are very frightening. Most of the time I end up flying near the high voltage wires or very high above the grownd. Also, when I wake up I feel completely drained of energy because when I fly I spend so much of it (at least at seems like it in my dreams). However there's that special exciting feeling about it that I can't even explain. It's like an expectation of something that you know is going to happen and it is just a matter of time before it happens.
ReplyDeleteOk, before I start sounding weird I want to say that I believe the Lord does speak to us through our dreams. Not through all of them of course! They are probably different for different people. One thing I have discovered over the years is He will not give us a dream that can be interpreted as a "doom and gloom" dream when it comes to our own lives. The dreams that he reveals to us are for our good and for our uplifting.
Now, what does your dream exactly mean? I do not know. I am guessing that it may mean that if you stay in Russia your environment is not going to change in the years to come and as much you try to adjust to it, it will feel strange and foreign for as long as you live there.
The change will come when you move to a place He may want you to be in. Which one? I do not know. Back in the states? Europe? It is hard to tell. Just follow your heart. Yeah, another thing I have discovered over the years. Our hearts never lie to us. They know exactly what we want. As many times as I followed my heart (not my stubbornness, convictions or the advice of my family and friends) I have always ended up in the right place at the right time.
Another piece of the puzzle: I've had very vivid dreams my whole life, and my dreams tend to fall into 3 categories.
ReplyDelete1) "Instant replay" where I recall something that happened recently. I distinctly remember a 10-second tv commercial showing up in my dreams that night. Or I might recall something that I overheard in a conversation. Or I might scan the news headlines and something will stick in my head and resurface later.
2) "Delayed anxiety" where I dream about exams or other stressors, weeks to months after the fact.
3) "Out of nowhere" dreams, the source of which is a mystery. Unfortunately these are usually violent or depressing. But it's hard to deal with them if I don't know where it's coming from. Of course, in some cases they represent a prayer need either in my own life or in someone else's.
The problem is, it's hard to know when the Lord is telling me something and when I am just recalling some garbage that stuck in my head from an unpleasant experience.
Thanks for the advice.
I've heard two things about dreams...
ReplyDeletefrom the Bible--they come from busy-ness---are you more than normal busy? Ecclesiastes 5:3
For a dream comes through much activity, And a fool’s voice is known by his many words
from a preacher--when you have vivid and recurring dreams you often have the gift of a prophet.
I don't know if this is true, but I did hear this...does this line up with your life?
As far as the meaning of the dream, I would just pray that God would give you the meaning if their is one. If there isn't and it is a spiritual attack--ask for discernment of where it is coming from and pray protection over yourself through the blood of Christ.
Ok, there are my thoughts.
My spiritual director told me that usually water, in dreams, is a symbol for God. Though water as part of a storm...? Are you overwhelmed with God's work? What you feel called to do? Do you feel the need to "control" St. P, somehow (or the DESIRE to)... I think of the pile of policemen bodies.
ReplyDeleteI also believe God speaks through dreams; I became an active Christian through a dream, but the dreams need interpretation (so where is Joseph when we need him?) I actually meant THOUGHT and insight...and I've found that while people can ask me some good questions, I usually have the key myself.
I think dreams you have again and again probably are due to something that is bothering you. I used to have the same dream, but in different places - and it was HORRIBLE. As I describe it, there is no way I can reflect the fear and horror. I would be in a beautiful, idyllic spot - such as a charming old cottage, with a white picket fence and roses 'round the door, or an ancient stone building - beautiful and grand - picture Oxford...or an elegant Victorian house. The joy was the beauty of the place and the fact that, for some reason, this place was now MINE. I would be just reveling in the glory of it all, when suddenly, some person would look quizzically at me and say something like "Well, it is nice NOW, but you should have seen it after so-and-so was murdered here." Then everything would change and instead of the beautiful vision, I'd see the same place but covered in blood. It was SO terrifying! I shared this with someone and they, knowing I love antiques, said to me - Oh, that's because you realize that for you to have any of your old things, it means the person who originally had it it dead. Just like that. I realized whoever this was hit the nail on the head, and I never had a dream like that again.
You said: "The problem is, it's hard to know when the Lord is telling me something and when I am just recalling some garbage that stuck in my head from an unpleasant experience."
ReplyDeleteYour heart. What is your heart telling you about this or that? For instance, go to Nevskyi and take a loooooong walk there and as you are walking there, ask yourself this: "Lord, does the tsunami in my dream mean "...." and then fill in the blanks. Then listen. It may take a few trials, putting different analogies in the blanks, but after a while you may hear a resounding "Yes!"
This can be applied to real life circumstances as well. I have tried it. It has been working for me. It may not work for others but it is worth trying, I think. I often ask Jesus about the things in my life and He, inevitably, either gives me peace about something or a very uncomfortable feeling.
One thing I know for sure: Jesus loves us very much. He loves us. If we could comprehend his love and the security that loves provides, we would not hesitate to ask anything of Him.
I’m not that busy right now, nor do I have a lot of worries, but I do have a busy mind! Yes, I have had prophetic dreams.
ReplyDeleteI do feel the urge to “control” St. Petersburg. Sometimes it feels very disorderly and illogical.
I didn’t want to get into too much psychoanalysis, because, as I mentioned before, something could be symbolic, or it could just be a repeat of an image that I saw that day, which has no significance.
Probably what I most wonder about is the mood of the dreams. Why do I feel angry at people with whom I’m at peace? Why do I feel fear about something that was long ago resolved?
My list of prayer issues is long enough as it is, but maybe I should devote a little more time to praying about this matter. It’s clear that God alone can give me the answers.