As I’ve been thinking about the theology of meditation and altered states of consciousness, I’ve realized that I can’t ignore the role of dreams, archetypes, and symbols in this conversation. Dreams have always held a fascinating place in the spiritual life, and the Bible itself is full of examples of dream interpretation. The books of Daniel and Acts come to mind immediately. But the question I find interesting is: what makes dream interpretation Christian?
It’s not something unique to the biblical prophets, after all. Dream interpretation was also a form of pagan revelation, and on the surface, it seems like there’s no clear difference between the two. If you look at the practice phenomenologically, the act of interpreting a dream feels the same whether it’s done by a prophet or a pagan seer. So where does the real difference lie? To me, the answer seems to come down to the deity invoked as the guide. In Christian dream interpretation, it is God—specifically the God revealed in Christ—who is present in the symbols and meanings we draw out of the dream state.
But this opens up a deeper question for me. How do we, as Christians, make sense of the archetypes and symbols in our dreams? I’ve been thinking about the language of “powers and principalities” in Paul’s letters. There’s been a lot of debate about whether Paul saw these forces as external, spiritual entities or internal psychological realities—or maybe even both. I’m intrigued by the possibility that Paul might not have made a hard distinction between the two. What if these powers and principalities can help us frame not only collective realities like sin and structural injustice but also inner realities, like the archetypes of the unconscious that Jung talks about?
These archetypes seem to live deep within us, and dreams are one way they surface into our awareness. Could Paul’s language of powers and principalities offer a theological framework for understanding these inner forces as well? I don’t have all the answers yet; these ideas are still forming in my mind. But I’m captivated by the possibility that the spiritual and psychological dimensions of our dreams might not be as separate as we sometimes think.
Anyway, I’m still very much in the process of working this out, and I’d love to hear others’ thoughts on the connection between theology, dreams, and the unconscious. There’s a lot to explore, and I feel like I’m only scratching the surface.
Curious Christian 
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