Preparation

I have been reading recently about dreaming. One of the more interesting accounts was from The Secret History of Dreaming by Robert Moss. It described the process for those dreaming at the temple of Asklepios.

Asklepios was a god of healing, and people would come seeking healing, often for medical issues but not exclusively. As part of their preparation there were actions that they would take, like bathing, changing their clothing, and making an offering. There were also visible markers in the designs and architecture of the temple that would serve as reminders of the purpose of the visit.

I believe in the power of dreams, both as a vehicle for communication from God and as a way to be aware of what's going on in your subconscious. I don't believe in the Greek pantheon, and so there was a tendency to not want to take that part too seriously.

That's not to say that I didn't believe that the supplicants could receive answers or healing. We believe that God is no respecter of persons, and we believe in personal inspiration and revelation. Answers should have been possible. Looking at it from those eyes, it occurred to me to take a second look at the preparation.

It was a set apart place, designed specifically to focus the mind on the purpose. Washing and changing clothes can be symbolically important. They are trying to be clean and set apart. That is reasonable to do when you seek a blessing from God.

Making an offering is reasonable. It can be a part of acknowledging gratitude for what has already been given despite still wanting more. It can also help bring one into the frame of mind where one is ready to take action. Some people would be healed in the night, but it was very common to find a necessary course of action. You might need to be ready to change.

We can just ask for blessings in normal prayers, and we do that, but there is greater blessing in taking time to listen. Hearing can be easier with a separate place. Maybe sometimes we need to prepare more.

It can be easy to over-ritualize things and fall into a Pharisee trap, where we focus so much on the steps that we forget the spirit, but there can be steps to get more in tune with the spirit. Taking time to reflect on what will help, and why, is worthwhile.

This blog started with emergency preparation, but it expanded as it recognized that there are a lot of factors that go into our ability to handle things physically and spiritually. You can prepare for dreams too. I have had a few dreams in the past few nights that have given me insight, and I haven't really been doing anything that different. There may be a time to do something more drastic, but even a little shift in focus can be profitable.