DREAMING

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Early in evolution sleep was regarded as

 proving that the ghost soul could be absent from the body,

 and it was believed that it could be called back

 by speaking or shouting the sleeper's name.

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 In other forms of unconsciousness the soul

 was thought to be farther away, perhaps trying to escape

 for good—impending death. Dreams were looked upon

 as the experiences of the soul during sleep

while temporarily absent from the body.

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 The savage believes his dreams to be just as real

 as any part of his waking experience.

 The ancients made a practice of awaking sleepers gradually

 so that the soul might have time to get back into the body.

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All down through the ages men have stood in awe

 of the apparitions of the night season,

 and the Hebrews were no exception.

 They truly believed that God spoke to them in dreams,

 despite the injunctions of Moses against this idea.

 And Moses was right, for ordinary dreams are not

 the methods employed by the personalities of the

spiritual world when they seek to communicate

 with material beings.

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From THE URANTIA BOOK

Part III, 86, 5

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