What Are Dreams and Visions, and What Is the Difference Between Them?
Let me answer with the words of St. John Climacus, who says:
“A dream is the movement of the mind while the body is at rest. A false vision is the delusion of the eyes when the mind is asleep. A vision is the projection of the mind when the body is awake. A vision is the sight of something without substance (unreal).” The difference between them is the following:
Good dreams and visions come from God and reveal His great will only to those who are completely perfect and holy and who fulfill His commandments, like the righteous Joseph, to whom the Archangel Gabriel appeared in a dream, instructing him to flee to Egypt with the Child and the Virgin Mary. This, then, is the nature of dreams and visions. Good dreams come from angels and remind us of death and judgment, and upon waking, they inspire us to prayer and repentance. In contrast, bad dreams and false visions are from demons disguised as angels of light or saints, who deceive us in our sleep, making us believe we are good and worthy of paradise, but upon waking, we are ‘drowned in pride and false joy.’
Is It a Sin for Christians to Believe in Dreams and Visions?
St. John Climacus says that
“he who believes in dreams is like someone who chases after his shadow and tries to catch it.”
He also notes that
“the demons of vainglory become prophets in dreams. They, like some deceivers, concoct future events and announce them in advance. If these visions come to pass, we marvel and become proud, thinking we have the gift of foresight (prophecy). Those who listen to devils often become false prophets.”
Furthermore, he adds:
“The devils know nothing of the future through any foresight of their own, for even doctors can predict death in advance based on symptoms.”
He concludes by saying:
“When we begin to believe in dreams from devils, they mock us even when we are awake. He who believes in dreams and visions during sleep is completely inexperienced. But he who believes in none is truly wise.”
The Danger of Believing in Dreams
Thus, it is indeed a sin to believe in dreams and visions, as they easily become a tool through which devils deceive us, leading us into the dreadful sins of pride and vanity, where man places more trust in himself than in the Word of God. With such cunning deception, the devil misleads many Christians and monks, eventually casting them into the abyss of perdition. If anyone has doubts about their dream or vision, they should immediately confess it to their spiritual father and seek guidance, for it is through the spiritual father that God speaks to us.
