Every person dreams. Some people try to interpret what they see, look for a certain meaning, signs. However, the Orthodox Church considers dream books to be false literature. We have collected the sayings of the saints and elders of Athos about how Orthodox people relate to dreams.
“There is no need to attach importance to dreams. Whatever the dreams, pleasant or unpleasant, they do not need to be believed, because there is a danger of falling into delusion. After all, ninety-five percent of dreams are lies. Therefore, the Holy Fathers say that dreams should not be given importance …”. (Venerable Paisiy Svyatorets).
“… Here attention and reasoning are needed so that he does not believe some dreams, but he knows whether they are from God or from a demon. But since not everyone has such a reasoning, then let him not believe in dreams at all. However, dreams from God are recognized. Sometimes they are seen in a deep sleep, sometimes in a subtle one, as if asleep, or not, and in a short time. And when a person wakes up, he is full of joy, what he sees captivates the mind and causes contemplation. And for whole years he remembers this, and it is unforgettable. And dreams from demons fill the soul with confusion. And when a person wakes up and the mind wants to remember what he has seen, it is filled with fear. And the heart does not accept this. But even if he sees it in a dream, the visions do not stop, but change in forms and images, in places and ways, in actions and movements. And by these changes, both rebellious and shameless, you can find out where they come from. (Rev. Joseph the Hesychast).
“Most importantly, we must observe ourselves during sleep, reverently, with thoughts, gathered inward, and with decency in the very position of our members; for this short sleep is an image of eternal sleep, i.e. death, and our reclining on the bed should remind us of our position in the grave. And with all this, he must always have God in his eyes … He who does this always abides in prayer. (Rev. Nil Sorsky).
“Having seen a dirty dream, you never need to remember what and how you saw. After all, if the wicked one could not tempt you during the day, he will come at night. Sometimes God also allows the wicked one to tempt us in a dream so that we can see that our old man is still alive. And it also happens that the enemy approaches a person in a dream and shows him different dreams, so that, upon waking up, such a person fell into frustration. Therefore, dreams do not need to be given absolutely no meaning: fall with the sign of the cross, fall with the sign of the cross a pillow, put a cross and a couple of icons on it and, falling asleep, say the Jesus Prayer. (Venerable Paisiy Svyatorets).
“All Old Testament revelations, according to the opinion of St. Isaac the Syrian, refer to the first degree:“There are two steps in Divine revelations. First, the vision of revelation in images. Even sensual visions like the Burning Bush. Or spiritual visions like Jacob's Ladder. Sometimes in the admiration of the spirit. Such are the insights of the prophets and the wisdom that the apostle Paul speaks of (see Col. 1: 9; Eph. 1: 17-19). And finally - prophetic dreams. All these revelations have a pedagogical meaning (educational value). These are only signs and symbols … . (St. Gregory Palamas).
“The devil even comes to sleeping babies, despite the fact that they are little angels. They jump up in horror and in fright, with tears, run into the arms of their mother. And sometimes Angels come to sleeping children, and they laugh with joy in their sleep or, experiencing great joy, wake up. Thus, the dreams brought by the wicked one are external hostile influence on a person while he is sleeping. (Venerable Paisiy Svyatorets).
“There are other dreams, from the imagination of the mind and from eating too much, however, there is no need to talk about them. But the heart of the ascetic, when he sleeps, is incessantly occupied with prayers, as we said elsewhere. (Rev. Joseph the Hesychast).
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“… The dream made me think about it: I would not want to get stuck in such dreams where they deceive me in a pitiful way. Gathering all my strength, I firmly told myself to sleep as little as possible, so as not to fall into the tricks of dreams. I had to draw a conclusion, frightening with its realism: sleep is the devil's strongest weapon, with which he keeps the soul in bondage. (Monk Simeon Athonite).
“Great, brethren, calamity is a dream: as the darkness covers the sun, so much sleep closes the contemplative power of the mind and, like a veil, imposes oblivion on the mind, which becomes insensitive to all good spiritual and unreachable … Demons, like darkness, darken the mind and as they extinguish fire with water, so they overcome with slumber and sleep in order to be able to deprive the soul of all good deeds and bring passions on it. (Rev. Paisiy Velichkovsky).
“Many dreams come from anxiety. When a person is worried or tired, then this anxiety or fatigue gnaws at him from the inside and he sees disturbing dreams. I often meet people during the day and listen to their various problems. And then in a dream I scold someone: "Oh, you atheist, - I shout, - you don't give a damn about everyone!" And I wake up from my own screams. " (Venerable Paisiy Svyatorets).