Windows of the Soul: A Look at Dreams and Their Meanings

by Paul D. Meier, Robert L. Wise

Have you ever dreamed about.losing something valuable or irreplaceable? Missing an important engagement? Being chased by a nameless, faceless entity? Talking to a deceased loved one? Doing something immoral or totally out of character? Your dreams are probably trying to tell you something.and it may not be what you think. Dr. Paul Meier, and Dr. Robert Wise help you find the clues needed to decipher and discern the hidden meanings of these nightly visitors. Dr. Meier's psychiatric expertise, combined with Dr. Wise's twenty-eight years of ministry experience, offered a unique overview of dream process and the unconscious. Windows of the Soul offers a concrete, proven method for discovering what lies beneath the surface of the nightly phenomenon we call dreams.

Genres: Psychology, Christian, Nonfiction

278 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1995

About the author

Extract of DR. Paul Meier's biography on the website of the Meier Clinics:

Paul Meier is an MD/Psychiatrist/Ordained Minister who is the founder of the national chain of non-profit Christian psychiatry clinics, the Meier Clinics. He has authored or co-authored over 80 books, mostly Christian self-help books like Love is a Choice and Happiness is a Choice, and also a series of Bible Prophecy novels, including The Third Millennium.

Reviews

[Levi Hobbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about the art of dream interpretation, from the perspective of two Christian counselors with Ph.D/master’s degrees.

The very first thing the book does is explain why dream interpretation even matters, and it does a very compelling job of that with its anecdotes.

It also explores the scripturality of dream interpretation and addresses various frequently voiced concerns in the Christian community.

I was unsure how much I would like this but was pleasantly surprised. I like that it took apart the nuts and bolts of dream interpretation. Instead of trying to fit every symbol into a specific meaning that it will always have in all circumstances, it emphasizes that the true interpretation to a dream is all about understanding what the symbols mean specifically to you, the dreamer. Your subconscious is trying to speak to you through symbols chosen because this inner movie director knows what they mean to you specifically, and that is why they are chosen.

How does one judge the veracity of theories about such a subjective field? For me it becomes less about proof—of which we can never have on such things—and more practical. I consider a good dream interpretation to be one for which, once it is applied, it feels like a key: suddenly, a plethora of details just “click” and make sense. You know it when you see it. For me, the techniques practiced in this book helped me get more interpretations of that sort, and so I judge it a success!

There is also a glossary in the back of the book for many different symbols, given with the caution that the true interpretation of a symbol is about what it means to YOU and the suggestions are merely there to help you brainstorm possible meanings. A glossary like this is the main thing I was searching for in a book of dream interpretation, so I was very pleased to find one, and it is more extensive than smaller lists I have seen before, albeit it still doesn’t feel comprehensive; the search continues.

I particularly liked the exercises it has you do at the end of most chapters. For instance, one exercise was to pick ten different objects you own and write out what they mean to you. In my exercise, one of the items I listed was a particular purple shirt of mine. Imagine my surprise when that very night, that purple shirt showed up in a dream! My inner movie director was taking notes when I said what that shirt represents to me, and the interpretation based on that meaning made a lot of sense!

Don’t let the fact that this is written by a couple of Ph.D.s deter you. While they go briefly into history and theory, it quickly gets very practical. Based on the stories, you can tell that they have a lot of experience helping clients use dream interpretation therapeutically.

I would recommend this heartily; this is perfect for anyone comfortable with the Christian worldview who is curious about dream interpretation, even if you need to be talked into it a little—if these stories don’t convince you, nothing will.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very hard to read

[Laura Robb · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were some interesting elements to this book as the authors discuss about dreams and how God can still speak to us in this way. I found the book in my grandmother's collection and thought I'd check it out. I didn't read every page, but got the gist of it. The psychology behind the topic was fascinating, like the correlation between our emotions and what we dream in the night / remember when we wake up.

[Robyn Bray · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best 2-3 books on understanding dreams that I have read.