REM Sleep Contributes to the Neural Basis of Religious and Spiritual Experiences

Dreams have historically contributed to religious consciousness, and religions have shaped dream content. Many religions originated from a founder's dream or vision. In the Abrahamic faiths, dreams are prominent; Jacob's ladder dream is a famous example, where Jacob dreamt of a ladder to heaven with angels, renaming the site Bethel, now a pilgrimage site. Joseph and Daniel were dream interpreters. Jesus's birth was announced to Joseph in a dream, as recounted in Matthew 1:20–21.

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Abstract

Dreams have always contributed to religious consciousness and religions have always, in turn, shaped dream content (McNamara, 2016; Lanternari, 1975). Many religions began as literally a dream or vision in the mind of the founder. In the holy scriptures of the three Abrahamic Faiths dreams abound, with perhaps the dream called “Jacob’s ladder” being one of the most famous. The patriarch Jacob was traveling, when he came to a place that apparently had been a very ancient pagan dream incubation site. Jacob rested, fell asleep, and then dreamt of a ladder going up to heaven with angels descending and ascending on the ladder. When Jacob awakened, he renamed the site Bethel, and it continues to this day to be a holy pilgrimage site for people who use dreams as a portal to heaven. Another biblical patriarch called Joseph was in fact a specialist in dream interpretation, as was the prophet Daniel. Jesus’s birth was announced via a dream. When Joseph discovers that Mary is pregnant, he plans to quietly divorce her. But then: Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:20–21