Dreams: Process or Portents

What Dreams Are (and Why They Matter in Stories) 
At their simplest, dreams are how we process emotions, memories, fears, and hopes — they’re not logical. They’re symbolic, emotional, fragmented.
And sometimes, dreams can be prophetic, as the Bible reveals.
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 Where Dreams Were Prophetic in the Bible: 
1. Joseph, son of Jacob (Genesis 37, 40–41)     
•    Joseph had dreams as a young man, showing his future rise over his brothers (Genesis 37:5–11).     
•    Later, while in Egypt, he interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh’s officials (the cupbearer and the baker — Genesis 40).   
 •    Most famously, Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams (Genesis 41) about seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine — saving Egypt (and Israel) through wise preparation.

2. Daniel (Book of Daniel 2, 4, 7)     
•    Daniel, a captive in Babylon, was given the ability to interpret King Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams, which no one else could explain (Daniel 2).   
 •    He interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the statue made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay, representing future kingdoms.     
•    Later, Daniel himself had visions and dreams about the future of world empires and the coming of God's eternal kingdom (Daniel 7).

3. Jacob (Genesis 28:10–22)     
•    On his way to Haran, Jacob dreamed of a ladder reaching to heaven, with angels ascending and descending (Genesis 28:12–15).     
•    God spoke to him in the dream, confirming His covenant promises—that Jacob’s descendants would inherit the land and be blessed.

4. Joseph, husband of Mary (Matthew 1–2)   
In the New Testament, Book of Matthew, Joseph (Jesus’s earthly father) received dreams from God at critical moments:   
   ◦  1:20: An angel appears in a dream and says, "take Mary as your wife."
​   ◦ 2:13: A dream warns Joseph to flee to Egypt to protect Jesus from Herod.
   ◦ 2:19–23: Dreams guide Joseph back to Israel after Herod’s death. 

5. Wise Men (Matthew 2:12)     
After visiting the Christ child, the Magi are warned in a dream not to return to Herod, but to go home by another route.

Dream Themes:
•    Dreams warned (Joseph with Mary; Wise Men) 
•    Dreams revealed future events (Joseph in Egypt, Daniel in Babylon)
•    Dreams confirmed divine promises (Jacob’s ladder)     
•    Dreams guided and protected lives (Joseph and the Christ child)

In Fiction, Biblical Dreams Inspire:     
•    Dreams can hint at future battles, reveal hidden enemies, confirm a character’s destiny, or warn of betrayal.     
•    They often require interpretation
     — dreams aren’t always straightforward but call characters into deeper trust and discernment.
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Dreams, they tap into the subconscious, the part of us that thinks in images and feelings instead of words and linear thoughts. That's why dream sequences in stories feel mysterious, emotional, and otherworldly — even if they don’t always make "sense." 

Are Dreams Useful in a Story?
If used carefully, dreams in stories can:
Foreshadow events (dangers, destinies, secret truths) not explaining
Reveal emotions characters can’t express in life (guilt, hope, desire)
Show internal conflict in a powerful, symbolic way
Create atmosphere (mystery, dread, wonder)
Connect to something beyond (prophecy, visions, spirit realms) 

When Dreams Work Well: 
They tie into the story’s emotional or story arc — they’re not random, but meaningful. They reveal something important (even if  hidden in symbols).
They match the tone of the story (epic fantasy dreams feel different than modern thriller dreams).
They are short and vivid, not confusing. (Unless confusion is the point.)
They change something afterward — mood, decision, or understanding. 

When Dreams Can Be a Problem: 
If they’re too long and confusing and don't move the story forward.
If they tell things already known — making them feel repetitive.
If they feel like "cheating" — delivering answers without effort.

(But dreams hinting at answers? That’s great.) 

Using Your Own Dreams?
Personal dreams are often so much richer and stranger than anything we could invent while awake.
They’re personal, so they carry emotional truth — readers feel that, even if they don’t consciously know it.
You might just need to adapt them a little:
Focus on the emotion the dream gave you (terror, wonder, heartbreak) 
Choose the symbols that fit your world/story
Keep the mystery but give a little clue how it connects 

Bottom Line:
Dreams are powerful storytelling tools when they reflect emotion, theme, or destiny. (And honestly, some of the greatest stories ever written — from the Bible to Tolkien to modern fantasy — use dreams beautifully.) 
If your gut says a dream fits — trust it. Be sure to shape it a little so it serves the story and leaves readers feeling something they can’t quite explain. 

For example:
In my story (not yet published) "North of the Wildwood":
Caleb dreams of a tree covered in frost, its branches breaking one by one as a great black bird circles overhead.
Tree = his family (Northlands and Elysium) under threat.
Bird = a coming conqueror or death. Later we learn there are dragons!
Frost = the creeping danger of Gidaro's influence or the Ice Maidens' curse.

→ And he wakes with that strange, heavy sense of something coming, even if he doesn't understand it yet.

Exciting, yes?