...That truth is often imparted through dreams no one
who is familiar with history, especially religious history, can doubt. At the
same time dreams and visions are always coloured and influenced more or less by
the mind of the dreamer and we must beware of attaching too much importance to
them. The purer and more free from prejudice and desire our hearts and minds
become, the more likely is it that our dreams will convey reliable truth, but
if we have strong prejudices, personal likings and aversions, bad feelings or
evil motives, these will warp and distort any inspirational impression that
comes to us.... In many cases dreams have been the means of bringing people to
the truth or of confirming them in the Faith. We must strive to become pure in
heart and 'free from all save God'. Then our dreams as well as our waking
thoughts will become pure and true. We should test impression we get through
dreams, visions or inspirations, by comparing them with the revealed Word and
seeing whether they are in full harmony therewith.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated
16 May 1925 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer;
compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)
