Dreaming is an integral part of Native American’s tradition and spiritual practice.

Since childhood, they teach children to remember their dreams so they can learn to interpret them and use them as spiritual tools for guidance in life.

7 Reasons Why Native Americans Believed Dreaming Is Extremely Important Part Of Life

Native Americans have the following 7 beliefs regarding dreaming:

1. They believe we have 3 souls:

Ego-soul – which is embodied in the breath.

Body-soul – which gives energy to the body and life force during our waking state.

Free-soul – which is the soul that leaves the body during dreams and trances and explores the dream realm alongside the brain, while the other two souls remain attached to the body.

2. The Dream world is equally important as the physical world.

They believe that our mind and body don’t dream anything. Chippewa elder John Thunderbird specifically explains this in the following words:

“Your soul dreams those dreams; not your body, not your mind. Those dreams come true. The soul travels all over the world when you dream.”

3. Our souls can communicate.

They believe we can communicate with other souls, humans and even animals when our soul disconnects from our body and goes into the dream realm.

For them, the dream world is just as real as the physical world.

4. Life is one big dream.

They believed through dreaming we remember how impermanent this world is.

Life is one big dream for them and that there’s no difference between the dream world and the waking life.

5. The dream world has consequences.

They believed anything that can happen in the dream world has significant consequences in the waking life.

For example, if you got injured in your dream, you must get treatment when you wake up.

6. We have spirit guides and dreaming is how we contact them.

They believed we all have spirit guides which communicate with us through our dreams.

When they woke up from a dream journey, they sought help from their Elders to help them interpret their dreams and understand what their spirit guides are trying to say making sure they get the message right.

7. Dreaming is where the soul receives spiritual guidance.

They believed that sometimes dreams are even more important than when we are awake because it’s where the soul receives spiritual guidance, gains insights into the future and connects with its spirit guides.

The dream world is not just an ordinary place. It’s an astral plane where the soul needs to travel for self-exploration and growth.

Hence, when you begin to wonder where your soul goes when you dream, remember that it explores the dream world where it receives guidance from your spirit guide and may even bring you answers to the questions you’ve been asking for so long.