[Deer Woman ~ Layce]

How do you know if images you "see" either in a dream or while meditating or any other divination method are real signs, symbols, or messages, OR creative imagination that doesn't mean anything.

-OR-

Do you believe all images your brain receives are relevant messages?

I think this is where I have my biggest doubts and blockages with regards to my spirituality...I mean, I know you can develop your abilities if you don't have them innately, although I do feel like I have -some- abilities, I just doubt myself and what I've seen/received, especially when I have trouble deciphering what they mean.

What are your thoughts about "imagination"?

[NatureLovinMama]

This is probably one of the best questions. We ALL doubt our abilites.

To differentiate between what is real phenomena and fake, it's really down to faith. They way I personally handle this, is I take into consideration what has been happening IRL, what's been on my mind, what I've been asking for from the Divine etc... If I was thinking of something scary before bed and I dream of that, it's nothing Divine, it's just your mind processing stuff. If you've been praying on something for a day or weeks or months and then you have a profound dream, upon which you find the interpretations to that dream directly correlates with that issue, it's Divine.

When you are having vision during meditation etc.. You have to practice with that really. Random thoughts/images will pop into your mind, and you have to decipher how that fits into the big picture.

For instance, when I meditate or pray I get images. Some of them are random and I allow them to "float away" so I can focus on what I'm doing, but sometimes the image is so completely innate to what I'm used too, you cannot ignore them.

Case in point, a few years ago I was doing a candle flame meditation and I saw a swamp and a woman lying dead in the water in a nightgown (like the typical white gown you see ghosts in) and she had long blonde hair. It immediately made me think of myself, but not in this life. It wasn't something in my subconscious, however it was very vivid. I have not done a flame meditation since then, as that was just too much "ew, weird" for me.

The best way for you to determine between your random thoughts and meditation "Divine guidance" is practice. Meditate each day and you'll eventually come to understand that which is being presented to you for guidance and that which is being brought to you as an expression of your daily thoughts.

Random thinking here, it's very late. Ask questions if you have any and I can elaborate

[Lady Lotus]

Generally if Im dreaming about tv peoples then I know its not real LOL.

I usually ask myself though....can I learn from any part of it real or not??
I follow my instinct because its never led me astray so if I believe its a sign or message or whatnot than I follow that lead and figure out what its meaning is for me.
I do question it a bit too though. I may ask myself if it could be imagination and generally I can answer yes to this but if my soul and heart scream out that sure you can BUT XYZ then I know. If my heart and soul dont argue with my head then I realize its nothing.

[Mystixism]

I believe that anything you see in a vision or a dream has the potential to mean something. Even the smallest item could mean something huge in your life. It really is about taking it all in and comparing it to your life. If the divine is intent on your receiving a message, I believe the message will me made very clear from the mundane. And of course, you have to trust your instincts I think we all have problems with that from time to time.

[Lady Valkyrie]

The test for me as to whether something is a sign or complete coincidence/imagination is repetition. If I get the same thing 3 times or more, I take it as a sign. Many spiritual authors mention this in their writings and I've pretty much always found it to be true.

[Deer Woman ~ Layce]

Thank you, Ladies...

What you all say makes sense....and thank you for letting me know that everyone has doubts...I thought my doubts meant that I wasn't ready to receive communication from the Divine. I need to keep practicing and taking in the big picture, and a repetitive smack upside the head from the Divine would definitely help!

[Mystixism]

And we all need a repetitive smack in the forehead every now and again too

[Galactic Som]

I think this would generally be the reason why I would never be able to consider myself beyond the norm as far as personal abilities; I tend to question things too much. It gets to the point where I tend to burn myself out and the subject usually dies off for me.

At least I can say without a doubt ...that I have no idea what the human body, mind and soul is fully capable of. I'd never have it in me to say these things that I've doubted on are impossible, because there's so much about ourselves that we have yet to actually discover, even from a scientific standpoint. We truly only know a fraction of what we can get our hands on. And that only happens to be the brain. Could you even imagine how far we could come if we could do physical research on the soul? Oh man, the nerd in me just had a heart attack.

But, I'm getting off track a bit. The short answer is that I don't really have a way of figuring out if the images I might see are part of my imagination or something more. I try to keep myself open, though.