Question: I dream often, and occasionally have visions full of vivid colours. How can I interpret these dreams and colours?

Sri Chinmoy: You are not the only one who has visions. Far from it. There are many seekers who have had visions, who see colours. They see light and many things. If a seeker such as you has a real spiritual Master, the Master can easily tell what the significance of the colours is.

You have to know from which plane the visions are coming. You may see something from a particular plane of consciousness and your friend may see the same thing but from a different plane of consciousness. As a seeker, as an aspirant, you are not now in a position to explain your own visions. Many books have been written about dreams, but I tell you, don't read those stupid books. Each one has its own way of explaining dreams. I have recently read some of these books and I laugh and laugh because there cannot be any standard explanation of dreams. You have to know from which plane the dream is coming. Is it in the vital plane, the mental plane or the psychic plane that this dream is taking place? Each plane has to be known and clarified properly. Each plane offers truth in a particular way.

If you have a vision and you don't have a teacher, what should you do? You have to dive deep within in order to know the real significance of the dream. Each dream signifies something. First you have to know from which plane you are getting the dream. If it is from the gross, inconscient plane, then it is of no value. In the vital plane also some dreams have to be discarded because the dreams are coming with an obscure and wrong vibration. If your dream comes from the dynamic vital plane, you have to feel that the fulfilment of this dream is going to take place. In the mental plane also there are different places, different states, from which dreams come.

The first thing is to have an experience. Then if you feel it is necessary to know the significance of the experience and if the significance doesn't come to you either from within or from a teacher, the best thing is to continue to aspire. The time will come when either you will find a Guru who can help you or your inner being will give you the significance of your dreams.

If you know the real significance of a dream, then naturally you will get the inspiration to go a little farther. If you have a wonderful dream and if someone properly explains it to you, then you will get more inspiration to go deep within. Sometimes you may have a frightening experience in your dreams and you think this signifies that your very existence is going to be destroyed. That may not be true. Perhaps that dream indicates the death of your vital life or emotional life. That is why it is better to follow a path, to have a spiritual Master who will care for you; then you will know the significance of your dreams. If you have good dreams, inspiring dreams, you will get the strength of an elephant to walk forward, because you will feel that you have achieved something, a milestone. So if your dreams are properly explained, you will get real benefit from the proper explanation.