It is clear that the world has been fascinated with dreams and dreaming since ancient times. Between the paws of the Sphinx in Egypt lies a dream interpretation carved in stone. The ancient Egyptians built temples to honour dreams and the important information they could relay from the Gods. Temples like this also existed in the Middle East and Greece. The Romans took on many of the Greek’s beliefs and also built sleep temples. One lies in Lydney Park, Gloucestershire, UK. In Malta resides the ancient temple called the Hypogeum. Build over 5000 years ago, these vast chambers lying underground housed two small sculptures of sleeping women which may have been used as part of dream incubation rituals. Often these temples were used for petitioning the Gods for healing. Before entry into the dream temple one might have to fast and be purified. In other temples, only certain priests and priestesses were allowed and these people would practice dream incubation on behalf of a petitioner. Petitioners were often called ‘Seekers’. Continue reading →