Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash
I grew up thinking that when God gifted you with something, then it was automatically perfect and you operated in that gifting perfectly all the time. For example, if you had the gift of prophecy then you would hear clearly, and say exactly what you were supposed to say. That may be true for some. I’ve been around gifted prophets, healers, etc., but I’ve not seen one that hasn’t learned and improved in their gifting as they go along.
How we work out an interpretation is in communication with the Holy Spirit, that is a foundational truth. But how we communicate the interpretation to the dreamer is largely left up to us. This discussion is on bias in communicating dreams. It may not sound very spiritual, and may sound more practical, but it will improve how you reach out to people and affect their lives spiritually.
We are human beings, operating in a spiritual atmosphere when we exercise spiritual giftings. In the realm of dream interpretation and the prophetic our own thoughts, feelings, and unconscious bias can affect what we say to people, and can put a twist on the interpretation or the prophecy.
But is bias bad? Let’s put some foundation around the term.
“Cognitive bias is just a tendency. That tendency can be good or bad, depending on the situation.”
From <https://www.quora.com/Are-we-biased-against-bias-When-is-bias-a-good-thing>
The American Press Institute talks about journalistic bias (a hot topic today):
“What if the journalist said, in other words, that bias may not always be a bad thing? That it may serve to create narrative texture or make a story understandable.
What if journalists acknowledged that bias does exist, that it is built into the choices they make when deciding what to leave in and what to leave out?”
From <https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/journalism-essentials/bias-objectivity/understanding-bias/>
One can even argue that draining a story of all bias can drain it of its humanity, its lifeblood. In the biases of the community one can also find conflicting passions that bring stories to life.
A bias, moreover, can be the foundation for investigative journalism. It may prompt the news organization to right a wrong and take up an unpopular cause.
Thus, the job of journalists is not to stamp out bias. Rather, the journalist should learn how to manage it.
Our minds use bias to help us categorize information and to decide how to handle that information. We have a need to organize and to make something make sense to us. Bias is not always bad, as long as we recognize the tendency and react with wisdom and discernment. Dreams and prophecies are inherently spiritual, so we operate in the spiritual to deliver them, but in that delivery we formulate words, facial features, body language, etc. that are under our control. Unless the Lord gives us very specific words to say, we get to choose how to describe an interpretation. Within our choices there is the danger we can operate with incorrect bias. Below are a couple of ways bias can creep in to an interpretation and skew the result, it’s good to be aware of what is currently called “unconscious bias”.
Some ways unconscious bias affects us are:
Conformity bias.
This influences us to search for answers that reflect our existing idea about someone, or about the subject of the dream. When this happens it’s possible to miss, or discount, key items in the dream.
Affinity Bias.
This influences us to favor those people or ideas that are more like our own. It leads us to be more critical of ideas counter to ours, and to be more positive to those who are like us. This can come in to play in a big way with our particular Theological viewpoints, and with the most popular current spiritual topics. No, we don’t compromise the Word of God, but we do want to be careful that our understanding is correct.
Social comparison bias.
We have an affinity to constantly compare ourselves to others. This can be based in a belief that we are better than others. Obviously this doesn’t reflect the fruit of the Spirit, nor the actions of a renewed mind. But we can find ourselves in a place that we want to excel and be “good” at something, so we can allow our egos in to our spiritual development. While we may not recognize it, others will. If someone points this out in our life it would be wise to stop and reflect if they may have a good point before rejecting the thought outright. Any twist in our lives that allows our self a foothold can cloud our interpretations.
From Fiach O’Broin-Molloy in <https://medium.com/@socialbeings/unconscious-bias-a9a145642fd9>
Environment and Culture
Where we are raised, and how we are raised, can have an influence in our interpretations as well as have an influence on the dreamers dream. This can tie in with conformity bias. If you spend time online with interpreters from various parts of the world you’ll see how culture can affect an interpretation. Symbols can mean something different internationally, as can our spiritual upbringing, the spiritual climate of where we live, and the historical background of where we live. Some cultures are more used to seeing life in a spiritual framework, while others grow up where everything needs to be logical. Some grow up where everything seems to stem from the demonic, while others more readily see God’s goodness and mercy. I err on the side of goodness and mercy. I believe (i.e. My bias is) that God wants the best for us, and sees us through that lens. Yes we can be wicked, and negative things can happen, there are demons, and people do die. I believe that we look at things from the standpoint that God is good, he has good plans for us, and that he longs for us to step further into our identity in Him. If we interpret from that mindset we will bring encouragement and value to the dreamer. This does not mean that some dreams are not warnings, or negative, or bring a strong message to the dreamer, it simply means we should start our journey in each interpretation from a mindset of love, goodness and mercy.
Theological
What we believe about God and the Bible has a strong influence on how we interpret dreams. If we believe God is good and merciful then we tend to interpret that way, if we believe He is vengeful, then how we deliver our interpretations tend to be short, abrupt and harsh. If we believe in ancestral curses, water demons, cobra spirits, spirit husbands/wives, or any number of other current teachings they can influence our interpretations. They can be a quick way to interpret a dream because it seems to fit into one of those areas. I am not saying those topics are wrong, but that we can shoehorn an answer to a dream because they fit the latest topics of discussion.
How to handle bias
Recognizing that we operate out of bias as a way of navigating life will help us to understand how it can affect our interpretations in a negative or positive way, it’s easy it is to allow it to color our communications. Before giving an interpretation check your mindset and your heart. Are you interpreting with God’s perspective in mind? Are you interpreting out of love and concern for the dreamer? (a positive bias). It is good to remind ourselves that we are here for the dreamer, that it’s about them. Starting from a good place mentally and spiritually is key to delivering an interpretation that will speak to the dreamer and help them find an accurate and meaningful answer.
