Does God talk to us through dreams?
Brenton Dowdy and his fiancee were just weeks away from their big day, and on top of the usual stress of wedding planning, the couple was having similar disturbing nightmares about the wedding day.
They began to worry that something might actually go wrong on what was supposed to be their perfect day.
Determined to rid himself of needless anxiety, Dowdy consulted his longtime friend, Merry Bruton, who is a dream interpreter.
"She has interpreted several of my dreams, and her guidance has helped me significantly," said Dowdy. "She helped us see some things we could do to get help with certain wedding issues and really calmed us down."
Dowdy said Bruton has helped him with work problems as well as other personal problems.
"Her spiritual guidance and compassion provides so much for me. A dream is a starting point where she can see something personal and go from there," Dowdy said.
Bruton, her husband Jesse, and their friend, Sheri Phillips, believe dreams can carry deeply meaningful messages.
"We see a lot more dreams that have significance outside of the psychological symbolism," Bruton said. "The vast majority of people have dreams that mean something to them."
According to the Brutons, there are some symbols that are more common than others. For instance, a lot of people they talk to dream about their teeth.
"Depending on the context, these dreams can give us insight into how that person 'digests' the world around them," Bruton said. "If an incisor is cracked, it can mean the person needs to pay more attention to how they are taking in knowledge."
Phillips said there are about 20 different types of dreams.
"Some are spiritual, where God is trying to tell you something," she said. "We try to help people determine what kind of dream they had, so they understand."
Phillips went on to tell about other common dream occurrences, some that could be prophetic. The art behind it, she says, is being able to point out what the dream is trying to communicate.
"A lot of people dream about death, but it doesn't always mean someone is going to die. It can be a fear-based issue or something that is about to change or not meant to last," Phillips said.
They do not consider themselves psychics, but rather dream interpreters and feel there is a strong difference.
"It is a subjective art, and we do not always have all the answers," Bruton said. "Not all dreams come from God, but we believe God does talk to people through dreams."
Every second Thursday of the month, the three attend ArtWalk in downtown Abilene and offer their service of dream interpretation at no charge. Any passer-by who is interested can take a seat and open up their dreams for free analysis.
Bruton runs a Web site (www.destinydreamz.com), teaches classes around town and attends events such as ArtWalk. Bruton charges $20 for dream submissions from the Web site.
"It's more than a hobby; it's a passion for us," she said.
On their home page, the Brutons offer free dream journals, sell dream powder for pillows, and lists of common symbols that appear in dreams along with their possible meanings. In person, they listen to people relate their dreams and offer encouragement based on what they hear.
"Sometimes people will have dreams that have followed them from childhood and are so relieved to have some understanding," Phillips said.
The Brutons will be taking their gifts and heading to Nevada's Black Rock Desert in August to attend the Burning Man event, a weeklong event attended by almost 50,000 people last year.
Bruton feels she has gained so much from dream interpretation that she wants to share it with as many people as possible.
"The reason why we do what we do is to bring God's love wherever we go," she said. "That's why we sit out in the cold; that's why we go out to the desert."
