In most ancient cultures, consideration and even veneration of dreams played a great part. Some groups felt that dream life was more real and important than waking life. Not only were dreams looked to for information about hunting – Eskimo groups; but also for ways of healing physical and psychological ills – Greek Dream Temples; insights into the medicinal properties of herbs, barks and clays – African tribal witch-doctors. Common to most of these groups, and evident in the Old Testament, was also the sense that through dreams one had awareness of the transcendental or supersensible. St Peter’s dream of the sheet and unclean animals was a turning point in the history of Western society – as was Constantine’s dream of his victory if he used the symbol of Christianity.
