Eugene M. Brown – Dreams, Visions & Prophecies of Don Bosco

The work discusses the lack of encouragement in contemporary Western Christian society to consider dreams as a source of religious insight into life. The author highlights the negative attitude prevailing among 20th century Christians towards dreams.
The author experiences a spiritual change through listening to and interpreting his dreams, leading to a deeper understanding of the divine presence and physical and spiritual healing. Subsequently, he mentions his decade-long study of the religious and Christian history of dreams, culminating in the book God, Dreams and Revelation. During his research, he discovers references to the importance of dreams in the life of St. John Bosco. Don Bosco’s dreams are presented as the most impressive and extensive collection of religious dreams in the Christian tradition. The work goes on to examine contemporary attitudes towards dreams, exploring the physiology and psychology of dreaming, and suggesting a world picture in which dreams and vision make sense. A brief history of the Christian interpretation of dreams is also provided and the various levels of meaning in dreams are examined. The author concludes by offering suggestions for those who wish to take seriously the potential of dreams as a means of contact with God, thus encouraging them to follow in Don Bosco’s footsteps.

CONTENTS

• Foreword
• Introductory essay
• Editor’s preface
• Chapter 1: The significance of dreams in the life of Don Bosco 
• Chapter 2: The mission of Don Dosco and the future of the order
  • The first dream 
  • The Tailor’s shop 
  • This is my mother 
  • The shepherdess 
  • The ribbon of obedience 
  • This is my house
  • Roses and thorns 
  • The fortune wheel 
  • The wheel of eternity 
  • The mountain 
  • Ten hills 
  • The first salesian mission field 
  • The pears are for you 
  • A raging bull 
  • All these boys are yours 
  • Saint Francis De Sales 
  • A school for Becchi 
  • Help us also 
  • Five hundred and four 
  • Journey through South America 
  • Labor and rewards 
  • The far east 
  • Niche in Saint Peter’s 
• Chapter 3: Predictions of future events 
  • The latin test 
  • A spirit of prophecy 
  • Police search 
  • State funerals
  • The two pines
  • The two columns 
  • The red horse 
  • Three prophecies 
  • The death of Pope Pius IX
• Chapter 4: Dreams about the boys of the oratory 
  • Gifts for Mary 
  • Four kinds of bread 
  • The handkerchief of purity 
  • Tablets, cookies and biscuits 
  • A mysterious vine 
  • An enormous elephant 
  • The snake and the rosary 
  • Faith, our shield and our victory 
  • The globe
  • Raging torrent 
  • A life-saving raft 
  • There are ten of us 
  • First death at the oratory 
  • Death’s messenger 
  • Two-thirty 
  • He will cry out for Don Bosco
  • The eagle
  • Requiem aeternam
  • There is no dead boy here 
  • The boy with black spots
  • A short path 
• Chapter 5: Dreams about heaven and hell 
  • To hell and back! 
  • The land of trial 
  • A place of salvation 
  • Hiking to heaven 
  • Mamma Margaret 
  • Dominic Savio 
  • Father Provera 
  • Luis Colle 
  • Saints Peter and Paul 
• Index

Reference time period: 1824 – 1978