Dreams & Visions: The Basement Floor of Our Hearts

"‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,

That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Your young men shall see visions,

Your old men shall dream dreams."

Joel 2:28-29

Dreaming About Certain Places In A House

One element that the Lord has given me revelation into is when we're dreaming about certain parts of a house, and how that correlates to our waking life.

Because our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, often the Lord will show us things about our lives by having us dream about certain rooms in the house. He hides messages for us in symbols, in parable form, to give us instruction about certain parts of our life that He's highlighting for us to work through with Him.

Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own.

-1 Corinthians 6:19

Each room in a house represents a different part of our life, relationships, family, and areas God is highlighting to bring us into greater freedom with Him. Sometimes He shows us specific details if we're seeking greater clarity or asking Him for help in some area. If we get stuck, He often gives us dreams to show us where we're stuck, and how to become unstuck and move forward in our faith.

So what does it mean when you dream of being in a basement, or being in a very low level (underground), either in your house, or in someone else's "house"? I'm going to share what God showed me, and give you some Bible verses for further study.

When You Dream About A Basement

The basement is the bottom room of your home, and it correlates to the deep depths of the feelings and thoughts that you have in your heart. Did you know that scripture says your heart has thoughts?

"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he."

-Proverbs 23:7

So not only does your mind have the ability to think, your heart does too. "While not in the same way as the brain, the heart does have its own nervous system and can process information, make decisions, and adapt to physiological demands, leading some to refer to it as a "little brain". This "heart brain," or intrinsic cardiac nervous system, contains around 40,000 neurons that are similar to those found in the brain, and it plays a crucial role in regulating heart rhythm and responding to the body's needs." (Your Heart Has a Brain of Its Own)

What science discovers, the Bible has already confirmed!

The basement is (most often) referring to what is being revealed to us in the very depths of our hearts. We aren't often aware of what's in our heart, or what we're really feeling. We think we know, but the Bible declares in Jeremiah 17:9,

“The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?"

This word deceitful is the Hebrew word ʿāqōḇ - it can be translated as crooked, deceitful, polluted, foot-tracked, hilly or steep. It's rather like saying, "my heart is hard to decipher, the terrain of it is tough to walk on."

But God knows our hearts and He treads upon it! Most often we aren't even fully aware of what we're feeling, or thinking in our hearts, but God knows it all! And He reveals to us the innermost part of us, and shows us what's hidden in the depths.

The next time you read this verse I don't want you to feel badly about your heart, but rather, invite the Lord into it to walk upon it. Ask Him to reveal to you what's hidden there, this is how intimacy grows between you and your Heavenly Father.

On occasion, the basement, or underground, can mean hell- that would be a very specific dream and I would imagine you would know if you were dreaming about a place in hell.

At other times, the basement can represent the place where we are hiding: meaning the place where we might be hiding from ourselves, hiding our feelings, or hiding from God.

The basement floor can represent depression, the place we feel the most sad or despondent toward the Lord (could be why He's revealing it! He wants us to be free from anything or anyone that prevents us from moving forward in faith).

And lastly, the basement can represent the deepest parts of our heart that is weak toward the flesh and ways of the flesh. It's the untrained and uncaptured feelings or fleshly desires that are not submitted to God and His authority.

All in all, the most general reason you would dream of a basement is if God is drawing your attention to deep feelings that have been stored away, or locked up, feelings you haven't wanted to "deal with." This might be feelings of resentment, anger, bitterness, jealousy, pride, anguish toward someone or something. I outlined a few examples below that will show you how God might highlight these areas to you.

Why would God reveal your deepest feelings to you? Because if you don't know about it, or can't name it, then you can't deal with it. Period.

Did you notice that Jesus had people name things to Him when He spoke to them in the scriptures? He would say things like: "what do you want?" (John 1:38) Or He would say "What do you want me to do for you?" (Mark 10:36, 51)

We have to be able to name something before we can deal with something!

During an instance when I was dealing with a "basement" feeling, I was skirting around the issue of what I really felt when the Holy Spirit stopped me and said, "Name it!" I didn't want to. It was such an ugly feeling, so awful I didn't want to put words to it. And again, the Holy Spirit almost growled at me and said, "Name it Jessica!" So I said out loud, "I hate..." and I named it in His presence.

As soon as I said those words about what I was feeling, the literal weight of what I had been carrying dropped off my shoulders, and peace flooded into my heart. Even as I write this, I can see in the Spirit that I had carried a very burdening weight of hatred- and it caused me to sag because of it.

I needed to put words to it in order to reveal what was hidden in the depths of me. Once I said it, the weight of hatred lost its power over me, and the anger I felt began to flow out of my heart like poison being extracted.

And that's what God is often revealing to us when we're sleeping - if we dream of a basement, He's showing us what's hidden there. If someone is in the basement, He's revealing to you what you really feel about that person. Maybe you dream of your hidden sin in the basement- that's God revealing what's hidden in your heart and what has a stronghold on your life. If it's in the temple, and it's unholy, it's going to prevent you from walking fully with Christ into greater areas of faith. It must go!

Basements don't usually have windows, they're damp and dark, and it's because that's how our hearts operate also. They are dark areas where feelings can bubble around and no one knows about it. But God knows, and He sheds light on our dark places. There might not be windows, but God's light is all the window we need to defeat the darkness and move forward in our walk with Him.

If we can't learn to name it, then we can't be free from it!

Basement Details

Let's go over a few details that could pop up in a basement dream/scenario and what they could each represent. This might help you as you're working out your interpretation with the Spirit!

Some things, we don't have the capacity to deal with at the time that it happened. This is why the Lord could be revealing things to you from many years ago, because at that time your body, mind and soul didn't have the ability to process what happened. But now, the Lord believes you are ready to handle what He is showing you.

Going down to the basement

Going down the stairs to the basement = descending into the depths of your heart. Going down the stairs means descending into the depths to get to the bottom of your heart, and what is happening in there.

'Descending' isn't always a bad thing- it can sometimes mean going down into the depths of a feeling, a memory, a moment, a relationship, an idea, etc. In Genesis 28 we see that angels are ascending and descending on a ladder reaching to heaven. Sometimes "going down" isn't bad, but it might feel like it.

So if you see yourself 'going down' to the basement, it's probably the Lord calling your attention to 'go down into the depths' of a certain feeling, relationship, or memory. He might be asking you to stay in that room or place with Him and fully work it out.

What does this look like? It looks like sitting across the table from a friend at coffee, or going to a counseling session. I heard a pastor say recently, "We've lost the art of understanding the Holy Spirit was given to us as a Counselor." Wow! Preach it pastor!

We've forgotten that the Holy Spirit is our perfect Counselor! He's so much better than any professional you'll ever go to. I'm not saying don't get counseling, but I am saying, if they aren't a Christian- find a different one. And if they aren't pointing you back to Jesus? Stop going immediately!

And they should never supplement the True Counselor, He should be the first Person we seek for advice. If you go to your counselor first, and the Holy Spirit last, it's time to change that! You won't see your life change without the Lord being the First Person in your life, period.

I once had a vision of how this works. I wrote about it in Invite Jesus To Be Your Best Friend, you can read it there. But generally speaking, late at night or early before anyone else rises, go sit on your couch with a cup of tea or coffee, and just start pouring your heart out about the situation or person God is drawing your attention to. Tell Him everything. Ask for His advice, ask for His guidance. Let go of the feelings you have about this person or situation or memory by forgiving them, and repent of any wrongful thoughts or feelings you have. Anything that comes to mind, say it to Jesus! Be honest with the Holy Spirit.

This is a simple example of how to begin seeing the Holy Spirit as your Counselor, but it really is that simple. We're the ones that overcomplicate our relationship with Him.

Boxes or bags in the basement

Boxes or bags in the basement = the Lord showing you what might be "cluttering" your heart and needs to be opened up and dealt with.

Boxes (especially if it's not open) usually represents a memory or feeling or past situation that has been "put into storage." If it shows up in the attic, then it's a memory that has affected the way you think. If it shows up in the basement, then it's something that has affected the way you feel.

Some things are so bad that we don't have the capacity to deal with it at the time it happens. Maybe we were too young or immature when the situation took place- so it went into a box to be dealt with at a later date.

We have a tendency to think that if we just "put it away" then it's been dealt with...not so. Our bodies hold onto those feelings and memories for us, and until we unpack them and open them up, we won't be able to move on from it.

Bags *usually* represent a burden or carrying baggage. That burden could be money, needing to feel secure, something about business or your job, carrying oppression or issues from the past...etc.

If it's in a bag vs a box, then it's probably the Lord calling your attention to that this is something that has burdened your heart and is physically weighing you down spiritually. Jesus calls us to "cast all of our cares onto Him, because He cares for us." So, if a bag shows up, the Lord is saying, "cast that care onto Me! I can take care of it better than you ever could."

Cast it, put it down at the foot of the cross. Let it go! Live free and find rest in Jesus.

Boxes are memories/situations, and bags are cares and burdens. Both can leave a weighty feeling deep within the depths of your heart.

Being in a specific room in the basement

Being in a specific room in the basement = pay attention to what kind of room it is, it's probably the Lord showing you what part (room) of your heart needs to be examined with Him.

Rooms often represent chambers of the heart, or a certain part of the heart. Is an office in the basement? Then the Lord is calling your attention to your job or position, possibly the place in which we do business with God, or a kingdom office or position. What was in this place? Start examining your feelings about one of those things with the Holy Spirit.

Was it a bedroom in the basement? Bedrooms represent intimacy and union - what was in the bedroom? Who was in the bedroom? What feelings do you have about the person or objects in the bedroom? That's a pretty big clue to the meaning of the dream.

Is a kitchen in your basement? Now, that would be something to unpack! I can't do it all here, but I can give you a general definition and you can take it from there with God. Kitchen's represent our heart (not our deepest feelings in the heart), but our heart and the things we are aware of, if even subconsciously. We'll go into the whole kitchen later.

But, if you find yourself in a basement kitchen, then the Lord is uncovering deep seeded feelings you have in your heart that you're not willing or wanting to deal with. Because the kitchen is the heart, if the heart is in the basement, then you're probably burying what you feel, your motives and plans, passions or ambitions, affections, or intents. It's almost like you're trying to pretend or cover up what you know you're feeling or thinking, and burying it in the basement.

Hallways = a passage in time or life/a specific journey. This could be a journey with someone that you took in the past or will take in the future- and your deepest feelings on it.

Bathrooms = an area of repentance/cleansing/conviction that is being brought to the surface. Bathrooms can also be a hidden secret or lust of the flesh, and that cleanup is required. If it's an old bathroom in the basement, then old issues of the heart and your deep feelings on it that need to be examined.

..........

Let me just pause here for a moment and say: bringing up memories, or issues, or hidden sins in the presence of the Lord, won't be the death of you. The death of your flesh yes, but not the death of you as a person. The devil has been lying to people for a really long time, telling us that we can't be or share the worst of us with the Lord. News flash! Jesus already knows it and died for it! So we might as well be honest with Him about what He died for!

Some of these things are going to make you cry, and can I just tell you, crying won't kill you? Did you know there is a healing process that happens in your brain, body, and heart when you shed physical tears?

Dreams are often an opportunity way that God is using to speak to us about things we need to be honest about with Him. So cry if you feel like it. Rage for a minute if you need to (but, you know, not on your spouse or kids. Do that in the car by yourself or something. God can take your anger, your kids shouldn't have to).

Ok, just had to say that before we move on.

..........

There are other rooms in the basement, living rooms = God exposing something or making public a particular thought or feeling you have. Living rooms are also where truth is exposed without hypocrisy. It's also the public area of our relationships...

Cellars, ooh, that must be a deep, dark thought that's been preserved by you.

There's more to this, but for the sake of this article, let's keep moving.

Basements can flood!

It's the bottom part of our physical house, and the same is true of our spiritual temple.

In real life, if we get too much rain and not enough sun, then our basements can become flooded. The same thing can be paralleled in a spiritual sense- if the enemy comes against us in an onslaught (like in Isa 59:19), then our hearts can be flooded.

If we don't spend enough time with the SON of God to dry up those flood waters, we will be inundated by the devil's attacks!

So, when the devil comes in like a flood, go straight to the Son to dry up those waters. If Satan's attacking you 24/7, you better be soaking yourself in the Word 24/7, constantly worshipping, listening to sermons, reading Christian books.

And if you're telling me, "I work, I can't possibly be in the Word 24/7!" Ok, but can you put worship music on when you're doing emails? Can you listen to sermons in the car to and from work, and spend time in your Bible after your kids go to bed instead of watching TV? I think the answer is yes to at least one of those, and that's the answer to your flooding problem.

Be with the Son, and don't focus on the devil's raindrops. It's the only way to power through a season like this without ending up under water.

Many basements have gyms!

Working out or being in a gym is an example of doing the physical exercise of faith.

What kind of exercise are you doing? Lifting weights is building your faith. If you're overexerting yourself then it could be taking on more than you can handle. If you're working out with someone it could be doing faith beside someone, or if you're spotting someone it might be helping them with their burden. Just be careful to not take on someone else's sins or burdens! They need to feel the weight and impact of that themselves.

But if you're just doing general weight lifting, then it's likely that you've moved into a season of learning how to build your faith in a specific area.

Are you stretching? That is preparing for ministry (stretching your muscles of faith), waking up to something spiritual or being taken to the next level in your faith. Enlarging what you can carry...

Stretching can also mean exaggerating something (if the dream appears to be in a negative context), or forcing dominion or physical power over something or someone.

Most often, stretching will appear as your faith being stretched for ministry or enlarging your capacity.

The type of exercise is important. You might need to spend some time with the Lord if He shows you something different than what I mentioned.

Unfinished Basement?

Some basements never get finished. Do you know someone who has remained bitter or angry their whole life? I bet the depths of their heart looks a lot like an unfinished basement.

Maybe it's moldy or mildewy - living on old manna or yesterday's revelation instead of going to Jesus today, because He is our daily bread.

If there is a specific area that's unfinished, God is showing you that is where He's looking to transform you.

Maybe the space isn't unfinished but it's under construction. Construction signals that the Holy Spirit has been invited into the depths of your heart and He's overhauling your feelings and emotions. There is an acknowledgement on your part that you need to renew your feelings, renew your emotions, and your heart is currently "under construction." A dream like this is a really good sign! Keep doing the hard work with the Lord to submit your heart to Him.

Is it dark down there?

Probably means Christ hasn't been invited in to transform your heart, because He is the light of the world and when He's been inviting in, He lights up every space He enters.

You can recognize Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and yet keep Him out of the depths of your heart and mind. You get to choose what you invite Him into, what areas of your life you decide to surrender to His Lordship.

If it's dark in the basement, perhaps the Holy Spirit is saying, "Hey! Let's turn some light on here! Invite Jesus into this dark space!"

Dark rooms or dark hearts can also represent areas of our life that have a demonic presence, an area we're blind to or that we're actively living in sin. Might be something we do in secret that we don't want Jesus to shed His light on, maybe because we're lying to ourselves or to Him about our secret desires.

Demonic oppression can also come from sin done to us. I want to say this with sensitivity, but also speak directly; in the occurrence of rape, that's a sin done to someone against their will, and it opens up a demonic door in their life. If this happens (or something of a similar nature), then go into the Lord's presence and confess everything that happened to you, how you felt, how you feel now, lay it all down. Get it all out there with Him. And then, here's a prayer you can pray to close this area off from the enemy that forced his way into your life:

Lord Jesus, heavenly Father,

This happened against my will. This happened to me against Your will.

Today, I break agreement with what happened,

and I declare that this evil done to me is not mine to own!

I did not welcome this, I did not invite this.

I shut the door on the enemy that forced his way in.

Where the enemy sowed darkness, Jesus flood me with Your light.

Jesus, cover me with Your precious blood that bought my freedom.

I receive healing for that which was hurt,

I receive peace where the enemy tried to sow war, conflict and trouble against me.

I receive Your joy, infuse my heart with gladness and give me 100-fold joy for every bit of pain that I endured.

I give You my sadness, my pain, my anguish, and I receive instead the goodness of the Lord.

In Your Holy Name I pray, Jesus,

Amen

When you are robbed of your light, when someone steals your dignity, inviting Jesus into that place of pain and shame is the path to freedom. He wants you to know His love, and to feel His peace and joy pour over you to heal any area the enemy tried to take from you.

You know when you've been in a dark room for awhile, and you turn the lights on? It stings for a minute, makes your eyes water. That might happen when Jesus floods the dark places of your heart with His light. Don't flee though it feels uncomfortable. Instead, learn to embrace the feeling of His light on your face. He loves you so much, and He wants something so different for you then darkness.

Let Him bring His light! It will break you free from the chains of bondage and darkness, and a new day will dawn as you let go of the night.

Why Is Dealing With The Depths Of Us Important?

Most of us cry out for a deep, intimate relationship with the Lord. Most of us desire something really great with Him! The depths of us wants the heights He could give us, but we can't go higher if we don't first go lower.

It's often what's hidden in the dark that prevents us from going higher with Him into the light. So why does God reveal deep things in our hearts? Because it's these motives, intents, feelings, triggers- that keeps us from hearing Him. These unboxed memories clutter our hearts, and clutter prevents clarity.

Want to know what He's saying to you? Start dealing with unforgiveness, bitterness, anger you have toward someone. Want to know what His plan is for your life? It comes through the renewal of your mind and putting off the things of this world. Now we know the heart has a "mind of its own" - so let your heart be transformed to His Word.

"And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you]."

-Romans 12:2 AMP

Being transformed and progressively changed by God's Word is how we begin to perceive His will for us. Does His Word say forgive? Generally speaking, the basement dreams will show what we're holding on to, those are the areas that are blocking us from hearing Him speak clearly, and knowing what His will and plan is for our lives.

We all want to experience more of Him, letting Him into the depths of your heart is where you will encounter Jesus, see the face of the Father, and begin hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit. Fling wide the door to your heart! He's so looking forward to going on this journey of faith with you.

Writing to you with joy,

Jessica

Prayer To Hear From God In Your Dreams

Lord God, I pray that You would activate within me the ability to hear You speak when I sleep.

Bypass my senses, my reasoning, my logic, and give me Your senses, Your reasoning, Your wisdom and understanding.

Your Word says that Your ways are not my ways, Your thoughts are not my thoughts.

So, give me Your ways, and give me Your thoughts.

While I sleep, open up my ability to hear You clearly.

Speak to me while I rest.

I pray for deep, restful sleep.

I pray for sleep that refreshes, for sleep that heals.

Anything that You want to reveal to me about my past, my present, or my future, do so when I close my eyes.

I pray for Your divine protection over me when I sleep, that it wouldn't be a time of terror but a time of revelation from You.

And I pray that when I wake and approach You to understand what You have said,

That You would answer me when I call, and give me clarity when I ask for it.

I pray for ears that hear, a heart that understands Your will, ways, leading and voice.

I give myself to You.

I give my dreams to You.

Be my God in this area of my life.

In Jesus' Name I pray,

Amen