The Need

With the influx of Christians claiming heavenly encounters, it's vital we reclaim our language to bring authenticity back to these experiences, being prudent to accurately describe what is taking place, without exaggeration. The imagination is a beautiful thing, but we must ensure our verbiage is intentional if we’re to share imaginations, which are not equatable to dreams, visions, trances, and various other encounters.

This is an attempt to categorize various experiences. Given the depth of the seer realms, this is by no means exhaustive, and some verbiage may be new to you as I do my best to describe in-betweens I have not heard teachings on, such as “clear mind’s eye”.

All of these are while awake or half awake unless otherwise noted.

Imagination* / Mind’s Eye / Impression

Eyes closed or open. Imagining the imagery taking place, whether static or motion. These often follow meditation. E.g.: Picture a pink elephant.

Clear Mind’s Eye

Eyes closed or open. A sudden mind’s eye image that is so clear, it feels real, as if it were happening right in front of you. These will sometimes startle you.

Vague Image

Eyes closed or open. A sudden, dimmed image. Static or moving. You can actually see it – this is not minds eye. It’s not 100% clear and is darkened to a degree. Think: Seeing through sunglasses. Learn how to activate vague images here.

Clear Image

Eyes closed or open. A sudden, clear image. Static or moving. Clarity of open-eyed sight. Learn how to activate clear images here.

Trance

You fall into it. Awake or half awake. Real or hyper-real. Often accompanied by a feeling of ecstasy. Liquid honey, wind, kisses, floating, etc.

Twilight

Like a trance, but you’re sleeping and awake into it.

Dream

Dream while sleeping.

Lucid Dream

Real or hyper real dream while asleep, accompanied by some level of ability to control your actions.

Night Vision

Like a lucid dream while asleep, but all five senses are engaged.

Vision

Eyes closed or open. Your sight is taken over for a duration of time. Sometimes you see into another realm, or the spirit realm overlapping the natural realm. Five senses may or may not be engaged.

Visitation

Awake. An angel, living creature, cloud of witnesses, men in white linen, Jesus, etc. has manifested to you clearly and with open sight. Note: Test every spirit by asking if Jesus Christ of Nazareth came in the flesh. Demons will not answer you, ignore it, give a like-sounding answer, or say no—rebuke and curse if so.

Dream Visitation

A visitation in a dream, typically by an angel, as people can often be mistaken for cloud of witnesses while they’re present for symbology, namesake, traits, etc.

Orbs

Awake. Balls of light, small or large.

Living Colour

Eyes closed or open, begin seeing balls or swirls of colours dancing. Blue = heavenlies/revelation, green = power/life, white = purity/birthing, etc. If you begin “looking” with closed eyes, you will see this quite a bit, as well as vague images. More on that here.

Translation / Rapture

Your spirit has been taken somewhere else. Often feels hyper-real or like a lucid dream, but more literal, like you went somewhere and something actually took place. This is your spirit actually working in the natural or spirit realms, whether seen or unseen by others, known or unknown to you. Sometimes this is a copy of yourself—all Christians are at least bi-locational, “seated in heavenly places.” (Eph. 2:6). Think: Ezekiel, Elijah, Paul.

Translocation / Teleportation

Your physical body has been teleported in the natural realm. Think: Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch.

Sounds in the Spirit

Awake. You hear angels singing, worship music, sounds which aren’t present in the natural but you hear. This can be soft or loud, pay attention. E.g.: phone ringing, baby crying, conversations.

Audible Voice

Audible voice of God, angels, demons, etc. As clear as someone talking to you in the natural.

Other

There will be a lot of things that don’t fit into these categories that seem bizarre. E.g.: seeing the natural realm through closed eyes. Use verbiage to the best of your ability to accurately describe. Exaggeration is lying, and all liars will inherit the lake of fire—hold yourself accountable.

*A note on imagination: If imagination, write it in your personal journal as it builds faith and acts as a bridge to the spirit, but clearly indicate that. Imagination is not to be dismissed – Jesus says if you lust after someone you’ve committed the very act of adultery – so we have biblical evidence that imagination has a reality to it. But, this should be clearly denoted in your verbiage, as many people claim spectacular visitations and encounters when they are merely meditating on imaginations, causing the masses to discredit the other experiences when they occur. Personally, I’m not keen on interpreting imaginations, but more fleshed out ones are worth journalling and at times meditating upon. Do as the Spirit leads.