I had a dream that I was wandering through a massive apartment building. Each unit was full of people, some vibrant, some overwhelming, some unsettling. I kept walking through endless corridors, cautious of energies that felt too much. There was even a recruitment event involving cats and dogs that ended with an accidental bullet. Eventually, after winding through hallways, side streets, and even a ghostly neighbor’s unit, I found my own room. It was simple, with a bed at the center and big windows letting in light. Stepping inside, I exhaled. For the first time in the dream, I felt safe, peaceful, and at home.
Dreams don’t always make sense on the surface, but they often leave us with a spiritual echo. This one spoke to me about discernment, community, and the power of finding sanctuary within. As Maya Angelou once said, “The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” My dream reminded me that the most important “apartment” is the one God has built inside my soul.
Corridors and Caution
The corridors of the building felt endless, and the people I passed carried energies that weren’t all welcoming. Some were loud, some chaotic, some simply too much for me. I noticed myself instinctively pulling back, not out of fear, but out of discernment. This part of the dream mirrored the way life often feels: full of encounters, invitations, and voices vying for attention.
Scripture advises this kind of discernment. “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1 NIV). We’re not meant to absorb every influence that crosses our path. Just because a door is open doesn’t mean we have to walk through it. As Carl Jung once wrote, “In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order.” The challenge is learning to discern which energies align with peace and which ones invite chaos.
The Weight of False Gatherings
The recruitment event was odd, even unsettling. The idea of using pets to entice people felt off, and then the bullet fired accidentally sealed it: this was not a place I wanted to stay. In waking life, we all encounter spaces where attraction replaces authenticity, and pressure replaces peace. When the foundation isn’t solid, things inevitably go wrong.
Jesus warned of this when He said, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15 NIV). Discernment means noticing when something looks polished but feels empty—or worse, dangerous. As Søren Kierkegaard wrote, “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” Sometimes it takes walking away to realize you were being protected all along.
The Sanctuary Within
The most powerful moment of the dream came at the end: stepping into my own room. It was nothing extravagant, just a bed in the center and wide windows pouring in light. But it was mine. It was safe. After navigating corridors, strange neighbors, and unsettling encounters, the relief of finding rest was profound.
That’s the message I carried into waking life: God has given each of us an inner sanctuary. “My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest” (Isaiah 32:18 NIV). No matter how chaotic the corridors outside may be, we can always retreat to that place of restoration. As Rumi once said, “There is a place within you that is a sanctuary; you can retreat there and be yourself.” Dreams remind us of this truth: home is not only external—it is internal.
Soul Insights
1. Discernment protects peace.
Walking through the corridors taught me that it’s okay to step back from people and energies that feel misaligned. Peace is worth protecting, and discernment is the tool God gives us to do it. Not every corridor is meant to be explored; some are meant to be passed by quickly. Paying attention to how my spirit feels in someone’s presence is wisdom, not weakness.
2. False gatherings reveal themselves.
The recruitment event with animals looked like a celebration, but it ended in chaos. In life, what begins with charm can quickly unravel if the foundation is false. These moments remind me to ask: does this environment produce peace or pressure? God will often let the cracks show so that I know when to leave.
3. Ghostly presences signal misalignment.
The muslin-curtained unit with a ghostly figure was unnerving. It reminded me that some people or places appear alive but feel spiritually empty. My instinct to walk away was confirmation that discernment is not just mental but spiritual. Ghostly presences in dreams often point to relationships or influences that are no longer life-giving.
4. People may look familiar but feel different.
Seeing a coworker who didn’t feel like himself was unsettling. This insight mirrors real life: people change, or sometimes we finally see them as they are. God may be shifting my perception, helping me release illusions and see with clearer eyes. Recognizing this doesn’t mean cutting people off; it means interacting from a place of truth, not projection.
5. Sanctuary is always within reach.
The relief of stepping into my own room was the dream’s gift. Sanctuary is not found in avoiding corridors but in knowing I can always return to my own center. My inner life with God is my home, my rest, my peace. No amount of external chaos can steal that sanctuary unless I let it. The dream reminded me that no matter how many hallways I wander, I always have a place to rest.
Final Thoughts
Dreams often speak in symbols, and this one was loud in its silence. It wasn’t about the corridors, the ghostly neighbors, or the bullet—it was about the relief of sanctuary. The world will always offer strange gatherings, shifting faces, and overwhelming corridors, but God always offers peace within. Home is not something you find out there; it’s something you nurture in here.
Your Turn
This week, create space to step into your own “room.” It could be prayer, journaling, or simply sitting in stillness before God. Ask yourself: what corridors am I being called to leave behind, and what sanctuary is waiting for me inside?
© 2025 Amelie Chambord
Soul Path Insights 
Leave a comment