The Dreaming

The Dreaming

The Nature of Religion and Beliefs


‘The Dreaming’ can be defined as an Aborigine’s their way of life. Aboriginals they live the Dreaming and every aspect of their lives revolves around the concept of Dreaming. Everything that exists can be explained from the Dreaming. The Dreaming is stories that explain the origins of the universe. We can interpret and gain knowledge of the Dreaming from Aboriginal beliefs, stories, sacred sites and spirit ancestors, and rituals. The Aboriginal meaning of life is explained through these areas.

Aboriginals believe that they belong and are a part of the land; they do not own it and they were created to protect the land. The land is the physical medium through which the Dreaming is expressed. Aboriginals have a kinship with the environment and they are forbidden to harm it because all objects are living and possess a spirit just like people. After death, their soul continues on through spirit form out of their body to the parallel spirit world. Soon after, their soul will return to earth in the form of either a person or a part of the land like a tree or a rock. It does not matter what form they are in because everything is equal and has a spirit. In Aboriginal belief there is no separation between religious and secular life, this means that Dreaming needs to be the main understanding of their life.

Over generations, stories are passed down of the Dreaming through dancing, art and rituals. Their story of creation is a belief in which their interconnection with the land was bestowed to them from the spirit ancestors. It explains the origins of the universe. Supernatural beings created the land. These are unexplainable elements that are outside the range of human understanding. And on this land the sacred sites, animals, plants and the people. The physical features of the landscape were placed so the spirit ancestors can watch over the people. Ceremonies are often taken place in the presence of sacred sites so that...