The Role of Dreams in Religious Enculturation among the Asabano of Papua New Guinea

Abstract

In the early morning in Yakob village, all is fresh and renewed from the rains that fall almost every night. The sun beams warmly upon the drenched land, and the Fu River can be heard rushing far below. The rain forest-covered mountains begin to poke through the mists that envelop them, while smoke from morning fires sifts through the leaf thatching of houses. Gentle murmurs grow into conversations, babies cry, and sleepy dogs occasionally yelp, slapped to get out of the way. Asabano people awaken to such a scene each day, with their dreams still fresh in their minds.