How dreams, prophecies and intuitions can impact the decision to migrate
When governments, policymakers or the news media discuss migration, the focus is almost exclusively on those who physically cross borders, seek asylum or arrive at ports of entry. But migration does not begin at at the moment of departure or upon arrival. It starts much earlier, as an aspiration.
Recent surveys show a sharp rise in global migration aspirations. In Canada, a Gallup poll found that 20 per cent of the population surveyed want to leave and much of this increase occurred since 2021.
In the United States, that figure has hit a record 21 per cent. These figures challenge the common assumption that Canada and the U.S. are simply migration destinations. Increasingly, they are also places people aspire to leave. But what fuels migration desire?
As a scholar of religion and migration, my recently published research focuses on aspiring migrants: those who dream and plan for a future elsewhere, even if they never leave.
While studies have shown how religion might aid or hinder a person’s integration into new societies, I explore how religion shapes who wants to migrate in the first place and why.
Not everyone who wants to migrate will ultimately do so, but their aspirations matter. Migration aspirations influence education, career choices, family formation and even political engagement. Yet, the forces behind these aspirations remain largely understudied.
Migration aspirations influence education, career choices, family formation and even political engagement.
(Evangeline Shaw/Unsplash)
Who wants to migrate?
My interviews with young Ghanaians between the ages of 20 and 35 reveal that migration is not just about where people go. It’s also about who they believe they are meant to be.
Analyzing 565 surveys and 25 in-depth interviews, I found that the aspiraton to migrate was widespread, with nearly 78 per cent of those surveyed expressing a desire to migrate. However, aspirations were not evenly distributed.
University students were the most eager to migrate, often viewing higher education abroad as a stepping stone. Family history also shaped migration aspirations. Those with relatives abroad and no prior travel experience were significantly more likely to want to leave, suggesting the influence of migrant social networks.
Yet the strongest predictors of migration aspirations among participants were experiences like dreams, prophecies and intuitions that were considered religiously significant.
Individuals who reported having migration-related dreams were more than twice as likely to express a strong desire to migrate, while those who believed migration was part of a divine plan were more than three times as likely. These findings challenge the traditional idea that migration is purely an economic decision, highlighting the role of religion and spirituality.
Spiritual experiences and migration
Dreams, prophecies and intuitions do more than inspire migration desires. They shape how people perceive and legitimize migration. These experiences transform migration from mere physical movement into a deeply personal conviction, reshaping how they see themselves and their futures.
Participants in my study who had migratory dreams described them as vivid, immersive experiences in which they found themselves leaving their homeland, boarding airplanes or settling in foreign countries.
These dreams transported them into sensory encounters with airports, unfamiliar climates like snowfall and racially diverse communities. Such dreams made migration feel imminent, influencing behaviours such as preparing travel documents and expanding social networks.
Prophecy in many religious traditions are declarations made by spiritual leaders, often perceived as divine revelations about an individual’s life, future or destiny. In the context of migration, these prophecies foretell a person’s foreseeable journey abroad, shaping their understanding of the future.
Dreams, prophecies and intuitions do more than inspire migration desires. They shape how individuals perceive and legitimize migration.
(Adedotun Adegborioye/Unsplash)
Migratory prophecies are often delivered in Pentecostal-Charismatic churches, through sermons, prayer sessions or direct pronouncements from pastors. Their significance lies not in predictive accuracy, but in their ability to inspire, shape emotions, and guide behaviours regarding migration.
These prophecies legitimize a person’s migration aspirations as part of a divine plan, enhancing the aspiring migrant’s self-perception as one destined for success. They foster an internalized identity of a successful migrant even before the individual embarks on their journey, highlighting their potential to elevate social status and bring honour to their families and communities.
Intuitions attributed to divine prompting also generate an inner certainty about migration. People feel an inexplicable but profound conviction that they must migrate, leading them to align their life decisions with what they perceive as a higher plan.
By reinforcing deeply held aspirations, spiritual experiences do not just shape the desire to migrate; they construct the migrant’s very sense of self, embedding migration into their personal identity long before they ever set foot on foreign soil.
Informing policy
Most migration policies focus on border control, but rarely consider the social and cultural dynamics that shape migration. Dreams, prophecies and intuitions act as indicators of unmet aspirations.
Understanding these experiences can help migration policymakers create strategies that are cross-culturally sensitive and context-specific. These strategies should move beyond the economics of migration to address the full spectrum of human motivations.
Additionally, governments and news media must confront idealized narratives of migration destinations portrayed as utopias of opportunity. When such expectations clash with the stark realities of labour exploitation, cultural alienation and systemic racism, the resulting disillusionment can profoundly affect the well-being of individuals and communities.
A responsible approach to migration must present a balanced view, acknowledging both opportunities and challenges, while preparing aspiring migrants for the complexities of their journeys and recognizing their aspirations as integral to their personhood. Läs mer…