By Pascale: Ordinarily, the primary purpose of dreams about deceased loved ones is usually to help the bereaved manage their grief, especially when it is still recent. Emotions, thoughts about loved ones are organized and processed over a period of time that is always specific to the person in mourning.
The interpretation of dreams depends a lot on beliefs, open mindedness and needs. When a loved one who has passed enters a dream, they can be creative in the way they show up and there can be numerous interpretations:
Sometimes, dreaming of a deceased loved one represents renewed enthusiasm for life. The world of the dead is totally opposed to that of the living, highlighting a need to emphasize reality and what it now feels like. This type of dream reminds the dreamer that life is beautiful, and how very much alive the dreamer is. Similarly, a dream about marriage can suggest alignment with the self: you are in a beautiful period of your life and you can be fulfilled by it. It may well be that such a dream points to a happy phase in your circumstances: the deceased loved one invites you to make the most of life, because life is short, fragile and of ephemeral beauty.
Another type of message emphasizes the need to let go and move on from a situation involving a person in your life, when you must try and draw a line over what that person represents for you, on the subconscious level. For example, if you dream of your mother dying when she is still very much alive, it could mean that you ought to cut any ties of dependency you may still have with her. This is as if you would be marking the beginning of a new period in your life, when you are independent and free.
Or if you dream of your deceased father, ask yourself what he represents to you. Was his presence protective, authoritarian, reassuring? Depending on your answer, you will become more aware of what elements of your past you are ready to let go of. Often, that type of dream helps you affirm your personality and break away from emotional dependence; it can also reveal an incoming change in your life.
In an ideal situation, an easily understood dream and clear message from a loved one will come through a strong emotional connection, (including pets), which would convey a sense of inner peace, joy, reassurance and wellbeing. Upon waking, that feeling remains and lingers with the dreamer. There is no sadness, no nostalgia, only strong feelings of relief, love and calm.
A deceased loved one can appear in a dream using the same senses and means used when they make their presence known in your day life, and this would be through sensitivity, feelings, touch, sound, smell, vision, and also symbols.
Often however, such dreams aren’t clear and can leave you confused. Symbols and hidden messages don’t just require intuition, they often require an understanding of symbols, awareness and even the need to spend time taking notes to observe, analyze and understand those messages.
The appearance of a deceased loved one in a dream, often highlights the following themes (to describe just a few):
- The need for a guide: if the deceased person was supporting you in some way and acted as a trusted advisor, it could be that when you need support and/or advice, your brain turns to and thinks of that person. If the dream comes as a dialogue between you and that loved one, then you may take it as a strong form of support, as if that person were your guardian angel, who knows you miss them and is here to guide you.
- A need for balance: a dream about a deceased loved one can remind you of the significance of the time spent with those we love and about the ever changing and transient nature of life.
- Preparation for challenges to come: with this type of dream, the representation of a loved one can come as a means to help you be protected and resourceful in preparing yourself for a possible complicated situation to come.
- Approval: depending on some of life’s trials, the appearance of a significant loved one in a dream is like receiving approval and confirmation that a choice is right for you.
- Settling a score: sometimes, dreaming of a loved one highlights the need to settle a score: it can open communication and help express something that could not be said before. It means that you need to talk with the deceased person, in your own way. It can help convey what could not be said when that person was alive; it can also help resolve what is no longer possible, for example, divulging resentment, revealing one’s love for the deceased, and an apology.
Upon waking from a dream about a person who has passed, ask yourself those questions: was the person very close to you? Were you holding hands? What was their facial expression? How did you feel about it? Or a scent noticeable? Did you hear music? A song that brought back strong memories about that person? Etc.
I can only recommend and reiterate the need to take detailed notes of everything perceived in that type of dream, because it will help you pinpoint cues over messages that lay hidden in your personal and subjective perception of such a dream. A dream is a representation of your own world, and so long as you remain aware that you are not giving your imagination all power to slip into delusion, then immerse yourself in the energy of that dream and let it linger before taking notes and letting it go, until the meaning comes to you later, which could take anything, from a few minutes, to a few months or even years, to become evident. Nevertheless, there are also times when questions will remain open and clarity never achieved as hoped. There are several reasons for this: a cue could be missed, misinterpretation, or because some dreams are nonsensical, surreal and they just appear to help you release energy. Then, there are also those dreams about loved ones when your needs for closure may never be met: in those cases, accepting that some answers will never be found and being creative in making up your own way to bring closure, will enable you to live your life fully (support to do so may be needed).
Love & Light,
Pascale
Latest posts by Pascale (see all)
- Signs Your Loved Ones Are Around – Dreams – Part II - May 4, 2023
- Signs That Your Loved Ones Are Around: Butterflies - April 5, 2023
- How To Manage Your High Sensitivity – Part II - March 3, 2023