MD. Dreaming of dead relatives often reflects your grief after losing a loved one. The dreams can feel so real that you temporarily forget the other person is gone. While dreaming of the deceased is often positive and comforting, it can also be unsettling.
One of the most common reasons people dream about someone is because they miss that person. It's human nature to feel a sense of well-being when we're with someone we care about. In other words, if you dream about someone often, and think it means they miss you, it may be because you're the one missing them.
You could dream about a loved one when you are emotionally drained out. You may be in trouble, and you need a shoulder to cry. In such a situation, you must reach out to the loved one and express yourself so that he or she could give moral support to you. You could have lost someone dearest to you.
This dream can indicate that there are unresolved issues between you and the deceased person. It could be an unresolved conflict, unspoken words, or unresolved emotions that need to be addressed to move forward.
A dream where a family member (whether grandfather, child, or other siblings) die might represent your fear of loss, unresolved guilt, loss of control, or losing touch with your routes.
As dreams are all about the self—your feelings and behaviors—if you're dreaming about a specific person in your life, then it's likely there's some aspect of them that is currently at work in your life, Loewenberg explains. Perhaps you both share a behavioral trait that is currently being activated.
In such cases, dreaming about a dead person coming back to life may be a sign of needing to deal with death more constructively and positively. Rather than focusing on loss and sadness, this dream may encourage us to find ways of moving forward and finding meaning in our lives once again.
Dreaming about a dead person talking to you could be that the person is trying to warn you that difficult situations are coming your way in the form of finance or relationships. As much as possible, try to remember your conversation with the person as there could be an important message for you there.
They Come to You in Your Dreams
When you dream about your deceased spouse, it might be a calming, peaceful dream, or a confusing, combative dream. Either way, it might be a sign that your loved one is communicating with you by helping you create meaning out of your personal dream symbols.
Mothers are associated with care and guidance, therefore dreaming of a deceased mother could signify a need for maternal help or advice. It could imply that you are looking for comfort or guidance during a difficult time in your life.
If you dream about someone, it is much more likely a reflection of your own thoughts and subconscious feelings instead of an indication of how they are feeling or thinking about you. Dreams can provide insights into relationships and help you better understand your feelings.
The person you've been missing and thinking senses how you feel towards them because of your subtle actions. Even a glance that says “I miss you” or a sigh that says “I wish we can be together” can be decoded in an instant by someone perceptive.
Aubyn says that dreaming of a deceased loved one can often simply mean that we are still grieving for them, and even if it's been a long time since they passed, these feelings are embedded deep down within our being. “It is natural that we continue to hold on to the loved one emotionally in many ways.
Secrets and other distressing information revealed following someone's death can complicate and prolong the grieving process in those left behind. Unexpected and unwanted discoveries may create feelings of anger and resentment in the surviving spouse, children, and those linked to the kept secrets.
Some people believe that when a deceased person smiles at you in your dream, it means that they're happy and contented in the afterlife. Others believe that it could be a sign from the departed loved one, letting you know that they're okay and watching over you.
In your dreams, if you are often being called out by someone, who is not alive, then it's a sign that the person has returned to warn you of something, which might put you in tough times ahead.
If you dream of a dead father, and in your dreams, your father is alive, take this as a sign of good luck. In the near future, you will feel rejuvenated and you will have more power. This power is about achieving your goals and ambitions in life.
There Is Something Bad Coming Your Way
Other times, an unexpected visit by your deceased father via your dreams may indicate that something terrible is coming your way. You may notice this from a solemn look, which expresses their feelings from the afterlife.
“Dreams are often about identity, because we're figuring out who we are and what we need, and the beliefs and perspectives we hold,” says Wallace. “If you feel unfulfilled, undervalued or not the person you want to be in waking life, your dreams will often reflect that.
Alan Eiser, a psychologist and a clinical lecturer at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, says dreams can be “highly meaningful,” because they “deal with the sort of personal conflicts and emotional struggles that people are experiencing in their daily lives.”
“Since dreams are thought to primarily occur during REM sleep, the sleep stage when the MCH cells turn on, activation of these cells may prevent the content of a dream from being stored in the hippocampus – consequently, the dream is quickly forgotten.”
The grieving process may affect your appetite, ability to sleep, and even your brain chemistry, too. Whether you're missing someone because of a divorce, loss of a friendship, or due to deployment, there are steps that you can follow to minimize your negative emotions.
If you notice the person showing up at places where you often spend time, it could be a sign that they miss you and are trying to reconnect with you, even indirectly. This could include visiting your favorite coffee shop, park, or attending events they know you might attend.