At some point in life, everyone faces the sorrow of losing a loved one. The impact of such a loss can be profound, sometimes affecting us more deeply than we realize. Have you ever dreamed about someone who has passed away? It’s possible that you haven’t considered the significance of their appearance in your dreams.
Grieving is a deeply personal process, varying from person to person. Some cry their hearts out, while others may turn inward, becoming silent. Some people try to ignore the loss or act as if nothing has changed. However, many find comfort in remembering their deceased loved ones through their dreams.
Our subconscious mind determines the dreams we have at night. Therefore, if you’ve ever dreamed about a deceased person, it might hold a special meaning.
Can we connect with the dead through our dreams? According to Patrick McNamara, an associate professor of neurology and psychiatry at Boston University, people often have “visitation dreams” where the departed appear to be very much alive. McNamara frequently writes under the pen name Dream Catcher on the Psychology Today website, exploring dreams and their interpretations. He suggests that visitation dreams typically have a rational explanation—they help the body recover from emotional trauma.
After his parents passed away, McNamara experienced a visitation dream, which he described as proof of life beyond physical death. He reflected, “How much greater must be the belief of someone with a less suspicious approach to dreams than me? If I, an individual who studied dreams with a skeptical scientific cast of mind, could not shake the conviction that I had just connected with my dead parents?”
Interest in such dreams extends beyond McNamara. Numerous studies have been conducted to learn more about them. For example, a 2014 study published in the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care examined the consequences of grieving dreams. The study concluded that “dreams of the deceased occur frequently, can be highly meaningful, and further healing from a loss.” Common dream themes included past memories or experiences, the deceased free from illness, memories of the deceased’s illness or time of death, the deceased appearing healthy and at peace in the afterlife, and the deceased communicating a message.
In 2016, a team of Canadian researchers examined the dreams of 76 middle-aged individuals who had recently experienced a significant loss. They found that 67.1% of those who had lost a loved one reported that dreams about the deceased boosted their belief in an afterlife. Seventy percent of respondents claimed to experience visits from the dead in their dreams, and seventy-one percent felt that these dreams deepened their sense of connection with the deceased.
Jennifer E. Shorter, a psychologist at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto, California, has also studied the connection between our everyday lives and our dreams. In her work, “Visitation Dreams in Grieving Individuals: A Phenomenological Investigation into the Connection Between Dreams and the Grieving,” Shorter found that visitation dreams have four distinct characteristics:
- The deceased appear as they did in reality, often younger or healthier.
- The deceased frequently comment on their current state, often saying they are well.
- The dream conveys a psychic presence rather than a physical one.
- The dream state is typically tranquil, orderly, and harmonious.
Have you ever dreamed of a lost loved one? What might this mean for you? If you believe dreams can have meaning, please share this article on Facebook and feel free to share your experiences in the comments section!
Source: smartsite
