Sooner or later, everyone loses someone close to them – it’s an unfortunate part of life.
But sometimes, the passing of a particular loved one can hit us harder than we ever imagined. Have you ever had someone who has passed away appear in your dreams? The meaning behind these dreams might surprise you…
Losing a loved one is incredibly difficult, and everyone handles grief differently. Some people cry a lot, while others become quiet and retreat into themselves. Some try to avoid the subject or act like it doesn’t affect them. But there’s one thing many people experience – dreams about the loved ones who have passed away.
When we dream at night, our subconscious takes over, and if you’ve ever dreamed of a deceased person, it could have a special meaning. So, can dreams carry messages from loved ones who have died?
According to Patrick McNamara, an associate professor of neurology and psychiatry at Boston University, there’s a term for dreams about dead people – visitation dreams. “These are dreams of the bereaved where the dead appear to the bereaved in dreams and look to be very much alive,” McNamara explains.
The 67-year-old neuroscientist often shares his thoughts and findings about dreams on his blog, Dream Catcher, at Psychology Today. He believes that visitation dreams help us cope with grief, loss, and sorrow.
In one of his blog posts, McNamara shares a personal story about a dream he had after his parents passed away. He describes it as a visitation dream, and it changed his perspective.
“Now if I, an individual who studied dreams with a skeptical scientific cast of mind, could not shake the conviction that I had just communicated with my dead parents, how much stronger must be the conviction of someone with a less skeptical approach to dreams than me?” McNamara writes.
McNamara isn’t alone in his interest in these dreams. Several studies have explored this phenomenon. In 2014, the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care published a study on grief dreams. The study found that “dreams of the deceased occur frequently, can be highly meaningful, and further healing from a loss.”
Themes in these dreams included “past memories or experiences, the deceased free of illness, memories of the deceased’s illness or time of death, the deceased in the afterlife appearing healthy, comfortable, and at peace, as well as the deceased communicating a message.”
In 2016, Canadian researchers analyzed dreams from 76 bereaved middle-aged individuals. According to the study, 67.1% of the participants said their dreams of the deceased helped them believe more in an afterlife. Around 70% described their dreams as “visitations,” and 71% felt these dreams helped them feel more connected with the deceased.
Psychologist Jennifer E. Shorter from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto, CA, has also researched visitation dreams. In her study, “Visitation Dreams in Grieving Individuals: A Phenomenological Inquiry into the Relationship Between Dreams and the Grieving,” she writes that it’s unclear how many people experience visitation dreams, but they can occur close to or long after a person has died.
Shorter’s research found that four factors characterize a visitation dream:
- The deceased person appears as they did when they were alive, often healthier or younger.
- The deceased often communicates that they are fine.
- The message in the dream feels more telepathic than physical.
- The dream is usually calm and organized, almost harmonious.
Have you ever dreamed of a loved one who passed away? What did it mean to you?
Feel free to share your experience in the comments section, and make sure to share this article on Facebook if you believe dreams can have special meanings!
