Dreaming of the Dead: Why It Happens and What It Means |
There are countless popular myths about why we dream of the dead and what it might mean, from the psychological (it is a subconscious processing of grief) to the mystical (it is our deceased loved one communicating a message); but the actual why and what of dreaming about the deceased is multilayered and nuanced, with no single explanation. Nonetheless, there is evidence that deceased loved ones have been common in the dreams of humans likely for as long as humans have been around—after all, in Greek mythology, the God of Sleep, Hypnos, and the God of Death, Thanatos, are twins. Additionally, in many religions, dreams of the dead are seen as a spiritual message or as a sign of comfort. But what does psychology have to say about the matter? The answer is complicated.
It is important first to understand that these types of dreams tend to fit a thematic pattern. A 2013 study in The American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine noted that common themes include “pleasant 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 comfortable and at peace, and the deceased communicating a message.” If you have had a dream in which your loved one is alive and healthy, or in which they are trying to share a message, you are certainly not alone, as these themes have been widely reported among the individuals studied. I........