When deceased relatives or pets show up in your dreams

[Ninshub]

I'm wondering what people here think if and when they experience dreams where deceased relatives, or pets, appear.

Frequently enough I have dreams where I'll be surprised that someone I thought had passed away (an uncle, for example, or a grandfather) will still be here, and often in the dreams it's like I know they're going to go but they haven't yet. (And these can be people who have passed on decades ago.)

One I had recently was about an uncle who in the dream I found, through a newspaper or something, that they were alive all this time, and hadn't really died. As if he had purposefully hidden the fact that he had never died, and I was finding out this secret.

I guess I'm wondering if any of your encounter or remember dreams like that, and especially how you interpret them. I'm wondering if it's a sign that that spirit is visiting you or near, or if as some OBErs/astral travellers say dreams reflect astral journeys we're actually taking during sleep, and maybe meeting those people in spirit.

Thoughts?

I'll be surprised that someone I thought had passed away (an uncle, for example, or a grandfather) will still be here,

Not sure I understand what you mean there, Ian. Could you be more specific ?

My dreams are rarely significant in that way. I used to dream about my father (who died many decades ago) just after he died, that he was still alive. When I woke up, that was the killer, but that didn't last long and it wasn't a ADC, just me dreaming that he was still alive. 

My wife who doesn't believe in survival or any afterlife however, regularly has very vivid dreams of her mother and brother (both dead) where she is interacting with them. I think they are very significant but it's a touchy subject with her so we don't argue about it.

I'm wondering what people here think if and when they experience dreams where deceased relatives, or pets, appear.

Frequently enough I have dreams where I'll be surprised that someone I thought had passed away (an uncle, for example, or a grandfather) will still be here, and often in the dreams it's like I know they're going to go but they haven't yet. (And these can be people who have passed on decades ago.)

One I had recently was about an uncle who in the dream I found, through a newspaper or something, that they were alive all this time, and hadn't really died. As if he had purposefully hidden the fact that he had never died, and I was finding out this secret.

I guess I'm wondering if any of your encounter or remember dreams like that, and especially how you interpret them. I'm wondering if it's a sign that that spirit is visiting you or near, or if as some OBErs/astral travellers say dreams reflect astral journeys we're actually taking during sleep, and maybe meeting those people in spirit.

Thoughts?

All my dreams are about the feelings/emotions evoked, and how they reflect my life at present. Normally it’s a clue I’m not acknowledging a problem/issue, or giving it enough significance. I don’t take the specific imagery literally, other than the feelings/emotions the imagery evokes.

Normally it’s a clue

I think so.

[Ninshub]

Not sure I understand what you mean there, Ian. Could you be more specific ?

I mean that in the dream I'm surprised to find out that the person hasn't died. I thought they had died and yet they haven't. Or in some weird way it's like they have died but I'm surprised they're still present (not dead) - if that makes any sense.

I mean that in the dream I'm surprised to find out that the person hasn't died. I thought they had died and yet they haven't. Or in some weird way it's like they have died but I'm surprised they're still present (not dead) - if that makes any sense.

I think I've heard of others having such dreams, of being surprised to find someone is alive, in the dream.

My own dreams tend to be varied. I've had muddled, chaotic dreams in which the deceased may appear. Often such dreams don't feel significant to me. Then I've had a variety of somewhat controlled dreams where there is a sense of a coherent flow, even if it doesn't correspond to a naturalistic waking type of world. Both the living and the deceased may appear in such dreams. I may or may not attach some importance to those dreams.

The other type of dream is what maybe I would call an encounter or a meeting with someone, maybe a friend, maybe family member who is deceased. These dreams tend to be rare, usually having a sense of reality and matching everyday life. With deceased friends in dreams I've sometimes had conversations, though there is no significant content in the words, as in daily life sometimes it is important that people speak to one another, it is less important what is said.

Perhaps most significant are the ones with no words, where I encounter a deceased person and there is physical touch involved, such as a very firm, real handshake. These may have no words at all yet leave the most profound impact.

As for waking up, I'm never shocked. In fairness it has been a long time since I lost someone very close so some of the pain of loss has faded. But more importantly, I don't think "In the dream the person was alive, now I'm awake they are dead". I simply accept that they are always alive.

I mean that in the dream I'm surprised to find out that the person hasn't died. I thought they had died and yet they haven't.

Sorry, Ian, I'm still confused. You thought someone had died ? And then you see them in your dream alive? Don't we all do that ? But why does that mean they haven't died ? They could still be dead and you dream about them, surely ? Apologies, I'm struggling with this.

[Ninshub]

Sorry, Ian, I'm still confused. You thought someone had died ? And then you see them in your dream alive? Don't we all do that ? But why does that mean they haven't died ? They could still be dead and you dream about them, surely ? Apologies, I'm struggling with this.

Sorry maybe I'm not being clear. So I have an uncle, for example, who died when he was 60 back in 1993. In a dream I had last week or so: in that dream consciousness I know he died a long time ago, but suddenly I find out he's not dead. First I read something in a newspaper that reveals he didn't actually die. Then eventually I converse with him. But I sort of know his days are counted.

So generally in the dream there's a sense of surprise, of happy surprise, that the person isn't actually dead. But usually there's also the sense of time being borrowed if you will.

I frequently have that type of dream, often with two uncles and a grandfather.

[Ninshub]

Of course my belief (firm conviction) is that all those beings are still alive in spirit, there is no death except of the physical suit, but that consciousness or theme doesn't seem to be present in the dreams themselves.

I read something in a newspaper that reveals he didn't actually die.

Thanks, Ian ! I think I get it now. But you don't mean you read in a newspaper in reality, just in your dream you "read"
that he was not dead. I mean he is dead, isn't he.

That's similar to my dream of my father, of which the content I don't remember much about now.