Have you ever had a dream in which a loved one of yours has died? This can be very distressing. Dreaming about somebody dying doesn’t necessarily mean that person will actually pass away. But what do the dreams mean?
Death dreams can be a way that our subconscious minds convey important messages to us about different aspects of our lives. They can be about the end of a certain phase in your life, the dawn of a new beginning, the defeat of a bad habit, or the recognition that an important aspect of yourself has come to a close.
The meaning of the dream also depends on who died in your dream, as well as the nature of the death. People in your dreams generally symbolize different aspects of your life or of your personality. Therefore, it’s important to understand what the person represents to you.
For instance, if an elderly person in your dream dies, this could be a warning that it’s time to end bad habits because they are becoming destructive. If a child dies, the underlying message may be that you need to begin acting in a more responsible and mature manner.
Dreams about people dying may be warning you that you’re allowing the wrong types of people to influence you in your life. Or it may mean that there’s an issue in your life that needs to be resolved because it’s time for you to move on.
If your dream involves finding a dead body, it’s important for you to analyze the details around the discovery. Is the dead person somebody that you actually know? Where and when did you find the body? Do you know how the person died? Once you answer these questions, look at your own life to see if there are any correlations.
Dreaming of committing a murder and subsequently running from the police is a warning that a recent bad judgment or some previous guilty feelings may be resurfacing to trouble you.
Here are some more common dreams about death, and what they may mean:
- Your own death.
Dreaming of your own death could indicate several things. You could be feeling like you always make sacrifices, but nobody else notices. Or it could mean that it’s time to start putting yourself first. This type of dream may also be a wake-up call that it’s time to end unhealthy practices and habits that are endangering your life.
- A baby’s death.
This dream is very common among new mothers who suddenly come face-to-face with the reality that they alone are responsible for the safety of their baby. The dream may help them realize how important their duty is regarding their newborns.
- A child’s death.
A common dream for parents of older children typically occurs when the children are preparing to leave the nest. The dream actually mourns their offspring’s childhood and the fact that it’s over.
- A parent’s death.
If your parents are still alive but you dream that they died, your subconscious mind could be stressed over losing them at some point in the future. This is especially true if your parents are elderly. If your parents have actually passed away already, the dream may be giving you the opportunity to say goodbye to them.
- A sibling’s death.
Dreaming that a brother or a sister of yours died could indicate that you don’t properly spend enough time in your busy life with them. Take the time to tell them how much they mean to you, and maybe even recall some of your happy times together.
- A spouse’s death.
Dreaming that your spouse, your most precious loved one, has passed away may be an unconscious admission to yourself that you lack a specific quality that your partner possesses. To understand a death dream like this in more detail, you’ll need to consider what you particularly love or admire about your spouse and discern if you lack that quality.
- A stranger’s death.
If you don’t know the person in your dream that died, this indicates that you’re aware of changes that are happening around you, but that you feel completely out-of-touch with them.
Death dreams relate to a wide array of aspects of our lives. Death dreams can be especially disturbing. But most experts would agree that despite their distressing nature, dreams about death remind us of all that life is precious, and it needs to be treasured.