When you dream someone dies
There's no reason to fear dreams of death. In fact, they can offer you new perspectives and invitations to heal old wounds.
I’m often approached by anxious dreamers who’ve been shaken by a dream about death. But death in dreams is nothing to fear. This Q&A is a resource to help guide you when death enters your dreams.
Read through the information provided. Or for a 1:1 dreamwork session where we explore the meaning and messages of your dreams, contact me. Or learn more about dreamwork sessions here.
What does it mean when you dream about someone dying?
Like most things, death in dreams is usually metaphoric. So, a dream about someone dying is most likely a metaphor for an ending or a completion. For example, you might dream about death at a time of transition in your life, when a job, a relationship, or your attachment to an old way of behaving is ending and you are on the verge of something new.
What about when it's a family member? Or someone you are in an intimate relationship with?
It's not surprising that when we dream of death, the dream usually centers on someone we're close to, such as a family member or intimate friend. That's because most of our worries about loss stem from our closest relationships, and these are the people who are on our minds, and about whom we have strong feelings.
If it is a dream about a family member, consider their relationship to you: A dream about the death of a spouse might indicate that you are letting go of--or you are ready to let go of--some aspect of your marriage or that your marriage is entering a new phase. Dreams about children dying also reflect worries and fears about losing them as they move into new phases of growing up, for example, entering daycare or school for the first time, graduating, or moving out. A dream about a sister or brother dying might reflect conflicts in that relationship, or a family pattern related to your sibling relationships that you are growing beyond, or need to let go of.
What does it mean if you see someone's corpse?
Seeing a corpse in a dream is dramatic and probably indicates that you need to pay attention to some aspect of your life that no longer has energy or passion (life force) invested in it.
If you see someone die?
You can get some clues as to the dream’s meaning depending on how the person is dying. For example, if they are suffocating, ask how you might be feeling like you “can’t breathe” in a situation or a relationship. If someone is being attacked, ask what part of your life you are feeling attacked in.
What if you attend someone's funeral in your dream?
A funeral is a sacred rite of passage. In this case, it's a way of saying a final goodbye. It also marks the start of a period of mourning. Ask yourself, what are you saying goodbye to in your life? Is there a relationship, a life phase, or a job whose ending you are mourning?
What should you do if you have a dream like this, especially if you find it disturbing?
The first thing to do is take a breath and remember that as scary as the dream is, it has a helpful or healing message for you. And remember, your dream is most likely speaking in metaphors, rather than predicting the untimely death of yourself or a loved one.
Write the dream down and talk it over with a trusted friend or a professional who is trained in dreamwork. You might also ask yourself questions, such as what symbolic death this dream might be referring to?
What if these dreams are recurring?
Recurring dreams are trying to wake you up to something you’ve been avoiding or repressing. So, be sure to take some time to write in your journal about your dream, talk to a friend or professional about it, and discover if there is an action step you should take in your life to resolve the issue. It might be time to confront a situation in your life where you feel like some part of you is dying, suffocating, or being drained of passion.
What kind of help is out there for people who have disturbing dreams about people dying?
Most of the time, talking over a dream, even a disturbing one, with a close friend will help you gain perspective on it. It can also be helpful to join a dream group led by a trained professional where you can talk about your dream and get helpful feedback and responses. Trained counselors, therapists, or others trained in dreamwork can help, too.
I’m dreaming with you,
