What Does It Mean When You Dream About Someone Who Is Already Dead?

Dreams can have many different meanings to different people, each dream interpreted slightly differently from the way before, dictated by the setting, scenario, or events that happen during the course of it. Dreams are believed to be the mind’s way of communicating with you — telling you things or reminding you of certain places/people/situations that you might not have otherwise remembered.

A very common dream to have is one where a dead friend, relative, or associate pops up. Dreaming of someone who is already dead could, of course, just be a sign that you were thinking of or missing that person. It is very common to dream of someone who has recently passed away, and although this might be of some comfort to you, it might strike the question:

What does it mean when you dream about someone who is already dead?

As well as being a very obvious sign that you miss the person who has died and commonly occurring in the time period immediately following the passing, dreaming of that person is also thought to be a message, of sorts, from beyond the grave. For many years there have been links and theories that the dream world and spirit world could be connected, and if this were to be true, dreaming could be a way for that spirit — the spirit of the dead person — to communicate with you. If it seems that you are being told a message, perhaps to go ahead with someone or even to be wary or cautious of a new adventure you are embarking on, it might just be time to sit back and listen.

Are you rushing into things? 

Are you making a poor choice? 

Have you thought about it logically and rationally? 

In Pagan times, it was traditionally believed that a deceased person communicating advice in a dream was to be listened to and obeyed immediately, any disobedience met by anger from the Gods and the encouragement of bad luck and omens.

Some dream experts believe that dreams of passed relatives in the run-up to a wedding could be interpreted as advice against the coupling.

Dreaming of deceased parents, especially when they are, once again, giving you a warning or advice is thought to be a subconscious sign that trouble is on the horizon and that you should make sure you’re planning for all eventualities, both bad as well as good.

Dreaming of the newly deceased could also be the way that your subconscious tells you that you’re not quite finished with the grieving process. Grief and mourning following the death of a loved one is a process, and it can often be a very lengthy one, particularly if the death was seemingly out-of-the-blue or a shock. In grief-ridden dreams, it is typical to have the same or similar dreams repeatedly, over the course of a few weeks or months. It is also quite common to experience a conflict of some sort, in the dream. This could be seen as a metaphor for how you’re not dealing with your own emotions during the difficult time of your life. Maybe you need to stop bottling your emotions up and actually deal with what you’re feeling. This is very much the case if you are spiralling downwards, feeling lonely, or don’t think you have anywhere to turn. There is always someone that can and will help, and you shouldn’t be afraid to speak out and say that you need comfort or affection.

Finally, there is another dream interpretation that you should bear in mind when looking into the meanings of dreaming about deceased loved ones; it could be a sign that all is at peace, particularly if the dream itself was a pleasant, comforting, or soothing one. Many people worry about what happens to the ‘being’ or ‘soul’ of a person when that person passes on, and a comforting or soothing dalliance in the dream is meant to be a sign that everything is okay and as it should be.

There are often so many different dream interpretations for just one dream-topic alone, which can make it tough to understand what the dream is actually meant to mean or depict. Only you can appreciate the importance of that dream to you, and we hope that you also manage to find comfort following the passing of a loved one.

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