Visitation Dreams: Connecting with Deceased Loved Ones in the Dream Realm
The experience of losing a loved one is a universal part of the human journey, and its impact can be profound.
Everyone at some point in their life feels the pain of losing a loved one.
However, the loss of a particular loved one can have a greater impact on us than we expect.
Have you ever had a dream about someone who is no longer alive? Perhaps you did not consider the meaning of their appearance in your dreams.
Everyone experiences grief after the death of a loved one differently. Many people cry uncontrollably, while others remain mute and withdrawn.
Some people pretend nothing happened or try not to think about it. However, many people share the practice of dreaming about deceased loved ones.
What we dream about at night is determined by our subconscious, and if you’ve ever had a dream about a deceased person, it could mean anything.
So can we communicate with the dead in our dreams?
According to Patrick McNamara, associate professor of neurology and psychiatry at Boston University School, visitation dreams are what people have when they see visions of the deceased.
As McNamara describes it, “bereaved dreams, where the dead appear to the bereaved in their dreams and appear very much alive.”
On Psychology Today, the 67-year-old neuroscientist often posts as a dream catcher.
McNamara has published extensively on dream interpretation. And he says there is generally a rational explanation for visitor dreams.
They help in recovery from emotional trauma.
He writes about a dream he had after his parents died. After having one himself, McNamara claimed that this form of dream, known as the “visitation dream,” was evidence of survival after physical death.
“Now if I, a dream student with a skeptical scientific mindset, could not shake the belief that I had just communicated with my dead parents,” McNamara writes, “how much stronger must the conviction be for someone less skeptical about dreams than I?”
More people than Patrick McNamara are interested in such dreams, and a number of studies have been conducted to understand more about them.
In 2014, the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care published a study that looked at the effect of bereavement dreams.
“Dreams of the deceased occur frequently, can be very meaningful, and can aid in the healing process after a loss,” the study said.
In dreams, “past memories or experiences, the deceased without illness, memories of the deceased’s illness or time of death, the deceased in the afterlife appearing healthy, comfortable and at peace, as well as the deceased giving a message”.
A group of Canadian scientists analyzed the dreams of 76 middle-aged people who suffered a major loss in 2016.
67.1% of those who had just lost a loved one said that dreaming about the deceased strengthened their confidence in the afterlife.
Seventy percent reported that they had had visits from the dead in their dreams, and 71 percent said that dreaming about the dead improved their connection with the deceased.
Jennifer E. Shorter, a psychologist at the Institute for Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto, California, has also investigated the connections between our waking and sleep lives.
The author of “Visitor Dreams in Grieving Individuals: A Phenomenological Investigation of the Dream-Bereavement Connection” argues that there is no way to know how frequent visitation dreams are.
However, this can happen immediately after death or years later. According to her studies, the dream of visiting has four distinct characteristics:
1. In a dream about a visit, the deceased appear as they do in real life, but are either healthier or younger.
2. The deceased often express how they are today, for example, that they are doing well.
3. The meaning of the dream is perceived less as a physical presence and more as a psychological one.
4. Typically, the dream state is calm and well-structured, bordering on harmony.
Conclusion:
The phenomenon of visitation dreams remains a compelling and mysterious aspect of the human experience. As individuals go through the painful journey of losing loved ones, these dreams offer a glimmer of hope and comfort, bridging the gap between the physical world and the realm of the subconscious. While the scientific community continues to investigate the nature and meaning of visitation dreams, their significance lies in the healing power they hold for those who experience them. Whether a product of the subconscious or a spiritual connection to the outside world, visitation dreams provide an avenue for emotional healing and a lasting bond with deceased loved ones that transcends the boundaries of time and space.
Have you ever dreamed of the death of a loved one? Can you please explain the meaning?