By Karen Karvonen
Having dreams about departed loved ones is quite common. According to one study 75% of people had dreams of a departed loves one, and most felt those dreams helped them with their grief.
Dreams come from our subconscious, an inner knowing that puts us in touch with realms we cannot connect to in our waking life. In our dream consciousness, we may find we can contact and communicate with our loved ones and create an enduring bond with them. We know our relationship with our loved ones does not end with death, and dreams are a potent reminder of this connection.
Some of the common images and theme we may encounter in these dreams include: embracing our loved ones again, receiving their messages and gifts, being comforted by them, saying goodbye to them or helping them cross over into the afterlife. We may also have disturbing dreams in which we feel anger or disapproval, or our loved ones may appear sick or even dead.
Having disturbing dreams doesn’t necessarily mean you had a negative relationship with the loved one. Often, they are a reflection of your distress after losing someone. You may be reliving the pain of seeing them die or hearing about their death. Or you may not be acknowledging emotions like anxiety, guilt, sadness or loneliness. By working through the feelings your dream evokes, you will find yourself further along the journey to wholeness and healing.
Dreams not only connect us to our loved ones, but they help us process our emotions which is essential to our healing. Most importantly, they can guide us to find new meaning as we move along the path of our grief.
Working in a group to share how your dreams have impacted your grief journey will help you learn how to work with your dreams to discover their healing power.
Learn more about dreams by attending our upcoming workshop in-person at HeartLight Center: The Healing Power of Dreams. In this workshop, you will learn about the different types of dreams people experience during grief. You’ll see how even dreams that seem disturbing, can help express our emotions and aid us in our healing journey. Come and share how your dreams have impacted your grief journey and learn how to work with your dreams to discover their healing power. Register for the workshop here: https://heartlightcenter.org/events/the-healing-power-of-dreams/