Are you here because you had a dream about a deceased loved one? What did they look like in your dream? Were they alive and talking to you? Or did you merely see them from afar?
If you just dreamed about seeing a dead person alive, you might still be in the throes of deep and intense emotions. It is especially jarring if that person is particularly close to you, and you may experience a broad range of emotions.
The first thing you need to do is to feel these emotions and then relax. You may be crying, you may be in shock, and you may be disturbed, and it’s completely normal. Feel the emotions and then write down the details of your dream.
Understanding this significant dream can help you make sense of it and determine the meaning it was trying to convey.
In this article, you will discover the possible interpretations of this kind of dream, the most common kinds, and what you can do to prevent it from happening again.
General Symbolism of Seeing a Dead Person Alive in Dreams
The death of someone significant in your life can be one of the worst things you will ever experience. Because of all the complex emotions you are trying to process, your mind will try to make sense of the pain, agony, grief, longing, anger, and so many emotions you’re going through.
Because of this, dreaming of a dead person being alive in your dream is known to be common. If the deceased person in your dream is unknown to you, there are also significant interpretations, which we will cover shortly.
But first, let’s discuss the general symbolism of seeing a dead person alive in dreams.
What is the meaning of a dead person alive in a dream?
Let’s take a look at some of the general symbolism of this kind of dream:
1. Grief
Dreaming of a dead person being alive can signify grief you’re still experiencing over their death. You think about this person in your waking life, and it’s often associated with a feeling of unresolved issues. You may not yet be at peace with their passing, and your subconscious mind allows you to feel the sadness and longing you may still have for this person.
2. Guidance
You may be in a stressful time in your life right now, and the deceased person in your dream may have supported and guided you when they were still alive. You may be longing for their presence when you are going through difficult times in your waking life.
3. Transformation
Death in dreams typically means the end of things and the start of new beginnings. To dream of a dead person being alive can mean something significant is about to change in your life. Or, it could also mean the end of a harmful habit is about to happen soon.
4. Wish Fulfillment
Seeing a dead person alive in your dream can be a form of wish fulfillment. When they died, you might not have been able to say goodbye, or you have so many things to tell them that you didn’t have the chance to.
Seeing them in your dream can symbolize your longing to see them. Because this desire to see and talk to them one last time fills your thoughts in waking life, your subconscious mind manifests it in your dream.
5. Psychological Processing
The death of a loved one is one of the most painful and stressful experiences one will ever go through. Sometimes, trauma is too much to handle by our psyche, and it uses a coping mechanism that helps us manage our emotions.
Seeing a dead person alive in your dream can symbolize your mind helping you cope with the situation.
6. Fear
This type of dream can also symbolize your own fears. You may have an intense fear of phobia or dying, so you dream about people who’ve died.
7. Closure
When we are not at peace with the death of someone, we need closure. This means accepting what happened, acknowledging that the person is no longer here with us, and moving forward with our lives.
Sometimes, closure can’t be achieved in waking life, so we dream about them to give us the closure we need.
8. Regret
When the death of a person is sudden, we are sometimes filled with regret for things we did or didn’t do. You may be filled with regret for not saying goodbye to a dying loved one, for not being kind when that person was suffering, and for not spending time with that person when they were still alive. So we dream about them because we are filled with remorse.
Biblical Interpretation of Dreaming of A Dead Person Being Alive
The Bible considers these dreams as a form of spiritual attack. God says we should never communicate with the dead because they are based on demonic presence.
Because of Christianity’s view of God detesting these kinds of dreams, they can signify a bad omen in your life. So you need to pray, commune with God, and surrender these dreams to Him to rid yourself of this spiritual attack.
Common Dreams About Seeing a Dead Person Alive
The previous symbolism was a general interpretation, but let’s get to more specific details to discover the deeper meanings of these dreams.
1. Dream of Your Family Members
Parents (father/mom)
If you dream of your parents, it could mean you seek their guidance, comfort, and support. These kinds of dreams typically occur when you are stressed, when you find yourself helpless, or when you need advice in making proper decisions in life.
If you dreamed of your deceased mom, it might mean you need nurturing and comfort in your waking life. If you dreamed of your dead dad, it could mean you need authority and independence.
Grandparents
Dreaming of deceased grandparents could mean a sign of a grand family event occurring soon. Or it could also mean you need comfort in your life right now if your grandparents provided you with love when they were still alive.
Brother/Sister
Dreaming of your siblings could mean you seek harmony and unity in your waking life.
Kids
Losing a child can be one of the most painful things you will go through, which is why dreaming of your deceased child being alive can be heart-wrenching.
You might dream of them because you long for them or seek comfort and connection to a place and feeling of home. It could also be a sign of guilt on your part for not being able to protect your child or not being able to prevent what happened to them.
Related: What Do Dreams About Dead Relatives Mean?
2. Dream of a Loved One (partner, boyfriend/girlfriend, spouse)
Losing a significant other can also be one of the most painful experiences anyone will ever go through. It could mean you long for them, you’re not yet at peace with their death, and you haven’t accepted that they’re gone.
3. Dreams of a Dead Friend
Dreams of a dead friend can mean you don’t want to let go of them. It could also mean a message of things returning to you, such as a revival of a lost connection, a lost feeling of security, or anything significant that was taken away from you.
4. Dream Of A Dead Person Coming Back To Life
Dreaming of a dead person returning to life can mean their connection to you was so important that you want the same experience to come back in your life. You could be longing for a new spouse or a new friend, or you want another child to fill the void.
5. Dream Of A Dead Person Talking To You
If you dreamed of a dead person talking to you, it could signify your unresolved emotions. It may be your subconscious mind’s way of allowing you to express unresolved issues you may have had with the deceased person.
6. Dream Of Dead Person Not Talking To You
If you see a dream of a dead person not talking to you, it could mean that you are confident of your independence and capability to face problems head-on.
7. Dreaming of Seeing a Dead Person Happy
This type of dream could convey that it’s time to let go. Stop holding on to the pain because you fear you might forget the person who died. Seeing this person happy in your dream can signify it’s time to move on with your life.
8. Dreaming of a Dead Person Smiling
If you know the person smiling, it could be a reminder from a loved one in your dream that you need to turn negative thoughts into positive ones. You need to change your mindset, as this dream serves as a reminder that just because the person is gone, it doesn’t mean you should live life miserably.
However, an unknown dead person smiling at you is said to be a sign of a bad omen. So be cautious in your waking life.
A Word of Advice
If you see a deceased person alive in your dream, you might feel a full range of emotions. Depending on how you interpret your dream, this can be comforting or terrifying. If you are the latter and want it to stop, especially if it’s a recurring dream, you can do a few things.
First, you must ask yourself if you’re thinking about the deceased person in real life. Do you have unresolved feelings you need to manage? Do you want to find closure? Do you want to let go and move on?
You need to come to terms with the person’s death to be able to stop recurring dreams about them.
Some dreams can also be symbols, as discussed earlier, such as a symbol of transformation, change, and fear. Try to analyze if you’re trying to find answers or if there’s a void within you that needs to be filled.
A dream is a sign from your subconscious, so be more aware of your issues in real life, emotional stress, and other things that are bothering you.
Once you can pinpoint the source of your stress, it will be easier for you to have more positive dreams.
FAQ
1. Is it reasonable to see a dead person in a dream?
A vivid dream is always a good sign because it forces you to analyze your waking life. They are messages that allow us to improve self-awareness to understand ourselves better.
2. What does it mean when you dream of someone who has passed?
To dream of someone who has passed means you may not be at peace with their death, or you long to feel their presence again.
