Why We Dream of Loved Ones Who Have Passed — Science, Grief, and Spiritual Meaning

Many spiritually minded people believe that dreams carry important messages, viewing them as moments when inner guides offer insight into our lives. Scientists, however, often see dreams in a different light, suggesting they are simply the brain’s method of sorting information. From this perspective, dreams may replay daily experiences, help us face hidden fears, or allow the mind to reset during periods of stress. At times, dreams include unexpected appearances by people from our past—someone you’ve lost contact with, or even someone who has died. These encounters can feel powerful, but what do they actually mean?

Dreams involving deceased loved ones can stir intense emotions. Some people wake feeling comforted, loved, or calm, while others feel sadness, longing, or even unresolved pain. Experiencing dreams about someone who has recently passed away is extremely common and is often understood as a natural part of the grieving process. According to Healthline, however, dreaming of someone who died long ago may point to something different—often a major shift happening in your own life.

In the language of dreams, death does not always represent literal loss. Instead, it can symbolize transition or change. Your mind may be processing the end of one phase and the beginning of another. This could be connected to a recent move, a new job opportunity, graduation, or an important decision about your future.

Experts emphasize that when trying to understand a dream, it’s best not to fixate on small details. What matters most is how the dream made you feel. The emotions experienced during the dream often hold more meaning than the specific images or events. Dreams tend to be symbolic, pointing toward deeper emotional or psychological themes.

Rubin Naiman, PhD, a psychologist who has spent decades studying sleep and dreaming, explains that interpreting dreams is about uncovering their underlying message. “Dream interpretation is about decoding the dream,” he says. “It enlightens us and expands our psychological awareness, offering an expansion of consciousness.” When deceased loved ones appear in dreams, Naiman suggests it often reflects life changes and the emotional responses—such as fear, peace, or uncertainty—that accompany those changes.

Naiman also notes that opinions about dreaming vary widely among scientists. Many modern neuroscientists believe that during REM sleep, the brain is simply performing maintenance work, and dreams are meaningless byproducts of that process. On the opposite end of the spectrum are cultural and spiritual traditions—such as those of Indigenous Australians—that view dreaming as deeply meaningful and essential to spiritual existence.

Experts generally group dreams about deceased loved ones into four main explanations:

1. Grief Processing
   When someone has died recently, the brain may be working through the emotional pain and loss.

2. Emotional Projection
   If the loved one appears angry, disappointed, or upset in a dream, it may reflect your own guilt, regret, or unresolved emotions.

3. Self-Reflection or Self-Sabotage
   Dream analyst Lauri Loewenberg suggests that such dreams can highlight self-destructive patterns, especially if the loved one struggled with similar behaviors, such as addiction or financial recklessness.

4. Visitation Dreams
   Some believe that loved ones who have passed can visit us in dreams to offer guidance, comfort, or warnings. If the person appears healthy and peaceful, and you wake feeling calm and reassured, some experts—including Loewenberg—say this experience could be interpreted as a visitation, even if the idea feels implausible to skeptics.

   

For decades, scientists have explored dreams in an effort to better understand the human mind. Yet for those with spiritual beliefs, dreams represent something far more profound. They are seen as windows into the soul—moments of connection with those who have passed, and opportunities to receive insight, reassurance, or wisdom from loved ones who continue to hold meaning in our lives.