Dreaming of Deceased Parents

If you have lost touch with your parents in waking life or have lost your parents, it is not uncommon to dream of your deceased parents. This dream could occur if you have actually lost your parents in waking life or if they are alive it could denote difficult relationships with them. The question that is normally on all our lips is if this dream means if your parents have passed on are they trying to contact you, or alternatively if they are still living what does it mean. I will aim to answer these questions within my meaning below.

The death of a parent imposes an unexpected crisis, internally. Subsequently, the death of a parent can affect our overarching psychological distress. Most people are surprised by the intensity of these feelings and they can last for many years. This dream can be heart-wrenching if you have lost a parent, especially if recently. The central message of this dream could be twofold. It could be that your subconscious mind is reliving the trauma of losing parents. Alternatively, the deceased parents in the dream were what is known as a “visitation” dream. These dreams are quite rare, I will be discussing these below in my dream interpretation and if it was a visit from the spiritual soul of your parents what it means.

What is the effect of having a dream about deceased parents?

This sort of loss can affect our own self-image and depression, dreaming of deceased parents when they are alive could be a dream of anxiety. We mark our birthdays with various parties and gifts with a celebration. We prepare both physically and emotionally to celebrate when our own children or relatives hold a birthday or a specific event happens in life. When there are changes in your life that are significant then often we can dream of people that have deceased. Therefore, the dream could be that you are facing a milestone in your life at the moment. Losing both parents is traumatic and psychologists say we never really recover, we always look to them for advice and help. 

What does it mean if we dream of deceased parents that have just passed over?

If we are bereaved and we are experiencing a change in relationships with others this will naturally affect our psychological well-being. It doesn't matter what your ongoing relationship with your parents was before they died, it could be that you didn't have a great relationship with them or it could be that you get on like a house on fire. Regardless, we all have a connection with our parents that we cannot remove, even if we have not known them in waking life. 

The loss of a parent, especially both the Mother and Father is a life-changing event. My own mother told me that when she lost her mother she continued to speak to her for many years. She still considers how her mother might give her advice when there is a difficult decision to be made in life. My Mother's Mother died almost 42 years ago. However, the spirit lives on. Parental loss in adulthood can be something that is difficult to overcome if ever.

If we turn to psychology and the social impact of this dream, there has been much research around visitation dreams. The parental loss will affect our personal and social life as this is a significant person that has normally always been there for you in life. Some people remember fond memories of their parents, and it is not uncommon to have dreamed about seeing your parents still alive or in the dream. Some people report going back to their childhood days. 

A positive dream about a deceased parent

Some dreams are warm, full of love and humor and you may wake up after having a dream of a deceased parent feeling as if they are speaking to you in your dreams. However, some of us experience more negative dreams in that we relive the loss of our parents or we see ourselves as a small child characterized by grief, emotional pain, and even neglect. The details of your dream are equally important as every dream about the deceased parent differs in some way. To have a positive dream of a deceased parent indicates that in time things will become more peaceful, in ancient dream books such a dream denotes luck and happiness.

Dreams of deceased parents when they are alive

Many people have contacted me with the question: Does this mean that they are thinking about you? Will I fall out with my Mother and Father? Honestly, from a spiritual perspective when someone dreams of their parents dying in the dream it can mean that the other person is thinking or missing them. 

If you dream of a parent when they are alive but they have deceased in your dream then this could be because they feel you in their life due to our complex energy connections. We are multidimensional and our sleeping mind is something that scientists say connects our energy with others.

This dream could also be about power and control over you. Sometimes the only way to maintain a hold over one's life is through our unconscious mind. If the parents are living in the real world, the dream could be indicative of maintaining power and control. Dreaming of our parents dying can mean that a person in waking life is further traumatizing you and possibly economically depriving you. This is known as abuse. The parents not being there anymore in the dream world could be a “symbol” of your own security. Is there someone who is trying to track and control your schedule?

Is the dream visitation from your former parents in the form of spirit?

Many people believe that visitation dreams from people who have died are not the result of intense emotions in waking life, but much rather a gift from their Mother and Father to have a brief moment with you in the dream state. A moment where there is no loss, grief, or death. If after having a dream you are feeling relaxed and glad that they visited you this is a positive omen. I personally believe in the afterlife and sometimes in dreams, we can catch only a glimpse of the deceased, other times it can be more detailed. There could be one-time visits but often many dreamers report that reoccurring dreams are prevalent. 

An account of a dreamer dreaming of deceased parents

For example, there was a user named Harry who contacted me because he would often dream of his father, usually at the same time each year on the same night. This reoccurring visitation dream also moved and changed over time. In Harry's dream, his father was very vivid but it was a signal from the spirit to show that he is still around, still there, still guiding. 

You may find that if you have just lost your Mother or Father the dreams will be more intensive. This is a direct reflection of intensive grief, this is due to the fact that soon after the loss the pain of grief is much more acute. If you are being visited by your Mother or Father in a dream we can often go back to a time in our childhood. Perhaps you had a dream about a birthday party or family gatherings. 

We know that everybody experiences grief at some stage and also remember that the feelings you have upon awakening are ultimately important. To feel loved, protected, and also comforted during the dream is a positive feeling. 

If you are feeling distressed in any way in the dream can be a direct reflection of your inner anxieties. The close relationship between yourself and your parents can be further affirmed by their visit in your dream.

The dreams about deceased parents will help you in the following ways:

• It will help you adjust to the reality of your deceased parent's death if they are no longer here.
• It will help you deal with your internal emotions and possible feelings of anxiety.
• The dream of deceased parents could be a reflection of how you feel about the relationship in waking life and now you can concentrate on how you react in the dream or awakening.
• You could be comforted by your visitation dream of your parents, but often when we are dealing with grief it will take time and reflection to gain a great and deeper meaning of the dream of seeing your deceased parents.

Conclusion of dreaming of deceased parents

In conclusion dreams of deceased parents can be somewhat worrying, especially if it was negative in context. It could be a visitation from spirit alternatively it could be a representation of your fears or worries about a situation in daily life. 

It's fairly common to dream of deceased parents when we are dealing with grief and likewise to have a brief conversation with the deceased parents in the dream state. Perhaps things were said when they were alive and this is the reason you are dreaming of them when they have passed. If your deceased parents express any anger or hurt in the dream this could be a reflection of other people in your life. If you had a difficult relationship with your parents then it is not uncommon to dream of such hostility. To see your mother or father's presence or just catching sight of them even from a distance in a dream - could be a sign that you need to relax your mind. I hope this has proved helpful to you.  Blessings x