Dreaming About A Deceased Loved One? Here's How To Process That Grief

For those who have lost a loved one, seeing them in a dream state can be a profound moment filled with closure and metaphors.

These dreams are what some call grief or bereavement dreams. Joshua Black, the host of the Grief Dreams podcast, said on LAist’s AirTalk that grief dreams can have a big impact — positive or negative — on people’s grief journey.

“These dreams can actually help us continue a bond and actually continue to help process and remember those who have died, which I think is a very beautiful thing,” Black said.

He added that the dreams can serve as a good beacon for how some people truly feel. Grief is also always present and can last a lifetime for some.

Dream interpretation isn’t backed by scientific research, nor is it conclusive with fact-based evidence. But grief can strike a deep chord in the reality of some, affecting their happiness, relationships, and more. Black said it’s possible that preserving memories of a deceased loved one can be a step to mending a deep sorrow.

But what about recurring nightmares? Black recommended dream rescripting.

“So you basically had that nightmare and you rescript it to something more positive and you rehearse that throughout the day,” Black said. “And those dreams should change to something a little less distressing, or they sort of stop altogether.”

He said just understanding negative dreams can reflect the grief you're experiencing. He said the difficult process is ever-changing and that means those associated dreams have the potential to evolve into something more positive.

“Life is so hard and grief is such a difficult process,” he said. “To have this love, I think it's such a catalyst for us to be able to continue to move forward in life in all areas."