What Does It Mean When You Dream of Dead People?

Mourning the loss of a friend, family member, or loved one is incredibly painful. Your grief can pull you into a depression as you cry at every mention of their name and can barely see through your tears. 

The loss of my cousin 12 years ago, when I was 13 years old, was one of the most excruciating moments of my life. I remember that I wasn’t able to calm down until I started sleeping again. Sleep brought my spirit back into a world of dreams, where my heart could find solace and peace.

The Meaning of Seeing a Dead Person Alive in Your Dream

It’s a blessing to dream of dead people, especially dead relatives, and see them alive and talking to you once again. Truly, they are alive. Our physical bodies are subject to eventual death and decay, but our souls are immortal. My cousin had only completed his earthly sojourn. His journey in the next world had just begun. 

Abdu’l-Baha, one of the central figures of the Baha’i Faith, said we should look forward to death in the same way we should look forward to any journey — “with hope and with expectation.” He said:

In the next world, man will find himself freed from many of the disabilities under which he now suffers. Those who have passed on through death, have a sphere of their own. It is not removed from ours; their work, the work of the Kingdom, is ours; but it is sanctified from what we call ‘time and place.’

Time with us is measured by the sun. When there is no more sunrise, and no more sunset, that kind of time does not exist for man. Those who have ascended have different attributes from those who are still on earth, yet there is no real separation.

As a Baha’i, I understand that our physical body is like a cage and our spirit is like a bird. When this cage is destroyed through death, our spirit will be even more powerful, joyful, and free.

“…For instance, a person is dead, is buried in the ground,” explained Abdu’l-Baha. “Afterward, you see him in the world of dreams and speak with him, although his body is interred in the earth. Who is the person you see in your dreams, talk to and who also speaks with you? This again proves that there is another reality different from the physical one which dies and is buried.“

How Dreams of Dead Relatives Can Give You Guidance and Healing

I was so grateful when I started reuniting with my cousin in my dreams. In a way, we were closer and more connected than ever as we started spiritually traveling together in the dream world. The Baha’i writings say:

In prayer there is a mingling of station, a mingling of condition. Pray for them as they pray for you! When you do not know it, and are in a receptive attitude, they are able to make suggestions to you, if you are in difficulty. This sometimes happens in sleep.

As I prayed for my cousin, I was soothed and uplifted by his reassurances, wisdom, and guidance. The dreams, prayers, and meditations I had about him were crucial to my healing during that difficult time. Abdu’l-Baha said:

It is a law of God’s creation that the weak should lean upon the strong. Those to whom you turn may be the mediators of God’s power to you, even as when on earth.

I’ve been sustained by the support of my angels and ancestors for my entire life. So, if you’re dreaming of people who are physically dead, don’t shy away from them. Look for the meanings that these dreams might convey. Those dreams of dead relatives and friends can heal you of your heartache and give you guidance for your future.