Death and Dying
A common superstition or myth exists that if you die in your dream, you will not wake up to tell about it. This is not the case, at least in most circumstances. If you do experience death and dying dreams and are fortunate enough to wake up, remember it or tell someone about it. The following are some possible interpretations of such types of dreams.
Death dreams, in general, can either represent positive or negative events that may be taking place in your life. Often, they indicate a desire you may have to end or escape a current situation that is causing undo stress. This dream may entail an individual other than yourself dying.
Some believe that death dreams are good omens and will bring prosperity and longevity. Death dreams can also be a premonition of what is to come, which often typically reflects a person’s unexpressed anxiety and stress. However, it is possible that some dreams can predict events to come, so be mindful.
A powerful symbol of death dreams pertains to your own innermost feelings. These dreams can symbolize inner growth or your need to change and expand your horizons. Many people tend to live with some anxiety about death. These dreams may represent a method to cope with that fear and the reality of it.
Dreaming of your own death often happens when you are facing the end of something, perhaps a career, marriage or other major life-altering change. It can also reflect that something has died within the self or symbolize a new beginning or new chapter in your life. It might also be a dream telling you to leave all of your cares behind and start something new. An important fact that the dream may be telling you is to take a look at your own habits and how they are affecting your health, both physical and mental.
When dreaming about someone other than yourself dying, you may be harboring an anger, rage, jealousy or resentment against an individual either in your personal or professional life. You are attempting desperately to get away from him or her in your waking life.
Many times an individual will dream about the death of a child. The child could be a representation of your own childish beliefs and behaviors and the need to accept an adult approach to life. It is a need to move forward and improve certain aspects of your life. However, in other cases it may serve to maintain the importance of a connection to a child you had loved and lost.
Dreaming about dying animals that you are fearful of may symbolize your acceptance of negative emotions or thoughts that you want to discard. This dream can evoke either a positive or negative response in your waking life. If the dream elicits a negative response, you may be repressing unhealthy, self-destructive behaviors in your relationships. It can also be a reflection of how you allow others to take advantage of or abuse you.
Dreaming about a loved one currently living who dies could symbolize your fear that he may leave you either by dying or by some other circumstances. Such a dream can also represent the loss of a quality in someone else; for example, someone close to you may have taken away emotional, physical or financial support from you. This act has created a negative influence and void in your life.
Dreaming about people or family members who have passed is sometimes a way of keeping a connection to them or reliving the impact they had made on your life. Depending on the relationship you had with the person, it can be a loving or anxiety provoking dream or one representing unfinished business.
All in all, death dreams represent various aspects and times of your life that you want to change or have difficulty looking at. Death dreams about those individuals who have made a negative effect on your life most likely represent the emotional scars you were left with. Recurring dreams about those individuals (which some people refer to as haunting dreams) may be your inward desire to have changed the outcome. Do not dwell on the negative connotations of death dreams. Use the knowledge you gain from them to focus on your own inner growth. The best thing to take away from these types of dreams is that they possibly can help you to foster a stronger connection with your deceased loved ones.
To find out more about dreams and their meanings, visit the Dreaming Room.