Energy and vibrational frequency are concepts that are becoming better understood even in the field of physics (quantum physics).

Most mediums (people who are able to contact those who have passed on to spirit) acknowledge that they must alter their vibrational frequency to communicate with spirit. Spirit is emits a completely different vibration than material so (according to mystics) if we want to communicate with the dead we must lighten our vibrational frequency and spirit must lower theirs allowing connection somewhere in the middle.

Cayce: “Both minds must be in the same attunement or vibration and separated from the physical consciousness; for these are of the spiritual consciousness. Only through an attunement may a message (from a departed one) be received.” EC

The most common dream experience in spirit communication is related to the message which essentially means, “I am fine and happy. Your grief, however, is holding me back and making me sad. You can help me greatly by trying to overcome your sorrow. YOU MUST STOP GRIEVING!” Cayce

Mourning

In the initial stages of our mourning our dreams will often depict the loved one in terrible physical condition: suffering, feeling sad and helpless. This reflects our own pain in loss and is more about us and how we are feeling than about the spirit.

As we go through the mourning stages towards acceptance our loved one appears to be getting healthier and more joyful in spirit. Again this simply reflects our inner growth towards acceptance of their passing.

The more psychological work we have done on the relationship before the death, the faster and less painful this journey will be. Unresolved issues will generate a sticky and unhealthy attachment to the dead loved one resulting in a number of manifestations of neurosis, for example,

Those qualities that we disliked the most in the loved one may trigger an unconscious need for acceptance and forgiveness. For example, if your mother was a bank robber and you didn’t like that quality in her and rejected her in life for this quality – and you never work this through with her – after her death you will begin to have fantasies of robbing banks and then you might even launch into a stealing spree in an effort to forgive and accept her. This is a natural impulse to accept her finally and let her go. Sometimes it seems as if the dead loved has literally jumped into the body and life of the mourner!

Psychological Problems Triggered by Fear of Death

If we have been overly extreme in our reflections of the dead loved one – either overly maudlin or overly glorifying their attributes (monsters or angels!) we may have a series of dreams that are designed to bring us to a more balanced perspective.

We may lose ourselves in projections – seeing the dead loved one in everyone you meet – for example, projecting their “mothering” “fathering” onto the other people in your life.

You may feel compelled to do whatever it was asked of you before they died – ie. “Always look after your baby sister” translates into supporting her, mopping up her messes, going to jail for her… A dream series may help open your eyes to this self-negating behaviour.

Your loved one’s death may trigger a deeply repressed terror of death. This phobia manifests in a number of disturbing behaviours such as avoiding all things potentially related to death, for example, hospitals, cemeteries, sick people, news or movies. Sometimes it escalates to the point where the person is just too fearful to take any risk at all leading to agoraphobia.

Hypochondria is another manifestation of this death phobia. Every pimple becomes evidence of cancer, every anxiety attack becomes a heart attack, every gas pain becomes bowel cancer. This is really a manifestation of death phobia. It can severely inhibit a person’s ability to discern when they really are sick and alienate them socially.

More psychological problems can erupt such as, an irrational but persistent belief that you will die the same age. If the loved one died at 52 so will you. This can lead to all manner of unhealthy behaviours as that age approaches – either extreme risk or so risk adverse they won’t leave the house.

1) Superstitious obsessions (leading to obsessive compulsive behaviour) – stepping on a broken sidewalk will result in being in an accident and becoming a paraplegic and then dying.
2) Survival guilt. You are living and they are dead therefore you can’t accept joy, pleasure or satisfaction – gifts of this manifested world – leading you to avoid any activity or object that offers any degree of sensual pleasure. Sleeping on a bed of nails, starvation, limited material possessions – odd sexual deviancy.

Dreaming of the dead therefore from a psychological perspective is the psyche working to heal itself of this relational breach and connection.

How Dreams Heal the Mourner

When we sleep we glimpse a world where the vibration is very light. It gives us a sense of what spirit is like. The veil between the incarnated world and spirit world thins. Our waking ego is asleep and our dream ego awakens which is why we seem to be like different people in our dreams!

Loved ones are able to pass through this thinner veil to,

1) Bring words of solace. “Don’t be sad! Your sadness drags me back to this world and I want to be free!!”
2) Bring words of encouragement. “You can do it! Go for it – your life is short!”
3) Apologies. “I’m sorry for being such a jerk when I was alive. I love you and I regret what a pain I was to you when I was there.”
4) Guidance. “Don’t do this or that, and do this or that. This is the way to a joyful life for you – do this and that to bring yourself back on the path to light!”
5) Assurances of joy after death. “Dying is great! I feel better than ever – you’re going to love it too and I’ll wait for you and we’ll be together again.”
6) Past life information. “You will live on after death just as you were created before you were manifested in physical form!
7) Longevity. “Stop worrying so much about how long you are going to live! You’re going to live for many more years!”

Dreams of a dead loved one can open psychic doors and is often the first glimmer they have of their true psychic life, abilities, and vistas of possibility. These are very special dreams and should be kept close to your heart. They open doors of possibility for us and give hope and guidance for everyone not just yourself. They are given to be shared.

Visit Kathleen’s free online dream dictionary which includes a model of how to organize your own dream study group here Dreams Dictionary Online