Have
you had dreams about someone close to you who has died? Did the dreams affect your mourning process? Researchers of dreams and mourning asked these same questions and more to 278 bereaved persons who had been
hospice caregivers. The study focused on the relationship between dreams and the mourning process. Fifty eight percent of those who responded said they dreamt
about deceased loved ones. Most dreams were pleasant, both pleasant
and disturbing, and a few completely disturbing. Which kinds of dream have
you had?
Prevalent
dream themes included these:
1) Pleasant past memories or experiences
2) The deceased free of illness
3) Memories of the deceased's illness or time of death
4) The deceased in the afterlife appearing comfortable
and at peace
5) The deceased communicating a message
How did your dreams about
the deceased affect your mourning process? Sixty percent of research
participants felt their dreams increased their acceptance of the loved one’s
death and improved their comfort, spirituality, sadness, and general quality of
life.
This research is
important because it shows the high prevalence and therapeutic relevance of
meaningful dreams among the bereaved. While many counselors may be
uncomfortable addressing dreams during psychotherapy with patients, they should
consider the relevance of dreams among those who are bereaved. Counselors
should consider increasing their own awareness, knowledge, and skills on this
topic.
Frances Shani Parker,
Author
Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban
Nursing Homes is available in
paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at booksellers
such as
Amazon and Barnes and Noble .
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