The Profound Meaning Behind Dreams of Losing a Family Member
Dreams about losing a family member can evoke intense emotions and provoke deep introspection. Such dreams may arise from our subconscious as reflections of our fears, anxieties, or underlying desires regarding familial relationships. Often, they resonate with our real-life experiences of love, loss, or discord within the family unit.
When we dream about the potential loss of loved ones, it may not always signal an actual desire for separation. Instead, these dreams can serve as a powerful reminder to cherish relationships, reckon with unresolved feelings, or address changes in our personal lives. Ibni Sirin, a revered figure in dream interpretation, suggests that such dreams may also represent personal growth and transformation.
They urge us to consider what lies beneath the surface of our emotional responses and how we can engage more deeply with our loved ones. Whether these dreams prompt feelings of fear or reflection, understanding their meaning can lead to personal strength and healing.
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- Dreaming of losing a family member may reflect deep-seated fears about separation or emotional distress.
- Such dreams can also point to changes in relationships or personal growth and transformation.
- They could represent the dreamer's anxieties, unresolved grief, or the need for healing.
Symbols
- losing a family member
- Business loss:
- Sympathy:
Expressing one’s sympathy or condolences to a well-to-do person in a dream means adversities, while it means a blessing to a person in dire need. Expressing one’s sympathy to a person who is experiencing difficulties in a dream means glad tidings.
- Death:
In a dream, death signifies religious failure, corruption and rising in status in the world. This interpretation applies if one is carried on a bier or on a litter and his funeral is accompanied with crying and lamentation except if he is buried in the dream. If one witnesses his own burial in the dream, then it means that his case is hopeless and that he will be seized by the world.
One’s followers or assisting entourage will be as many as those who walk in his funeral in the dream. However, he will conquer people and ride over their shoulders. If one dies in his dream but does not have the look of dead people and there is no crying over his death or a funeral in the dream, it means that one of his properties will be torn down, or that a room in his house will collapse, or that a wall will cave in, or it could mean that a pillar will breakdown.
Such a dream also may signify weakness in one’s religious standing or blindness of his heart. Despite that, he will live a long life. If one dies in a dream and finds himself looking like a dead person, and if his body is washed and wrapped in a shroud, it also means weakness in his religion.
All the sorrow and crying one sees in this case, represents his rising in rank and promotion in the world. Death in a dream also signifies travels, or it could mean poverty. One’s death and burial in his dream also means that he will die short of repentance.
If one comes out of his grave after his burial in the dream, it means that he will repent for his sins before dying. Death in a dream also signifies marriage, for a deceased person is washed and perfumed, and a bridegroom also takes a bath and anoints himself with perfumes on his wedding day. If one dies and is carried over people’s shoulders, though they do not bury him in the dream, it means that he will conquer his enemy and should he qualify for leadership, he will attain it.
To come back to life after dying in a dream means that one will become rich and dispense with poverty, or it could mean that he will repent for his sins. This dream also means the safe home coming of a traveller. The death of an unknown woman in a dream means absence of rain or dearth, and if she comes back to life in the dream, it means rain.
In general, the death of a woman in a dream means the death of a child in wakefulness and vice-versa. If a deceased person tells someone in a dream that he did not die, it means that he is blessed in the hereafter. Carrying a deceased person in a dream means carrying the provisions or ,'ood supplies of an irreligious and an ungodly person.
Carrying a dead person in a different way than one carries a deceased person to bury him in a dream means acquiring unlawful money. Carrying a deceased person to bury him in a dream means working for the governor. If one sees a deceased person sick in a dream, it means that he is being questioned about forsaking his religious attendance during his lifetime.
If one sees the dwellers of the graveyards coming out of their grave to eat people’s harvest or food supplies in a dream, it means rising of food prices. If he sees them drinking from the wells in a dream, it means that a great plague will befall that town. If one sees a deceased person die, then if he walks in his funeral in the dream, it means that someone among his children or in the family 112 IBN SEERIN’S of that person will shortly die.
If no crying or sorrow follows his death, then it means that someone in his progeny will get married. What a deceased person says about himself in a dream is true, for he has reached the abode of truth and he can exercise no falsehood in that abode. If a deceased person tells something in a dream, and if it does not take place, then it means that one is experiencing confused dreams.
If one sees a deceased person well dressed in a white or a green garment, smiling and happy in a dream, it means that he is in that state one witnessed in his dream. Otherwise, if one sees him disheveled, dirty, frowning or crying in a dream, this also denotes his condition in the hereafter. If one sees a deceased person sick in a dream, it means that his condition is contingent upon the satisfaction of his debts and that he is awaiting the Divine justice to take its course.
Performing a funeral prayer for deceased people in a dream means asking for forgiveness on their behalf or visiting their graves, or it could mean admonishing someone with a dead heart, or it could mean bidding farewell to travelling people or taking care of needy people. If one’s wife dies and returns back to life in a dream, it means making profits from a plantation or a farm. Discovering a body of a deceased in a dream means finding money.
Walking behind a deceased person in a dream means following his footsteps or emulating his trade or traditions, whether they be material or spiritual. If the Imam of the country dies in a dream, it means destruction of that city by war. On the other hand, if one sees a city in ruins in a dream, it means that the Imam has died.
If one sees that he is immortal in a dream, it means the nearing of his death. Death in a dream also signifies being recalled to account for a major sin or a crime. To die in a dream with no apparent reason or illness and to exhibit no features of a dead person means longevity.
To suffer from death-pangs in a dream means being unjust to oneself or to others. To sees oneself dead and naked in a dream means poverty. To see oneself dead and lying on a straw-mat or a carpet in a dream means prosperity and success in the world.
If one sees himself dead lying on a litter in a dream, it means rising in rank. If he is lying on a bed in the dream, it means benefits from one’s family. If one hears about the death of an unknown person in a dream, it means a warning about his success in the world at the expense of his religious compromises.
If one’s son dies in a dream, it means that he will escape from an enemy. If one’s daughter dies in a dream, it means despair from relief. If one dies and gets buried in a dream, it means his freedom.
Otherwise, if he is entrusted with something, it means that he will be required to deliver it back to its rightful owner. If one dies and gets buried in a dream, it means that he will get married. If a sick person gets married in a dream, it means that he will shortly die.
If a married person dies and gets buried in a dream, it means that he will divorce his wife or break a business partnership or separates from his brothers, sisters and friends, or it could mean that he may emigrate to another country. Otherwise, if he has already migrated from his homeland, it means that he will return to it. Death in a dream has positive connotation for someone in fear of something or a sad person or a sick person.
The death of one’s brothers in a dream means the death of one’s enemies, or it could mean saving one’s capital. Walking amidst dead people in a dream means befriending some hypocrites. Walking in the company of a deceased person in a dream means undertaking a long journey, or it could mean profits from one’s travels.
Eating the flesh of a dead person in a dream means enjoying a long life. If one discovers that he died suddenly in a dream, it means that he will rejoice. If a deceased person eats something in a dream, it means that such a commodity will become expensive.
If one sees himself laying on a washing table in a funeral home in a dream, it means that his sins will be washed away and that his debts will be paid. If a deceased person asks someone to wash his cloth in a dream, it means that he needs the prayers and forgiveness of the person who saw him in his dream, or it could mean that one needs him to pay DICTIONARY OF DREAMS 113 a debt he left behind or to ask people to forgive him his sins or to fulfill his will. If one washes the deceased person’s clothes in the dream, it means that the deceased person will become free from his burdens in the hereafter.
Transport¬ ing dead people to the cemetery in a dream means that one is doing something right. If he transports them to the marketplace in a dream, it means that he needs something, or that his merchandise will be sold quickly. If one sees that a deceased person has returned to life in a dream, it means that one will recuperate something he considered it dead, or if he happens to be goingthrough difficulties, it means that his adversities will dissipate.
If a deceased person comes back to life in a dream, it also means that his progeny will benefit from something he left. If he looks beautiful, happy and well dressed in the dream, it means that such happiness will become the inheritance of his descendants. If one sees a deceased person busy, worried and ill dressed in a dream, it means that he is engaged in a struggle that can only subside by the will of God Almighty.
If he is sick in the dream, it means that he is answerable to God Almighty for his religious negligence. If the deceased person’s face looks dark or opaque in the dream, it means that he died as an unbeliever. If one sees a deceased person sprightly, pleasant and casual in a dream, it means that one’s dream is mere hallucination, or that he is experiencing disturbed dreams, for dead people do not joke and have their own duties to respond to.
If one’s deceased father or mother come back to life in a dream, it means relief from distress and abolishingof his fears. This is particularly stronger when one’s deceased mother is seen in the dream. Resurrecting a deceased person in a dream means giving guidance to an unbeliever or admonishing an innovator.
This also could mean admonishing heedless people who will repent for their sins. If one sees a deceased person die again in a dream, it means that someone by the same name will shortly die. If a deceased person complains about a migraine headache in a dream, it means that he is being questioned about his religious negligence or his injustices or his abominable attitude toward his father or mother.
If the deceased person complains about his eyes in the dream, it means that he is being questioned about what he owes to his wife or about her dower or about a will or a trust he wasted. If he complains about his left arm, it means that he is being questioned about the rights of his brother, sister, son or business partner or a false oath he made. If the deceased person complains about his side in a dream, it means that he is being questioned about cutting off his relations or clan or failing to fulfil his obligations toward his household.
If he complains about his legs in a dream, it means that he is being questioned about wasting his life in corruption and falsehood. If he complains about his feet in the dream, it means that he is being questioned about a wealth he spends in falsehood and on the path of heedlessness he walked. A woman and a man in such dreams are the same.
Like that, each limb provides for a specific stand one took during his lifetime in this world. . If a living person gives a deceased person something to eat or drink in a dream, it means loss of money.
If he gives a deceased person a garment in the dream, it means adversity or an illness. If a deceased person gives the person seeing the dream his own shroud to wear in a dream, it means his death. If a deceased person gives the person seeing the dream a cloak or an adorned shirt in a dream, it means gaining what the deceased person acquired of knowledge, wealth, blessings or status during his lifetime.
The shirt means livelihood and the cloak means dignity and honor. If the deceased person gives him some food to eat in the dream, it means receiving lawful earnings from an unexpected source. If the deceased person gives him honey in the dream, it means acquiring a booty.
Anything one receives from a deceased person in a dream means good news and a blessed gift in general. If a deceased person takes one by the hand and walks with him in a dream, it means receiving money from an unexpected source. Talking with deceased ii4 1 .D 1 N OH/Jl/rUlN o people in a dream means longevity.
Kissing a renowned person who had passed away in a dream means acquiring something from his knowledge, wisdom or inheritance, or it could mean receiving benefits from his descendants. Talking to dead people in a dream means having ingratitude toward one’s family or friends. If a sick person sees himself kissing a deceased person in a dream, it means that he will shortly die.
If a healthy person sees that same dream, it means that what he says is false. Having sexual intercourse with a deceased person in his grave in a dream means committing adultery or mixing with an evil person or losing money to a deceitful and a hypocritical person. If one sees that a deceased woman has come back to life, and if he engages in sexual intercourse with her, then finds his body spattered with her ova and semen in a dream, it means that he has committed something which he regrets.
Conse¬ quently he will suffer losses because of it. To have a wedding with a deceased person and to move to his or her house in the dream means one’s own death. Walking behind a deceased person and entering an unknown house from which one does not come out again in the dream means death.
If one follows the deceased person and does not enter such a house in the dream, it means that he will near his death, then recuperate from his illness. If a deceased person beats the person seeing the dream, it means that one has displeased his Lord and has committed an abominable act from which he should repent, for in the abode of truth, a deceased person accepts only what pleases God Almighty and dislikes what He dislikes. If one sees a living person beating a deceased person who is willingly submitting to his fate in a dream, it represents the spiritual and religious strength and the rank of the living person, his charities, prayers, devotion, piety, or it could mean that he is fulfilling the deceased person’s will.
If one sees a deceased person asleep in a dream, it means that the hereafter is the abode of rest and comfort for the believers. Sleeping in one bed with a deceased person in a dream means longevity. If dead people come out of their graves to sell merchandise in a dream, it means stagnation of the markets.
A dead mouse in one’s food in a dream means tampering with that product. If one sees a deceased person doing something good in a dream, it means that he is ordering him to do the same. If it is a bad thing he is doing in the dream, it means that he is ordering him not to do it.
If a deceased person comes in one’s dream and tells him about the time of his death, then the day may be one month and the month may be one year and the year ten years. If one sees his mother dying in a dream, it means that he will lose his worldly attainments, comfort and that he may become heedless. If he is a seeker on the path, then it means that he will lose the benefits of his work or fail to perform his obligatory prayers.
If a sick person sees his brother die in a dream, it means his own death. Otherwise, it could mean someone in his family. If one is poor in the dream, it means that may lose one of his eyes.
If one’s wife dies in a dream, it means bankruptcy and loss of one’s source of livelihood. Performing the funeral prayer in a dream means interceding on his behalf and praying for his salvation. If one answers the call of a deceased person in a dream, it means that he will shortly follow him.
If one sees a deceased person drowning in a dream, it means that one is plunged in abominable sins. If one sees dead people coming out of their graves and going to their homes in a dream, it means a mass release of prisoners during a general amnesty. This dream also may mean that God Almighty will give life to a barren land.
Death for a believer in a dream means honor, dignity, aloofness and ascetic detachment. The death of a prophet in a dream means weakness in people’s religious life, while their coming back to life in a dream means a flourishing spiritual life in that place. The death of a ruler in a dream means the weakness of his army or government.
The death of a religious scholar in a dream means the birth of innovation or invalidation of one’s proof. The death of a pious worshiper in a dream means failure to attend one’s religious obligations. The DICTIONARY OF DREAMS 115 death of a craftsman mean the end of his craft.
The death of one’s parents in a dream means tightening of his financial means. The death of one’s wife in a dream means the end of a prosperous life. The death of one’s son in a dream means the obscurity of one’s name after his death.
If one sees a deceased person performing the funeral prayer over another deceased person in a dream, it means that one’s actions are false, for performing a funeral prayer is a deed and dead people have no more deeds to offer. If a married woman marries a deceased person in a dream, it means her divorce from her husband, while if an unmarried woman marries a deceased person in a dream means that she will get married. In a dream, death also means being inflamed with love or separation from one’s beloved, whereby life after death would represent reunion with one’s beloved or suffering from separation in a hell-fire.
- mourning
- Wailing:
(Mourning; Wailing; Yowling) Lamenting and desiring something in a dream connotes evil. Lamentation in a dream also represents a preacher or it could represent a putrid odor that comes from opening the door of a filthy lavatory. Lamentation in a dream also represents dogs’yowling, drum beating, the ringing sound of cymbals, or it could mean a wedding.
Sitting in a place where people are lamenting and mourning their dead in a dream means that an ominous evil may take place in that locality, or perhaps it could mean separation between families and friends. If one sees himself mourning a deceased person in a dream, it means that harm will come to him from the descendents or family of the departed person. Lamenting with great pain and sorrow and mourning over a deceased person in a dream also means waking up to a great joy and happiness.
Lamenting in a dream also means adversities which are driven by the person who is lamenting. It also means going astray, or it could denote a flute, as the flute denotes lamenting in a dream. Lamenting in a dream also represents the work of ignorance.
- Mourning the dead:
(Mourning; Wailing; Yowling) Lamenting and desiring something in a dream connotes evil. Lamentation in a dream also represents a preacher or it could represent a putrid odor that comes from opening the door of a filthy lavatory. Lamentation in a dream also represents dogs’yowling, drum beating, the ringing sound of cymbals, or it could mean a wedding.
Sitting in a place where people are lamenting and mourning their dead in a dream means that an ominous evil may take place in that locality, or perhaps it could mean separation between families and friends. If one sees himself mourning a deceased person in a dream, it means that harm will come to him from the descendents or family of the departed person. Lamenting with great pain and sorrow and mourning over a deceased person in a dream also means waking up to a great joy and happiness.
Lamenting in a dream also means adversities which are driven by the person who is lamenting. It also means going astray, or it could denote a flute, as the flute denotes lamenting in a dream. Lamenting in a dream also represents the work of ignorance.
- Buried alive:
If one sees himself being buried after his death in a dream, it means that he will undertake a long journey during which he will be short of money. If one sees himself being buried alive and if he recognizes the one buiying him in the dream, it means that the latter will assault him, oppress him, imprison him or imv on/H/niiN o DZ cause him injustice. If he dies in his grave after his burial in the dream, it means that he may die from such sufferings.
Should he survive such adversities in the dream, it means that he will escape from such fear, prison or injustice. If he sees the other person driving him to the edge of his grave in a dream, it means that he will lead him to his death, though his name will be praised after his death. If the other person places him inside a coffin in a dream, it means that he will move to a new home.
If the other person fills the grave with dirt on top of him in the dream, it means that he will be piled with money equal to the amount he is being buried under in the dream. It is said that to be buried alive in a dream means losing one’s spirituality or religious commitment, unless one comes out of it alive. If one walks out of his grave covered with dirt, then shakes off the dust in the dream, it means that his state is hopeless or that his repentance has little chance to hold.
To be buried alive in a dream means imprisonment or despise by others, or a severe punishment which makes one’s chastisement an exemplary lesson to others, If a gnostic or a wise man is seen buried alive inside his own house, or if he is brought out of it alive in a dream, it means that one will inherit him in knowledge, wisdom and status. The same interpretation is given if one sees a prophet or a holy man walking out of his grave alive. To be buried after death, after sunrise, at noon or at the sunset hour in a dream means that one is being warned about doing what is good and abstaining from what is evil.
To be buried alive in a dream is wrong and means betrayal. It could also mean marriage, prosperity or peace and tranquility after suffering and hard¬ ships. If one sees a deceased person burying him alive in a dream, it means that one’s due debts are not payed, or that one will be imprisoned to satisfy his debts, or that his collateral was not accepted.
To bury a dead person twice means that one is covering his faults. If one sees a deceased person burying another deceased person in a dream, it means unity, clearing of the hearts, love and friendship between relatives, or perhaps it could mean imprisonment, marriage, a sickness, a trust, or guaranteeing a loan. Seeing oneself being buried after death in a dream means that one needs to repent before death.
Should he still walk alive from his burial in the dream, it means that he may repent again. God knows best.
- Wailing:
- bereavement
- Bequest:
Bereavement of one’s Child: In real life, it represents the opposite of what is seen in a dream. It means rejoicing, reunions, pleasures and respect. Sometimes it is also interpreted to portray an intention of one’s children or wife to separate from the family or to live on their own.
- Sympathy:
Expressing one’s sympathy or condolences to a well-to-do person in a dream means adversities, while it means a blessing to a person in dire need. Expressing one’s sympathy to a person who is experiencing difficulties in a dream means glad tidings.
- Buried alive:
If one sees himself being buried after his death in a dream, it means that he will undertake a long journey during which he will be short of money. If one sees himself being buried alive and if he recognizes the one buiying him in the dream, it means that the latter will assault him, oppress him, imprison him or imv on/H/niiN o DZ cause him injustice. If he dies in his grave after his burial in the dream, it means that he may die from such sufferings.
Should he survive such adversities in the dream, it means that he will escape from such fear, prison or injustice. If he sees the other person driving him to the edge of his grave in a dream, it means that he will lead him to his death, though his name will be praised after his death. If the other person places him inside a coffin in a dream, it means that he will move to a new home.
If the other person fills the grave with dirt on top of him in the dream, it means that he will be piled with money equal to the amount he is being buried under in the dream. It is said that to be buried alive in a dream means losing one’s spirituality or religious commitment, unless one comes out of it alive. If one walks out of his grave covered with dirt, then shakes off the dust in the dream, it means that his state is hopeless or that his repentance has little chance to hold.
To be buried alive in a dream means imprisonment or despise by others, or a severe punishment which makes one’s chastisement an exemplary lesson to others, If a gnostic or a wise man is seen buried alive inside his own house, or if he is brought out of it alive in a dream, it means that one will inherit him in knowledge, wisdom and status. The same interpretation is given if one sees a prophet or a holy man walking out of his grave alive. To be buried after death, after sunrise, at noon or at the sunset hour in a dream means that one is being warned about doing what is good and abstaining from what is evil.
To be buried alive in a dream is wrong and means betrayal. It could also mean marriage, prosperity or peace and tranquility after suffering and hard¬ ships. If one sees a deceased person burying him alive in a dream, it means that one’s due debts are not payed, or that one will be imprisoned to satisfy his debts, or that his collateral was not accepted.
To bury a dead person twice means that one is covering his faults. If one sees a deceased person burying another deceased person in a dream, it means unity, clearing of the hearts, love and friendship between relatives, or perhaps it could mean imprisonment, marriage, a sickness, a trust, or guaranteeing a loan. Seeing oneself being buried after death in a dream means that one needs to repent before death.
Should he still walk alive from his burial in the dream, it means that he may repent again. God knows best.
- Bequest:
Practical Guidance for Navigating Dreams of Loss
- Emotional Reflection and Processing
When you experience a dream about losing a family member, take time to reflect on your feelings. Journaling can be particularly beneficial. Write down the details of the dream and your emotional responses to it.
Ask yourself what aspects of your current life may relate to these feelings of loss—are there changes or conflicts in your family that are causing anxiety? Recognizing these triggers can help you address them. Consider discussing your dreams and feelings with a trusted friend or family member.
Often, sharing your thoughts can provide valuable insights and allow for calm discussions about your emotional and familial relationships. Engaging in rituals that honor your loved ones, such as lighting a candle or sharing stories, can also provide solace and reinforce the bonds you share.
- Seeking Professional Guidance
If such dreams recur or deepen feelings of distress, it may be beneficial to seek guidance from a mental health professional. They can offer deeper insights into the psychological aspects of these dreams and help you work through grief or anxiety you may feel regarding your relationships. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or talk therapy can be particularly effective.
Therapists can help you develop coping strategies to manage any fears or concerns that surface in your dreams. Additionally, many spiritual leaders and community figures can provide support and advice derived from traditional interpretations and encourage you to explore the spiritual dimensions of your experience. By combining personal reflection with professional support, you can navigate the emotional landscape of your dreams and cultivate a deeper understanding of their meanings.
- Cultivating Mindfulness and Connection
Practicing mindfulness can foster a greater connection with your loved ones and help ease the troubling thoughts brought about by such dreams. Engage in daily mindfulness exercises, such as meditation or deep breathing, to ground yourself in the present moment. These practices can help alleviate anxiety and cultivate a sense of peace within yourself.
Additionally, consider scheduling quality time with family members to strengthen connections, whether through shared meals, family outings, or simply meaningful conversations. Creating these moments can counteract fears of loss and reinforce the fabric of support in your family. Encouraging open dialogues about emotions within the family can help everyone feel more connected and valued, and reduce the clandestine fears that manifest during sleep.
By nurturing these relationships intentionally, you will find yourself more at peace, even in the face of fear.
FAQs
- What does it mean if I dream about losing a parent?
Dreams about losing a parent can indicate deep emotional fears regarding your relationship with them. It may reflect feelings of insecurity, fear of abandonment, or changes in the familial dynamic. This type of dream is often a call to strengthen your bond with your parent or to address any unresolved issues between you. It's essential to reflect on your sentiments toward this relationship and consider engaging in open discussions with your parent.
- Is dreaming about losing a sibling common?
Yes, dreaming about losing a sibling is relatively common and often tied to feelings of rivalry, fear of change, or worries about familial conflicts. Such dreams may also signify a desire for connection or reconciliation. It's important to evaluate your feelings for your sibling and explore areas where you might need to communicate openly or work on your relationship.
- Can these dreams predict actual loss?
Dreams do not predict actual events, including loss. However, they can reflect our subconscious processing of our fears or unresolved grief. Instead of interpreting these dreams as prophetic, it's more beneficial to view them as invitations to address current emotional needs or changes in our relationships.
- How can I stop having nightmares about losing my family?
To reduce nightmares about losing family members, focus on emotional wellness. Engage in relaxation techniques before bedtime, such as reading, meditative practices, or gentle yoga. Consider discussing your fears with a trusted person or a mental health professional. Creating a comforting bedtime routine can also help alleviate anxiety and foster a sense of security as you sleep, ultimately reducing nightmares.
- What should I do if these dreams disturb my peace?
If dreams about losing family members are disturbing your peace, establish a support system for yourself. Talk to family or friends about your feelings, and seek professional help if necessary. Practices like journaling your dreams and feelings can also help process underlying fears and anxieties. Over time, engaging in self-reflection and expanding your support network can assist in alleviating distress from such dreams.
