Healing Dreams Bring Comfort, Hope

Dear Readers: The “visitation” dreams keep pouring in, and in nearly every case dreamers wrote it was the most profound and amazing dream they ever experienced.

Here is another one:

Dear Nancy: My grandfather died 12 years ago when he was 86. I loved him very much and miss him terribly. When I had my dream, I was having a horrible time at work. My boss was very ill, and due to the stress of medical exams and treatment, her behavior became quite volatile, which caused a lot of conflict in the workplace. I seemed to be the lightning rod for her irrational behavior. This dream gave me the comfort and hope I needed to get through a difficult time. - Regina

I am attending a family gathering in a church hall. I sit down next to my grandfather and begin to tell him about my concerns at work. He holds my hand and listens to me. The touch of his hand was so real and powerful. Feeling the skin of his parchmentlike, fragile hand was the most profound experience I have ever had in a dream. He reassures me everything will be all right at work. He tells me not to worry and that he has faith in me. His familiar chuckle comforts me as he tells me we all go through this with work and bosses.

Dear Regina: The world of dreams is so mysterious and profound that I wonder if there are any limitations to what it holds for us. Your dream is a healing dream because it brought you comfort and hope in a difficult time.

We are all deeply connected to one another and the world in which we live. Regardless of our beliefs, that living connection is still there. We are deeply connected to those we love, and these are the people most likely to show up in our dreams, especially in times of stress and pain.

These loved ones, whether living or dead, reach out to give us comfort, healing and insight. Questions are answered. Advice is given. We are warned against upcoming events. We are shown our strengths and weaknesses, what needs tending, and what needs to be left alone.

Who or what are these dream images? Where do they come from? Are they truly the souls of loved ones making contact with us during sleep? Many cultures and belief systems embrace the idea that those who passed before us are here to help and guide us. They become our “guardian angels,” our guides. Perhaps it’s our own longing and desire for connection that creates it in our dreamtime.

Regardless of our beliefs in an afterlife, one thing is certain: Our dreams will be filled with the people we have loved, who have inspired us and those we have had difficulties with. Whether they are living or dead matters not; they will continue to help us, through our dreams, to be aware, to be creative to find resolution to our problems and to live our lives fully.

This column is intended as entertainment. But psychologists who work with clients’ dreams say that dreams can hold a tremendous amount of significance; a particularly disturbing or repetitive dream may indicate the need to see a therapist.

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