What does it mean when you dream about your family dying

Photographed by Michael Beckert.

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Why You Have Dreams About Family Members Dying
Afraid Of Losing Your Family
You Are Missing These Family Members
You Are Dealing With Their Death In your waking life
A major change in your life
You Feel Betrayed By Certain People
Dream About Parents Dying
Dream About Siblings Dying
Dreaming Of Your Children Dying
Dream About Your Grandparents Dying.
Dream About Your Whole Family Dying.
Why did I dream a family member died?
What does it mean to dream of someone dying?
Why do I have dreams of my parents dying?

A few months ago, I had a dream that my mom died. I woke up in a tailspin, sweaty, panicked, and on the edge of bawling. I knew it must have been a nightmare, but I still called my mother at 6a, her time just to make sure she was okay. She sounded pretty cranky when she picked up, but hearing her voice that morning was more soothing than any Taylor Swift ballad could ever be.

When someone dies in your dream — whether it’s a loved one or a stranger — it’s almost always upsetting, explains Lauri Loewenberg, a dream analyst. You might be wondering if it was a premonition. Probably not, Loewenberg says.

“Dreams are symbolic — you can't look at them literally or you’ll freak yourself out,” she says. “Death in dreams actually means there’s some sort of change or ending happening in your life. To the subconscious mind, this represents the end of life ‘as you now know it.’”

The details of the dream can offer more insight into what's really going through your head. The person you imagine passing is especially significant. “You are usually using them to represent a characteristic, or personal quality of your own,” says Ian Wallace, a dream expert and psychologist, in his book The Top 100 Dreams: The Dreams That We All Have and What They Really Mean. “Death of your loved one in your dream indicates that this particular quality that you possess is being transformed in some way. The transformation is often the result of a major change in your waking life where you have to let go of old habits and welcome new ways of doing things.”

My mum, for instance, is super warm and nurturing. I am too — but I sometimes worry it makes people take me less seriously, so I try to minimise that side of myself in business settings. Maybe my subconscious picked up on that struggle.

The same is true for celeb death dreams. “I had a client who was having recurring dreams of being besties with Madonna... but she kept dying,” Loewenberg says. “I worked with her and we figured out that Madonna represented motherhood, not only because her name means mother, but because Madonna has quite a lot of children. My client was debating getting her tubes tied, hence the 'death' of her ability to become a mother again. Her dreams were letting her know it’s okay to let go of that part of herself.”

The manner of death matters too. “A natural death represents a change or ending that is naturally happening. A murder will represent a forced change or ending such as if you’re cutting someone out of your life... If you are quitting smoking or drinking, you may dream you’re being murdered because that part of you is being killed off.”

Wallace adds that if the dream happens in a hospital, it might mean you have “an unhealthy dependency on your loved one and need to be more responsible and self-reliant in your waking life.” A graveyard setting, on the other hand, indicates you’re subconsciously putting the past to rest.

The final piece to consider? How you feel when you wake up. “The joyful realisation that your loved one is still alive emphasises that your connection with them is being reborn and renewed, and will help you forge an even stronger bond with them,” Wallace says.

For me, at least, that was true. After my nightmare, I could have talked to my mum for hours — though she politely requested a slightly later call time.

Dreams often don’t predict the future or anything but they reflect the things that could be going on in your life or ones that happened in the past.

It is widely believed that dreaming about someone dying especially someone familiar like a family member is a bad omen.

Many might think that it might be a premonition of the person(s) dying in real life but often times is it actually a sign of an end to something. It could be a relationship, a career or a change of circumstances forcing an end to something.

It can be devastating to have dreams about family members dying, but why would you experience such dreams?

Table of Contents

Why You Have Dreams About Family Members Dying
- Afraid Of Losing Your Family
- You Are Missing These Family Members
- You Are Dealing With Their Death In your waking life
- A major change in your life
- You Feel Betrayed By Certain People
Common Dreams About Family Members Dying
- Dream About Parents Dying
- Dream About Siblings Dying
- Dreaming Of Your Children Dying
- Dream About Your Grandparents Dying.
- Dream About Your Whole Family Dying.
Conclusion

Why You Have Dreams About Family Members Dying

There are various reasons why you could be having dreams about family members dying and they are as follows :

Afraid Of Losing Your Family

The dreams could be coming because you could be afraid of losing your family members.

They could be your children which you are afraid of losing custody over or your parents who could be ill or your siblings who might be considering moving away to a faraway place.

You could be afraid that these people who you love dearly might be gone from your life at some point.

You are afraid that you will be miserable without them because you are used to having them around, talking to them, dining with them and sharing many great moments with them. The fear of losing them could be fueling these dreams.

You Are Missing These Family Members

The dreams could also be happening because you are missing your family members and aren’t meeting them as much as you would love to.

You could also be jealous of their current lifestyle because of the fact that you are no longer a major part of it as you used to be.

You Are Dealing With Their Death In your waking life

Your family members might have died and their death might be affecting you in a huge way. You might not even be over their death really and dealing with it currently.

That could be the reason why you keep dreaming about them dying. It could be because you might have witnessed their death or feel guilty about it.

A major change in your life

Most death dreams are usually because of a major change in your life. It could be that you are a parent now, your financial status has drastically changed, you have experienced a spiritual rebirth or discovered new things about yourself that are causing great changes in your life.

The reason why you are having the dreams about your family members dying could be because many aspects of your life are rapidly changing and maybe you are not handling the change very well. That could be the reason why the dreams are upsetting you.

You Feel Betrayed By Certain People

The dreams could also be showing up because you feel betrayed either by the family members or people that are close to that you consider them to be like family.

If you are upset that they die that means you are simply sad about them betraying you. However, if in the dreams you are happy that they died then it could be that you have a thirst for revenge against them for their betrayal.

Consider moving on from the betrayal incident and not doing anything drastic lest you risk ruining your life.

There are common dreams about family members dying and their interpretation and they are as follows:

Dream About Parents Dying

If your parents are still alive and you dream of them dying, then it simply means that you are worried about losing them. You love them both dearly and are wondering what life would be like without them.

They might or might not be sick and there might be no signs of them dying anytime soon. The best thing would be to stop worrying and enjoy more good times with them.

Dream About Siblings Dying

Having a dream about your siblings is usually a sign of the state of your too busy life that you lack time to spend time with your siblings like you used to before.

You might be feeling the need to spend more time with them and are feeling guilty that you might have neglected your relationship with your siblings.

Perhaps you haven’t been a present help in their times of need. It would be better if you reached out to them and create better memories of good times spent together with your siblings.

Dreaming Of Your Children Dying

This dream is an indication of your children leaving childhood and finally leaving home. They might now be grown up and are leaving the nest to start their own lives.

You feel like they have grown up too soon and feel like you are going to miss them being kids and taking care of them. That is why in your dreams you see them dying.

Remember that they will always be your kids even when they grow up and leave home. The sooner you accept that they will eventually leave home or have left home the easier it will get to cope without having them around.

Dream About Your Grandparents Dying.

This dream could be a sign that you are losing touch with your roots. Grandparents often hold families together. It is at the grandparents’ homes where families meet for Christmas and most holidays.

When you dream about them dying, then it could be a sign that you are losing your sense of culture and family.

It might be helpful if you embraced your culture spent time with your family and know more about your roots.

Dream About Your Whole Family Dying.

A dream about your whole family dying would be devastating. It could be a sign that you are worried about the unity of your family. In reality, it could be that certain circumstances could be threatening your family.

You could all be facing a crisis or a scandal that is causing a great rift in your family. Try calling for peace or look for members of your family who are influential and could promote peace and unity within your family.

Conclusion

Dreams about family members dying are not pleasant at all. But usually, there is no doubt that something is happening in your waking life.

Look closely at your family life or personal life and make things right where they aren’t, but if all is well then you are just being worrisome. Relaxing a little and enjoying the family you have will be helpful.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article !

Why did I dream a family member died?

“Death of your loved one in your dream indicates that this particular quality that you possess is being transformed in some way. The transformation is often the result of a major change in your waking life where you have to let go of old habits and welcome new ways of doing things.”

What does it mean to dream of someone dying?

“Death in dreams is really about some kind of change or ending you're dealing with in your real life,” says Lauri Quinn Loewenberg, professional dream analyst. “The subconscious will show us this change in the form of a death so we can better understand the finality of it.

Why do I have dreams of my parents dying?

If you dream that both of your parents die, this may represent some major change or loss in your life. It could symbolize the end of a relationship, the loss of a job, or any other major transition. Alternatively, this dream may simply be a manifestation of your fears and anxieties about your parents passing away.