Do Spirits Really Visit Us in Our Dreams? Part 1

by Jodie Bares

I am certain that most readers of this blog have had someone pass away that they were close to.  I am certain that most of us dream of these people, especially the ones that we formed the closest bonds with.  But are you truly dreaming of those that have passed or is it something other worldly?  What if I were to tell you that you were not dreaming, but instead were experiencing a visitation from the other side?

So, when are the most likely times you will be visited by spirits? According to Amanda Linette Meder of The Spiritual Living Blog, she says:

1. When You Are Alone 
2. When you’re sleeping/dreaming 
3. During a Difficult Time in Your Life 
4. During Family Memory Events

So, if you are sleeping and you have a dream in which a deceased loved one or friend appears, how do you know that it is truly a visitation and not a dream?  Anne Reith from the Impart Wisdom and Wellness Center lists these characteristics:

• Characteristic #1:  The most important characteristic of a true visitation dream is that it feels “real.”  It will also be very vivid.
• Characteristic #2:  If you have to ask whether the visitation dream was really a visitation dream, then it probably was NOT a visitation dream.  They are so real and vivid that you won’t have to ask this question.  When you do have a visitation dream, you may wonder if it was truly real; but in your heart or gut, you will “know” it was real.
• Characteristic #3:  Because they are so real and so vivid, you will remember visitation dreams very clearly for days, months, years... probably for your entire lifetime!
• Characteristic #4:  The person (or animal) will almost always appear in the dream to be completely healthy and behaving in a loving manner.  They will rarely appear sick or injured.  They will never be angry, disappointed, depressed, or punishing.  They will be “whole, complete, and perfect” because they are now reconnected with God/Source energy.
• Characteristic #5: Whether or not they speak to you verbally in the dream, they will communicate very clearly.  (NOTE:  As you’ll see in the next two examples, in neither of the dreams did actual verbal communication occur; the messages were conveyed telepathically and were completely clear.)
• Characteristic #6:  When they do communicate (either verbally or non-verbally), it isn’t because they want to engage in idle “chit-chat.”  It isn’t easy for deceased loved ones to enter a dream.  They come with a purpose, and they will convey the message and then be gone.
• Characteristic #7:  Most often, their messages fall into the category of “reassurance.”  They come to let you know that they are fine and that they want you to be happy.  Occasionally, they will come with a warning; however, when giving a warning, they will give you loving support and you will feel reassured by their presence.
• Characteristic #8:  After a visitation dream, when you wake up, you will often be filled with a sense of peace and love.

As you know from my previous post, I have been experiencing the supernatural since I was almost seven years old.  My grandfather, who was more like a father to me than my own father, passed away in his sleep; he was in his sixties. I had been sleeping over the night before, which was not uncommon since it was practically my second home. We had a nightly ritual where we would kiss each other on the cheek and say how much we loved each other and for how long.  But that night, I was too tired and I fell asleep very quickly. So, being a young child and not having dealt with death before, I thought for years that I had been responsible. Everyone tried to shield me from the reality of what was happening around me. I remember that morning I woke up, I was supposed to go to school. The door to the bedroom was closed and I went into the living room to see my mom and dad sitting on the sofa looking blank. I just remember telling my mom that my stomach hurt and I didn’t want to go to school that day. To my surprise, she said I wasn’t going to school, which was strange because that old hat never worked. At the other end of the house, (my grandparents lived in a double wide trailer and my bedroom was at the far end and my grandparent’s bedroom was at the other end near the front door), I noticed the door was open and they were bringing in a metal stretcher like you see when you go to the hospital.  My mom grabbed me and put my head into her chest to shield me from seeing them taking out my grandpa’s body.  I had no idea what was going on until much later.   I remember after that happened, I felt an extreme sense of guilt. I wouldn’t even look at him during the final viewing before his body was cremated. For a young child, who feels as if she is the reason her grandfather is dead, it was too much for me to bear.  

I refused to enter my grandmother’s house for about a year after his death.  Nobody thought about getting me help or anything like that.  My parents thought I was just going through the motions of grief, but to this day I think that was when I suffered my first bout of depression.  I lost interest in all my activities, I gained weight because all I did was eat and watch tv all day, I isolated myself from friends, and I just stopped being myself for a while.  Eventually, the sadness did pass, and I was able to go on with my life, but as I got older, I kept getting a cold spot in a certain part of my bedroom.  I could walk a circle around my room and one area was always freezing.  I didn’t think much of it at the time and went about my own life.  But then, the dreams started...

I must have been a preteen at the time when my grandpa first visited me.  He showed up and looked just as I had remembered him.  He liked to give me a no nonsense look down the bridge of his glasses and that was when I knew it was real.  He spoke to me and apologized for not being able to fulfill some of the promises he made me as a child.  He told me that his death was not my fault and that I should just put that out of my mind or else it would always bother me.  I don’t remember what I said, in fact, I think I was too stunned to talk back.  He told me that he loved me and that he was proud of me.  That was all I remembered, but I woke up feeling at peace.  I think that was the day when I finally let him go. 

But I have still seen him since then.  Back in 2013 into early 2014, I was suffering from a mysterious illness; which we now will chalk up to severe anxiety, depression, and a nervous breakdown. I’ll touch more on that later.  I felt like I was seriously at the end of my rope and that death was closing in on me.  Between all the ER visits, the lack of eating, and just sleeping constantly, I felt like it was going to kill me.  I remember writing out a will and I actually wrote out a suicide note because I was really thinking of just ending it all.  Something within me compelled me to sleep on the thought before I acted.  I went to sleep, and there was grandpa again.  He told me to come and sit by him, which I did obediently.   He looked me right in the eye and said, “I know right now you’re going through something really rough and you feel like it’s the best option to just end it, but listen to me, girl; this too shall pass.  Soon, they’re gonna figure out how to make you better and you’re going to move on to bigger and better things. You just have to hold on a little longer.  I love you, and it ain’t your time yet, little girl.  Just hang on…” I woke up the next morning, tore up the suicide note and the mock will I made up, called the doctor, and within a few days they put me on antidepressants.  With that, therapy, and journal writing I bounced back and here I am today telling you my stories. All thanks to my grandfather’s spiritual guidance.

Me and my Grandpa Richard, taken on his last birthday in 1996 and featuring his no nonsense “Grandpa” look. 

To be continued...

Works Cited: 

Meder, A. L. (2014, February 06). When Do Spirits Stop By? The 4 Most Common Visitation Times. Retrieved January 12, 2018, from https://www.amandalinettemeder.com/blog/visitations-from-your-deceased-loved-ones

Reith, A. (n.d.). Retrieved January 12, 2018, from https://www.annereith.com/8-characteristics-of-visitation-dreams/