Dreams about talking to someone who has passed on can be upsetting, comforting or both. And when that person is a close family relative, those emotions can be even more intense.
If you’ve dreamt of talking to your mother, and she is sadly dead, you may have all kinds of questions. What did the dream mean? What, if anything, should you do about it? And is it possible it’s a message from your mom?
We’re here to help you explore those questions. We’re going to look at seven meanings when you dream of talking to your dead mother. And we’ll consider some different causes that might lie behind those dreams.
So if you’re ready, let’s get started.
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Are Dreams Messages from the Other Side?
Many people believe that dreams can spring from supernatural sources. They believe that they can foretell the future and give advice or warnings.
For others, dreams are products of our subconscious minds. If they give insights into our futures, it’s because these have been drawn from our own observations in waking life.
And some people believe that both can be true. In some cases, our dreams are rehashing information from day-to-day life, helping us process it. And in other cases, there’s a more spiritual dimension to the dream experience.
At present, there’s no way to disprove any of these theories. Some people take great comfort from the belief that a dream of a dead parent indicates a continuing connection to their spirit. For others, there’s comfort simply in reliving an interaction with their loved one in their dream.
But whatever you choose to believe, it can help to understand what meanings such dreams may hold. The rest of this article talks through some of the possibilities.
Remember – there are no hard and fast rules to dream interpretation. In almost every case, you will be best placed to unravel the meaning of your own dream.
To do that, look carefully at each of the elements that stood out to you. Those might be people, objects, circumstances, or feelings. If you’ve remembered them when you’ve awoken, the chances are they carry some meaning to you.
Now let’s explore some of the possible meanings when you dream of talking to your late mother.
talking to your dead mother in dreams
1. You Miss Your Mom
Whatever our relationship with our mother, it is often one of the defining aspects of our lives.
For many, even most, children, the mother is the primary caregiver. It is she who takes responsibility for our physical and emotional wellbeing. And however well she is able to satisfy those needs, she is the single most important figure in our young lives.
The death of a mother usually occasions feelings of intense grief and loss. These can echo through the years, but it is in the time immediately following death that the pain can be most acute.
You can feel this pain even if your relationship with your mother was problematic. In some cases, this can even intensify the sense of loss. You may have believed yourself reconciled to the nature of your relationship. Even so, death brings the certainty that it cannot now be anything different.
All this gives your mind an enormous range and weight of emotion to process in the period after her death. Your mother is likely to be on your mind both consciously and subconsciously. It is hardly surprising, then, that she appears in your dreams.
Dreaming of your mother, particularly soon after her death, may simply reflect this emotional reality. You miss her, and your dreaming mind is summoning her back to you.
In some cases, people have reported dreaming that their mother has told them she is not really dead.
Some people take this as a comforting message that they will be reunited in the Afterlife. For others, it’s a message from their own brain. Denial is known as one of the stages of the grieving process – your dream may be your mind’s literal denial of what has happened.
2. You Are Trying to Resolve Your Feelings
In some cases, a dream about your dead mother may represent unresolved feelings about your relationship. This is particularly likely to apply where you dream of the same scenario on more than one occasion. That’s a strong sign that your brain is trying to work something out.
Think through all the details in your dream, and what they mean to you. Do they relate to a single event from the past, such as conversation or argument? Or are they symbolic of a longer standing question or uncertainty you had about your relationship with your mother?
These kinds of dreams may be more common in the period immediately following your bereavement. But there’s no template for how long it takes to process your grief. Dreams like this can be experienced even years after your mother’s death.
However difficult it may feel, talking about your feelings can really help. You might choose to confide in a friend or loved one. Or you might feel more comfortable talking to someone who doesn’t know you on a personal level.
There are no right and wrong answers to how to respond to the feelings your dream is highlighting. A strong emotional reaction is a natural part of the experience of loss. You may find it helpful to contact one of the many organizations who provide support after bereavement.
3. You Are Seeking Comfort or Protection
Dreams of loved ones don’t always relate to that individual. In some cases, they may be representing something else. And with so many qualities attributed to the classic vision of motherhood, your brain could be using your mother as a symbol.
Mothers are typically associated with providing comfort and protection. If you looked to your mother to provide those qualities as a child (or even as an adult), your dreaming mind may be doing the same thing now that she has gone.
Perhaps you are struggling with a difficult situation – maybe at work, or in a romantic relationship. The appearance of your mother in your dream could signify your own need for comfort.
If this strikes a chord with you, be kind to yourself. We all need help from time to time, and it isn’t always easy to know where to find it. Perhaps you could confide in a friend or other family member. Or it might be helpful to seek counseling or join a support group of some kind.
4. You Need Help to Overcome a Problem
As well as sources of emotional comfort, we can often turn to our mothers for practical advice. If your mother has appeared in your dream, it might be because you’re searching for just such words of wisdom.
Now that she’s passed, we can’t any longer drop by, or give her a phone call. But that’s not to say that we can’t ask ourselves what our mother would tell us if we talked through our situation with her. And our subconscious mind may be doing just that – and supplying us with an answer.
By sifting through our memories and observations, our clever brains can often create a convincing response. After all, we have probably had years of our mother’s advice to draw upon.
And some people believe that our dreams provide a real gateway to communicate with the dead. Words of advice from a dead parent, they believe, are precisely what they appear to be – messages to guide us.
Whatever you believe, it’s a good idea to listen to any advice given to you in your dream. Whether it’s the product of sifted memories or a literal message from your mother, it has value.
Write it down as quickly as you can. Even things you remember vividly on waking can disappear from your memory in no time at all. By recording your dream, you give your conscious mind the opportunity to reflect on its message at your leisure.
5. You’ll Need to Rely on Yourself
Some dreams invert the traditional roles of seeking and receiving advice.
If your mother has sought your advice in your dream, it could be a sign that you need to rely on yourself. Your mind may be playing out this scenario to underline the message that you are your own most important counselor.
That might sound scary, but dreams of this kind can also be very reassuring. They may be accompanied by feelings of confidence, and even excitement. Such positive feelings are a good sign that you’re recognizing your own ability to overcome the obstacles facing you.
6. You See Your Mother in Yourself
Sometimes the people we see in our dreams represent parts of ourselves. They may be particular aspects of our own personality that we identify most strongly with that person.
In the case of our mothers, our biological connection means we were once literally part of them. And however little we might want to acknowledge it, it’s likely that we share at least some of their traits.
Your late mother appearing in your dream might actually, therefore, represent an aspect of yourself. Perhaps you find it easier to analyze your behavior when it’s presented as coming from someone else.
Dreams in which you argue with your dead mother can also carry this interpretation. Such dreams may be an expression of the tension you feel between different parts of your personality. That tension might be coming into stronger focus because of events in your life.
That can often be the case when you’re confronting the prospect of significant change. If you’re looking at promotion, for example, you could be torn between the drive to succeed in your career and a desire to focus on other pursuits.
Your mother may be playing the part of one of these aspects of your personality. That’s probably the part you most closely associate with her views when she was alive. By presenting “her” case, your mind is allowing you to work through your different feelings about the situation.
7. You’re Feeling Troubled About Your Actions
Parental figures often represent authority. If your mother was upset with you in your dream, it may reflect your own feelings of uncertainty or guilt.
As with all dreams, the details will give you important clues about whether this is the right interpretation. There may be objects, locations or other features that symbolize different aspects of your situation.
Was your mother giving you a dressing down at your place of work? Perhaps you’re subconsciously worried about something you’ve done in your professional life.
Perhaps you had your angry mother sitting in the passenger seat of your car. You know you should have got your vehicle serviced last month. Or perhaps she’s staring in dismay at the interior of your dirty oven!
For many of us, our mothers are among the people we most fear to disappoint. That doesn’t stop simply because your mother is no longer alive. If you’re troubled by some aspect of your behavior, it’s natural for your subconscious mind to summon her to point it out.
Grief, Loss and Connection
Dreams of mothers who have passed on are frequently connected to feelings of loss and grief. But they can also offer the hope of continuing connection, advice and guidance. And in some cases, they reflect back to us aspects of our own personalities and behavior.
Whether you believe that dreams carry messages from the dead or just from our subconscious minds, their meaning remains important. So try to record every detail of your dream while it’s fresh. And don’t forget to note down the feelings you experienced too.
All this information will help you achieve a more accurate interpretation of your dream. Then it’s time to look at it in the context of the things you’re experiencing in your waking life. You’ll often find that your dream offers you fresh insights to guide you on your path.
Finally, don’t be afraid to seek help if you’re struggling to come to terms with the death of your mother. For many of us, it’s the most intense pain of our lives, and it can stay with us a long time. Finding sources of support, whether professional or personal, is important to help us through.
Sleep tight, and sweet dreams.
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I dreamed about going to see my son that died a bit over a year ago. While visiting him in my dream I got a call that my mother died (she’s been gone now for 28 years). What does this mean?
Maybe because you haven’t truly let go of her death …she is still alive to you even though physically she isn’t here anymore
My mum passed 15 years now and i still think she will walk through my door, don’t know how to let go x
Your Sin is safe with her
That’s my belief
Sorry for your loss, i think your mum is telling you that your son is with her
My mum died in October last year and I seem to be dreaming about her alot.My last dream of her I went to her house and it looked like she’d been robbed.I said to her what’s happened she said am just having a clear out,what does this mean.
Hello M Al-Mendhry, my condolences to you. I lost my mother in 2015. I believe your dream is telling you to let go of some things, whether that be physically, psychologically or both, you might understand better.
Sometimes our departed loved ones will come to us in great times of stress and as a sign to let something go as you move unto the next level of life.. They help us close our doors and help us build confidence and strength in self..
I lost my mother in 2014 6/26/14 on my older brother birthday but I keep having dreams about her and this one from last night she gave me a bag of money that read 222 on it! I said ma this have to be fake because money don’t have 3 numbers.
I had a dream me and my mom were walking out our old house but we went out the back door. She fell and I started crying and I stood her back up and then I woke up. What was that meaning?
Wow. I had a dream my mom was falling too. Me and brother (he’s deceased as well), was trying to hold her up to take her upstairs and she kept laying down saying ” I’m tired”.
I dream about my late mother telling me,that I don’t want to see her
I keep dreaming v about my mom that pass away what do it mean.
I had a dream of my dead mother along with my dead father. They appeared in my dream. I was having a conversations in piano room. My dad told me, he is going to PI. That’s where I was born. He was just bringing a small box, but, I told him… I will give you a better luggage dad. So, I look upstairs and finding a luggage for him. Then, I asked my mother, how about you mom, aren’t you going with dad? So, my mother said… No, I’m just going to stay home. I am pretty tired. Like they are just sleeping in my piano room. So, I said… okey, then I woke up! Can you tell me what this dream means? Thank you!
My mom just passed. My father passed over 20 years ago. I never knew my mother’s mom (my grandmother). However, I had a dream that my mom and dad came to me in a dream. They were outside of our old home and said that they were OK and asked me to do something and then said see you later. They turned and were walking towards who I think was my grandmother and she was waving at me. What does this mean. Usually I can’t remember dreams at all or if I do it is only bits and pieces.
My mom died and it was exactly 2 years from the last time I physically talked to her and I was worn out. I got off work and it was 8pm I was scared because there was tornado watches,warnings and severe weather . But I went to my car and fell asleep well I seen my mom in my dream she was smiling and leaning on a cart and tells me that she had a pack and was good. She never was good with packs (cigarettes she loved them) But what woke me up was her voice telling me this. Like she was right there in the car with me. I feel like she was telling me that it was ok to drive and that she was fine ….
My mother passed away near 2 months ago, I’ve dreamed that I was standing in a room observing my mother laying on a big mattress and surrounded with clear water gradually increasing I was concerned of her being totally covered by the water I was talking to her but she didn’t responded and with her eyes clossed
Yesterday was Mother’s Day, it was a very depressing & sad day Jfor me. I still feel a great loss of her passing even after all these years she passed in 2002. I was with her every Thanksgiving & Christmas until she died. I was the baby of the family. I have no children to call me”Mommy”; I don’t enjoy Mother’s Day or Father’s Day because both parents are gone up in Heaven. My husband is getting older & slowing down. Any advice
Carol my mother passed away the week of Mother’s Day. I am a mom so Mother’s Day was a big deal but I stopped celebrating it. I came up with the idea of setting up a lil table with her pic and a Mother’s Day card or gift like a live plant that I planted in my yard as a tribute to the great mom she was .I was a daddy’s girl loosing my dad made my world feel scary and lonely without him so I started doing the same for him. It helps me maybe it will help you.
You missed your mom and dad terribly. How about visiting children’s orphanage. There are lots of children that are longing (for love and care) to have parents or somebody that feels who care about them in their lives if that possible. Or you can adopt animals and give love and care. Or plant beautiful flowers and focused on that and will occupy your mind to taking care of those flowers.
Hi there I had a dream of both my parents that have passed away in the dream my mother was missing for a few days and we were all out looking for her and we couldn’t find her and my dad was in bits crying and I was given out saying to him it was his fault she gone
I cared for both my dieing parents in my home we bought for them. After they both passed and to present date . I continue having the same dream of having a bbq at our family home or on the beach . The dream always is pleasant and we sit around and have good conversations and laughter but when the dreams end I feel depressed and almost suicidal. Please explain these dreams to me.
I dreamt that my dead mother was talking to me. I am due to have a cancer operation. I am not at all worried about it as I’ve had 2 cancer operations already 10 years ago but can this dream mean something.
I dreamt that I was with my late mother and we were rushing to get on a cruise ship . We were rushing, holding hands and we bumped into large man and a woman who refused to let us pass. I pushed us through but we got separated into two different queues , both going in the opposite direction. I called after her but that’s when the dream ended.
I dream fixing a bed for my late mom
I dream that I have my mother 120 .00 dollars to buy groceries for. The house. My Aunt who is living brought my deceased grandmother to our house to eat dinner. What dose all this mean to see my deceased mother and grandmother.
My husband dream about his deceased parents.He was very aggressive toward them,please let me know what that meant .Thanks,
Dreamed i saw my mom and my aunt standing together. When i called to them, their reply was we are already dead. Upon that answer i woke up. My mom has been gone eight years and my aunt five years
I had my first dream of my mother about 2 years after her passing. In the dream she was in an old house we lived in years ago yelling for me to come help her. Before I got to her a larger figure shoved me to the floor from behind. As that loony sleep paralysis took over and I couldn’t move but could hear my mother yelling at people to just leave and stay away. She locked the door and then was standing over me and I could sense more people surrounding the house, call 911 mom I said to her. I’m now on my hands and knees still sleeping trying to stand up. She reached out her arms to help me up my hands just passed through hers. Why can’t I touch you I cried out 3 times and then she faded away backwards shrinking as she left. I woke up sitting on the edge of the bed yelling for her. Mom! Mom! Mom!’
I believe the presence I saw and felt in the dream where Demons who have visited me in the past.
My first though is that she is trapped on earth and can’t get to heaven being chased by these demons. It was the most scary memories of a dream ever.
My mother has died one year ago. Today I in the morning I dreamt that I called my mother and she suddenly appeared before me in a very cheerful mood. Then I kissed her face and hold her hand tightly and told her that I also want to go with you and asked her when are you going to take me along with you. She smiled and told me wait, wait. Then I didn’t leave her hand. Wherever she is going I am also following her by holding her hand. What does that mean?
I dreamt about my late mom and she’s waiting for me in the car. Then I woke up. I went back to bed and dreamt my mom again and able to hug her and talked to her. However, I’ve seen so many friends who passed away as well and in my dream that I am the only one who can see them all. They are at least 10 people that I’ve seen in my dream.
my mom passed in 2013 when i was 23 and still to this day i dream of my mom. For me I can say my mom is my spiritual alert system and also my guide. She comes to me to alert me when something is fixing happen. (her facial expressions are the key of knowing). I look for key things when seeing her…her demeanor, what she says, what she gives me if anything, the place of the dream, and the time. Key things stand out each time. Like once she handed me a tablet in my dream and said happy bday, when i woke i was like my bday is 7 months away. I looked it up and the tablet was symbol of something electronic and bday was a gift of some sort later that day a deposit hit my account i didnt know was coming. Trust your gut and your loved ones, we are ore open to receive the messages they have when sleeping because we are more open to communication with them that way as some people still seem talking to the dead is a bad unholy thing. I dont seem them as dead but only in a different body of existence. We never die only shed the human body (the shell) that a holds the pearl (the soul) inside. We still live in the next phase of existence so why not use our dreams like a phone and be open to all things possible.
I had a dream of my mother and her husband arguing non stop in the. kitchen of their home. My mother passed away about 6 months ago and me nor my siblings ever saw our mother and her husband argue. Why would I Dream of that?
I dreamt of my mom who passed away a year ago and she was alive in my dream happy and she told me i need to come home with her i do miss my mom alot and when im really depressed i use to open up to my mom and now she’s not here its hard 🥺
I dream that I gave my mother 120 .00 dollars to buy groceries for. The house. My Aunt who is living brought my deceased grandmother to our house to eat dinner. What dose all this mean to see my deceased mother and grandmother.
I had a dream that my mother called me and told me not to get pregnant, I told her off and hung up. I woke from this dream feeling terrible for my language and hanging up on her. She had died a month before this dream. It was about 3 weeks later I almost died from a tubal pregnancy.
I had a dream about my late mom. She rubbed my newborn child and she checked my operation. We had a nice conversation.
My mother died young, she was only 34 and I had just turned 15. Today is the anniversary of her death. I did not dream so much as have a visitation. My mother was sitting on her bed in funeral clothes, lying next to her on the left was my dead gran, dressed in black but ready for burial. I got to kiss my mum and say hello, she says she is ok but I feel her sadness, then she left again.
Thoughts on why she is sad?
My mom died two weeks ago. I’m not taking this very well because I was coming to see her 4 days before her death and I never got to say I’m sorry for not getting in touch with her and it’s been over 12 years since we last talked. But the other day I dreamed about her and she was telling me something but I couldn’t make it out. So I don’t know what it is but I think I can feel her around me. I don’t know I just wanted to let someone know that I still believe that your love ones are still around.
I dreamt that I was asked if I wanted to see my grandmother (who raised me ) and had passed away 40 years ago. I said yes and she came through me from my lower back as a baby lamb. Knowing it was my grandmother, I gave the baby lamb lots of cuddles and kisses and I was told she came from the garden of Eden.
What could this mean?
Had a dream I’d moved out with my ex to my mums new big house. My brothers and sisters was there but very young. And she let me stay there. There was no food in the fridge and I was getting annoyed at her not watching over the children right. Then I woke up.
My mom just recently passed
Away suddenly do to a brief
Illness less than 3mths ago
I love her missed her so much
I dreamed that mom was not
Dead she was talking to me😭😭
Like she’s still alive❤️❤️🙏
My mother passed and haven’t seen her in 4 years I was sick snd went to sleep I drove to her house she was there she looked like my grandmother her mom with white hair I told her your looking like your mom who also I’d gone my mom’s hair was white she looked like hair was just done we talked she said I could stay the night then I woke up out my sleep in sweats I do not know what this means .my mom was stold by sister took out of town and died there no one knew where she was and got ashes in mail with mom stickers from no address my sister did this plus took all monies out bank accounts even transferred her social security there .it was he’ll. Than this dream I’m trying to find the meaning
I dream of my mom regularly, i miss her and my dad so much. They both passed on in February 2021. I dreamt of my dad once, but i dream of my mom more often…talkin to me or we are just together.
It is so hard without them….would love to understand the dreams…and i dont want to sto dreaming.. can’t talk much to anyone as she was my mom, sister, friend, comforter and more. i love them so so much.
NJM
I was an only child…very close to my parents and loved them so. My mom passed and then 16 months later my dad. I had a recent dream where my dad came to me to tell me my mom was pregnant. I was dumbfounded…I felt like I had been abandoned….they were having another child possibly to try again in raising a child and building a new family. I have had other, more pleasant dreams of them prior to this dream, but this dream particularly bothers me. Might it mean anything? And I am in my 60’s!!
My personal observation , If Mom and Dead in dreams that May be luck helping us invincibly becoz of their blessings and we don’t realize.
Mom and Dad died since 2012 but often come to my dream and felt real talk .
My mom died 10 years ago. I dreamed of her the other night, that she was sitting in a chair putting her shoes on. I asked her where she was going. She said she was going to meet her boyfriend. I have dreamed of her a few times, but she never spoke to me before. Not sure what this means.
.My mom died in April 2021. Pretty much it was the two of us since the beginning of time. We quarrel a lot but our relationship was special. We know how much we love each other. I did not leave her side not until she went through chemotherapy and decided to have her medications in Manila ( she lived with our eldest brother). I cannot accompany her because i can’t leave my job here in leyte ( or maybe i was just afraid to confront the reality that she was severely ill). She would call me and ask me to visit her then i would just give reasons that I can’t . Until she died, 😢😢😢😢. I wasn’t there in her last breath and it is my greatest regret in life. I cry everyday and dream of her a lot. I miss her so much. In my most recent dream, i was going to our old house that was sold many years ago.( i don’t understand but it felt like it was my house in the dream). I was surprised she was there lying on the floor. I was shocked because i knew she’s already dead. She got up and said, ” i did not die, i just visited your real grandfather”. I felt a sigh of relief and hugged her so tight while in tears. And then my dream ended there. I wonder if there’s any explanation about this