Dream Visits From The Other Side

Dream Visits From the Other Side

Are my loved ones on the other side visiting me in dreams?

I’m often asked if dreams of our loved ones on the other side are visits from them. Some of our dreams are visits from loved ones, and some are not. Here’s how to tell the difference.

When a loved one visits through a dream

When a loved one from the other side is visiting you through a dream, the dream will feel vivid and real. It will also seem like you are really with your loved one, and it will feel loving. When you wake, you may cry tears of joy and have deep feelings around the dream, but overall it‘s a loving, positive feeling.

I have had four dreams from Keira, my daughter on the Other Side, as of this writing, and in each dream, she appeared at different ages of her life. Each time I awoke, I felt like it was such a blessing, and I sobbed tears of gratitude for her dream visit.

When you experience a dream visit, I encourage you to journal about the dream (as well as other signs that you receive from your loved one) and capture the memory of the dream so you can revisit the feeling of it.

When dreams are not visits

You may also have dreams about your loved ones on the other side that don’t feel so loving. They may be nightmares or make you feel sad or upset. These dreams are not visits from your loved ones on the other side. Rather, they are your subconscious mind’s way of dealing with your grief. Dreams are ways for your psyche to process difficult experiences while you sleep.

Enhancing your dream visits

Sleep research shows that you dream most in the REM state of sleep. Each of the sleep stages is important for your overall well-being. Things that influence your quality of sleep, including REM sleep, include: being consistent with your sleep times and when you go to bed and wake, avoiding alcohol, sleeping in a dark room, and avoiding staring at screens like TVs, cell phones, and tablets up to two hours before bedtime.

De-stressing is also helpful and encourages a restful night sleep. Ways to de-stress include listening to a guided audio meditation right before bedtime (there are many apps for this and I use an app called Slumber). These guided audio meditations help me to relax and shift out of my constantly thinking mind so that I don’t lay awake thinking about everything. 

Guided audio meditations also help you transition to the use of your parasympathetic nervous system, which is considered the “rest and digest “part of your nervous system. Whereas, when you are lying awake thinking, worrying, or experiencing anxiety, you tend to operate from at your sympathetic nervous system which is the “fight or flight”, adrenaline-driven part of our nervous system that steals away your quality of sleep.

Journaling before bed time can be a helpful way of downloading your feelings so it doesn’t weigh so much on your mind. Making to do lists for the next day may also be helpful if you tend to lay awake at night thinking about everything that needs to be done the next day.

Setting intentions

You can also state your intention to invite your loved one to visit you during your dreams at a time that is an alignment for you both, either by stating it verbally, mentally or in a written note that you stick under your pillow.

You can also place crystals on your nightstand or under your pillow to encourage restful sleep and a powerful dream state, like rhodochrosite or smoky quartz.

It is important to release attachments to how and when dream visits come. It takes significant energy for your loved ones to visit in your dreams, and your energetic state and quality of sleep also play a part in this. Having doubts or feeling desperate to receive a dream visit can actually block it.