Dream of someone recently passed - causes intense physical feelings

[CAHollies]

For some context, my significant other's mother, Terri, passed away about 3 weeks prior to having this dream. She was 58 at the time of her death. She fought cancer for 9 months and during that time she lost her voice, her ability to eat and a majority of her weight. In the end she died of a burst artery. We were very close, yet I have only known her for a little over a year. Here is a summary of the dream, with as many details added as I recall. I'm dreaming, and aware I am dreaming. I the dream I see myself sitting in a wooden rocking chair dreaming. The next thing I recall, I am walking down a street to a gala. It's a two way road, maybe 2 lanes each way (not rural). There is jazz music playing, people around, and it's dark outside. As I walk further down the street I start noticing buildings and realize I'm walking around the University of Denver campus (where I work). I'm walking around the building and through a lawn, while I'm walking I'm looking down and seeing the green grass and the lights coming off the bottom of the buildings, showing bricks. Once I realize where i am, I look up and see Terri, who is maybe 30 yrs old, in a long white ball gown. The gown is flowing and sparkling in the light. She's smiling and looks beautiful. For some additional context - I have only seen 2-3 pictures of her in her younger years, none like this. However, I know it's her. I feel it's her. Her makeup is done impeccably, and her hair is shoulder length styled in a flowing bob. I start getting closer (barely, maybe one or two steps) and she get a huge smile across her face and lifts one side of her gown up (Cinderella/curtsey style). At that second I get a sudden rush through my entire body and feel like an energy is rushing over my body, from head to tow. From there I feel like I weigh nothing and am almost lifted off the ground. Next, a squeezing sensation comes over my whole body, like a full body hug. I can't move and everything in my body is tense. I get short of breath from the physical sensation of the squeezing and I 'wake up' in the chair in my dream and someone (maybe my mom?) is looking at me with a blank stare. I can't tell if she knows what happened, but it happens very fast and then suddenly I wake up in real life. In bed I am short of breath and almost exhausted, but a in a very content, surreal state. Its all overwhelming but causes me to get a huge grin on my face and almost chuckle about it. A laugh of relief and exhilaration. From that point on, about 3 days ago, I have not been able to shake the feeling of what happened. It wasn't scary at all, but I've never felt anything so physical from a dream. And ideas what this could mean?! I wish I could back to that same scene and relive the dream again and not wake up so quickly.

[msloat450]

Very interesting dream, may I add. I would love to hear more about you in regards to how you see Sig other's mother. Do you actually have chair like in the dream or did she own one? Also, this might sound like an odd question but have things changed lately in regards to your body? Meaning weight etc. Another question is did she work / Live by your work. (Probably not but I had to ask)

[CAHollies]

Thanks for responding. Neither of us have a chair like that. It was an old style wooden rocking chair, in a dark and dingy room. I haven't gained or lost or any weight recently, or changed anything in regard to my appearance. And she doesn't live close to my work place. Same city, but not close to the location.

[JoannaB]

Interactions with people who have died are always an interesting experience in dreams, especially if these are people one deeply cared and still cares for. One could speculate that this encounter was your way of coping with the grief of her passing. If you are religious and believe in life after death, you may choose to believe that you actually were visited by your dead friend in your dream. I am not as surprised that you encountered her at a younger more vital stage in her life in this dream: sometimes it is better to remember someone the way they would choose to be remembered, and especially those who struggled with an illness before death, it may be harder to remember them the way they actually were toward the end, and thus it may be easier to cope with their passing by remembering them the way they would have been before they were sick. I would suggest that this dream "visit" (whether tis was a product of your subconscious or of more spiritual nature does not really matter) should be considered an emptional healing dream: helping you heal from grief. If I were you, I would accept and treasure this gift, and the grin it put on your face.

[msloat450]

First, I would like to give you my condolences to you and your significant other's family. She passed away way too early. It reminds me a bit like my mother. I can only guess what you went thru. I certainly agree with JoannaB with her intuitive answer. But for myself, I always feel the need to look more into dreams and try to dig as deep as I can. Even if I am dead wrong. If you don't mind I would like to ask a few more questions, if you would indulge me. I am certainly not an expert by any means. It is just something that I really enjoy doing. Even if I was totally going the wrong way I think what is really important about this dream is the way it made you feel after the dream. Even though I am starting in the middle of your dream, that is where I think I would like to start asking questions. Correct me if I am wrong, but you were saying that you were around an area you thought to look like your work at the college. You said lights lit up the brick walls. I looked up google maps to see the area around your work. I was hoping to see something that resemble your dream. (like seeing road names) The streets didn't help but I noticed that most of the building were made of brick. I assuming the same from you dream. (I am hoping) Maybe the buildings light up that way. Anyway (I know this is a shot in the dark) but has anything changed or was it going to change at work or the area. Within a couple days of your dream, did something at work change. Like you were going to get a new job and you turned it down. Or you found a 25 dollars and you decided to give it back. That sort of thing. Thank you for letting me do this. Its fun for me. I hope I don't insult you.