My nightmare was about a very odd funeral ritual that took place late at night, in the middle of an open field. There were twelve identical monks, dressed in identical black mourning robes. Sitting in a circle, their eyes were closed and they were chanting. I happened to be standing in the middle of the circle and beside me was a coffin (it was closed, but strangely in the dream I sensed that it was empty).

I tried to run away but there was a strong supernatural force surrounding the circle, preventing me from escaping. Suddenly a voice in my head told me that the only way to escape is to jump over the coffin. I was terrified because I thought it would be rude and disrespectful if I did that, even though the coffin was empty.

At that moment, something immediately controlled my legs and made me jump over the coffin three times. Each time I jumped, it was faster than before, and the twelve monks also speeded up the pace of their chanting. After I jumped for the third time, their eyes suddenly opened. They looked really fierce, their eyes large and unblinking. I felt anger in the energy surrounding them.

The weird thing was, just before I ran out of the circle, I heard the sound of what I think was Japanese shrine maiden bells (researched a bit and found out they were called mikosuzu). I also felt and saw out of the corner of my eye, a long white sleeve brush past my right cheek. Then instantly I was out of the circle.

I looked back behind me but there was no one, except the circle of monks still sitting there with the coffin.

That was when I woke up with cold sweat and a headache that lasted a few days.

Strangely, I believe that the white-sleeved-entity was the one who helped me escape. It's presence calmed me and made me less afraid of this nightmare.

After I woke up, I can't help but keep thinking about the entity that had "saved" me in that nightmare. Could the nightmare be related to Japanese funeral ruitals and shrine maidens? And could the entity have been a spirit guide of some sort?

This nightmare felt very significant and I can't seem to forget about it. I'm curious to know what it means. Can someone please offer their advice and interpretations? Many thanks in advance

P.S. Here's a bit of info about me that might help with the interpretation/be of relevance:
I'm a girl in my early twenties, with a phobia of anything related to death ever since I'd attended my great-grandma's funeral when I was 11 years old. It was a small Christian funeral held at peaceful church (totally unlike the weird one from my nightmare), though I still remembered feeling very sad, scared and uneasy back then, when we had to place flowers in the coffin and I saw my great-grandma lying there. I love her very much and remember her as a very cheerful and friendly person...
But my family members (myself included) don't really understand why I'd felt so scared and even developed this irrational phobia of death