Dreams About Death & Dying: Meanings & Causes

What Causes Dreams About Death?

It’s not uncommon for people to have dreams about death or dreams about suicide, especially after a loved one dies. Dreams about death can be influenced by activities, conversations, decisions, and relationships occurring during waking hours. While there is still much discussion about why we dream, it’s important to note that the literal interpretation of your dream content may not be as important as the symbolism and acknowledging the reactions these dreams evoke.

Types of Death Dreams & What They May Mean

Death dreams happen at all ages, and there are many ways you can dream about death. Each type of death dream holds different meanings and unique symbolism. You may notice that certain types of dreams occur in clusters. But these dreams can also happen randomly. Some dreams may be more vague and fuzzy, whereas others feel incredibly vivid and realistic.

Here are several common types of death dreams and their potential meaning:

Dreaming of Dead Relatives

You might dream about dead relatives on anniversaries of their death or when that loved one is on your mind. You may also dream about them when you need guidance or otherwise feel stuck in your grief. In a visitation dream, where you spend time with this relative within your dreams, you may experience a sense of comfort and relief.

Dreams of Being Killed

Dreams about being killed may indicate that you subconsciously feel unsafe in a particular situation. It might also mean that you feel like you’re losing a part of who you are. It may signify that you’re giving too much of yourself away, suppressing certain emotions, or feeling cut off from your own needs.

Dreams About Dead Bodies

Dreaming about a dead body may symbolize a struggle to let go of something in real life. It can signify that a decision or circumstance is final, and it’s time to accept that. If you’re having difficulty moving forward, your subconscious may be trying to tell you it’s time.

Dreams About Other People Dying

A dream about another person’s death may indicate changes in the relationship or concerns about their well-being. It could also mean that you are consciously or subconsciously worried about their health and that (in real life) you have worries about their mortality. This type of dream can be common if you have aging parents or a loved one in poor health.

Dreams About Animals Dying

A dream about an animal dying may indicate concerns about your pet in real life. It’s normal to have these types of dreams as a form of anticipatory grief, after a pet gets injured, becomes older, or comes down with a sickness and you become concerned about losing them.

Dreams About Attending Funerals

Dreaming about attending a funeral may be indicative of the need of letting something go in your real life. For example, your subconscious may tell you it’s time to end a relationship or job. If the funeral is of a specific loved one, there might be some issue between you two that it’s time to release.

Dreams About Dying From a Particular Disease

Dreams about dying from a specific disease may be your mind expressing concern about problematic habits in your everyday life. For example, maybe you drink too much, and you dream of dying of cirrhosis. Or, you don’t get adequate nutrition or enough physical activity, and you dream of dying of a heart attack. Your subconscious may be telling you to take better care of yourself.

Dreams About Killing Someone

Dreaming about killing someone might mean that you’re actively trying to conquer something in life. Or, it could indicate that you do need to kill something problematic, like a toxic job or unhealthy friendship. This dream might also indicate a desire for power and control over something that currently makes you feel helpless.

12 Potential Causes of Dreams About Death or Dying

Several factors contribute to dreams about death and dying. Grief, anxiety, and general thoughts about mortality are all common variables. Furthermore, daytime interactions, media exposure, and unresolved emotional issues can influence dreams. It’s important to note that all dream analysis is inherently subjective. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what you take and interpret from your dreams.

Here are twelve possible causes of dreaming about death or dying:

1. You Are Grieving

Dreams about death and dying can be symbolic of an active grieving process. As is shown in the five stages of grief, it’s normal to cycle through various emotions after a loss. A death-related dream could indicate current experiences with sadness, anger, fear, or even acceptance.

2. You Are Projecting Emotions

Death-related dreams may be a type of projection. You may be identifying negative emotions or beliefs onto someone else subconsciously, and this can manifest in your dreams. You might also project someone else dying as a way to avoid confronting your own health issues or fears about death.

3. You Are Expressing Fear of Death

The fear of death is very real for many people, and a dream about death can express that particular type of anxiety. People with death anxiety may be more prone to these types of dreams, which can be uncomfortable and scary.

4. You Are Dealing With Stress

Dreaming about death may be linked to experiencing a type of stress. The stress may be so severe that the mind associates death as a ‘relief’ from all the emotional anguish. Dreaming about death may also symbolize letting go of certain tasks on your to-do list, particularly if you feel chronically overwhelmed.

5. You Are Coping With Trauma

Nightmares are a common symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and research shows that reliving certain traumatic events strengthens PTSD symptoms. Likewise, PTSD can cause nightmares.¹
Your subconscious may be reexperiencing an impactful life-threatening situation while you’re asleep.

6. You Are Dealing With Anxiety

Disturbing dreams about death are a type of anxiety dream, which coincides with anxiety, in your daily life.  This anxiety may be about the health, aging, or mortality of yourself or your loved ones- or it just may be more universal in nature.

7. You Are Managing Medical Issues

Whether you’re dealing with your own medical concerns or someone else’s, this type of experience can heighten your awareness of death. You may also experience more dreams about dying if you’re frequently in hospitals or other healthcare settings.

8. You Are Experiencing Suicidal Thoughts

If you experience suicidal ideation, you may also have dreams about death or dying. These dreams may be symbolic of your own struggles in daily life.

9. You Are Going Through Significant Life Transitions

Whether it’s preparing to graduate college, getting married, or having a baby, life transitions can be stressful and make you reflect on your values in life. This may coincide with thoughts about mortality and the ‘bigger picture,’ which can trigger death-related dreams.

10. You Are Trying to Let Go of Something

Dreams may indicate a desire to let go of something, whether it’s tangible (like a work-related task) or intangible (like control over a specific outcome). Death is the final form of letting go, so dreaming about it may mean you’re either stuck in this process or ready to finally face it.

11. You Are Studying/Learning About Content Related to Death

People in certain types of professions or classes may be more prone to have dreams about death. For example, doctors, paramedics, and hospice workers have first-hand experience with death and dying. Students learning about these topics might dream about them, as research shows that dreaming helps consolidate memories during sleep.²

12. There Isn’t A Specific Reason

The activation-synthesis hypothesis is the idea that dreams are the product of the brain consolidating neural activity during sleep. This type of processing may have more to do with different sequences of nerve impulses than the specific content within a dream. In other words, while the theory doesn’t suggest that dreams are meaningless, the act of dreaming itself may simply be how the brain restores itself.

Tips for Preventing Dreams About Death

In most cases, you can’t necessarily control the content of your dreams. Since you aren’t awake to challenge or change your thoughts, dreams simply happen to you. However, some people find that they are more prone to nightmares when they have higher stress levels, and research confirms this link.⁴ Stress management strategies can help you feel more relaxed during both your conscious and unconscious states.

Here are some strategies to prevent dreams about death:

Physical Activity

The mental health benefits of exercise include reduced stress and better, healthier sleep habits. Try to prioritize committing to a type of movement that makes your body feel good, and engage in this movement regularly.

Take a Social Media Break

Social media can lead to doomscrolling, heightening anxiety and dread just before bed. You may, therefore, be more primed to have nightmares. Taking a social media break may improve your self-confidence and overall mental health.

Use Healthy Coping Skills Regularly

In general, implementing healthy coping mechanisms like yoga, listening to music, or journaling helps with improved emotional well-being and reduced stress. It’s important to practice self-care, so make it a point to build these kinds of coping mechanisms into your daily routine.

Practice Lucid Dreaming

Lucid dreaming refers to being aware of being in a dream or having a dream while you’re still in the dream. When you experience this, you can better control what happens and possibly even change the content. Researchers have confirmed that it’s likely possible for people to learn how to lucid dream. For example, the mnemonic induction of lucid dreams (MILD) technique instructs dreamers to tell themselves, “the next time I dream, I will remember I am dreaming” and repeat it several times. This repetition may trigger lucidity during sleep.⁵

Avoid or Reduce Stimulants

Stimulants- including caffeine, alcohol, and cigarettes- affect the central nervous system and can cause you to feel extra alert. This makes it hard to unwind at bedtime and get to sleep. Stimulants are also associated with vivid dreams, which may heighten the risk of having nightmares. As much as possible, consider avoiding or reducing your use, especially in the late afternoon or evening.

Don’t Give The Dream Attention

Giving attention to a dream may make them more prominent in your brain, which may make it more likely for you to repeat it. After waking up from a disturbing dream, try to distract yourself and avoid ruminating. This helps dreams lose their power, and you may feel better moving forward.

When to Seek Professional Help

Dreams are not problematic in nature. But if a certain type of dream feels disruptive or causes you significant distress, therapy can improve how you feel. Underlying issues like anxiety or depression may be perpetuating nightmares. Consider looking through an online therapist directory or researching an online therapy platform to find a therapist who can help you.

Final Thoughts

It’s normal to have dreams about death from time to time. But if these dreams are recurrent or disturbing in nature, consider seeking support. Therapy can help reduce the anxiety you feel around sleep and may decrease the number of nightmares you experience.