Dreams about Ghosts, Spirits, and Apparitions
GHOSTS TRY TO KILL MY KIDS—THE DREAM:
I keep having nightmares of ghosts trying to kill my three children. I wake up crying and I have no idea what my nightmares mean. It is really starting to scare me. Please help!
FELT HOW: Scared, upset.
MAIN LIFE ISSUES: I argue with my husband.
STORY LINE: Things from the past want to harm the best of what is in the present.
SYMBOLS:
Ghost: What has passed on and hence, leftovers from the past such as trauma, memories and feelings.
My Kids: Your children represent the best of what is in your life.
Death: Generally refers to change, huge changes.
Killing: Death created by violent, unpleasant or turbulent ways.
Trying to do something: An intention; something not yet realized.
Nightmares: Bad dreams and frightening dreams signal emotional strain or challenge. Nightmares generally mirror the dreamer’s unsettled state rather than predict actual outcomes.
WHAT IT MEANS:
The dream is about your emotions, not about danger to your children. It suggests that something from your past was traumatic and felt as if harm was done to you. The pain from your past affects how you feel and see life, hinting that emotional scars may be affecting your life and your marriage. The dream does not say the marriage will fall apart; it tries to point you in the direction of examining a past hurt.
BOTTOM LINE: To make the best of the present, sometimes it is important to heal the past.
I SEE MYSELF AS A GHOST—THE DREAM:
I dreamed I died when my daughter was just a baby of 18 months, which is impossible because she will be six this year. Even though I died, my mother, daughter and current husband could see me and talk to me. Earlier in my dream I had sent a text to a best friend, a guy from high school, saying, "I see how you are. You visit the area and don't even contact me." When my mom walked up to him, he was speechless and fumbled his words, saying, "Hey Ma, how are you? A condolence package is on its way to pay our respects." My mom asks, "Why, honey?" and he answers, "Because of your daughter's passing." My mom says, "It was a tragedy, she went too young but I still feel her with me." He says, "I think you're right." He takes out his phone and shows my mom the text message I had sent him.
That was when I realized I had died and was a ghost. I threw my arms around him, kissed him on the cheek and asked my mom to tell him that I always loved him like a brother and to thank him for being there for me. I run out and my mom and daughter come out after me. As they come toward me, I kneel and open my arms wide for my daughter who comes running, but then stops in front of me for what seemed like a lifetime. Finally, she throws her arms around me and hugs me. I woke up crying, woke my husband and cried for five minutes.
FELT HOW: Scared, anxious, sad
MAIN LIFE ISSUES: Trying to get pregnant, new husband adopting my daughter.
STORY LINES: (Three for a long, complex dream)
Someone discovers major changes in self (dying).
Someone lets go of the past (dealing with past boyfriend).
Someone finds a new closeness with a man and child (forgiveness and hugging a baby).
SYMBOLS:
I died: Death as a huge change; indicates a major change in the dreamer’s life.
Best friend: Someone you feel comfortable with. Also, a male in a woman’s dream can be a metaphor for engaging your own strength now that you feel more secure and loved in your life.
Ghost: Someone who has transitioned and/or changed.
Kissing an old friend: A loving exchange with someone who has been a faithful; can be a symbol of new husband finding your strength.
Thanking a friend: Gratitude for someone who stood by you; this may be a metaphor that mirrors your love for your new husband.
WHAT THE DREAM MEANS:
The story shows you looking backward from a time in the future. It depicts the transitions, as you look back, that got you to a new place. The dream also tells via the hug with a baby girl you that you will have a second daughter, though it may take a while.
BOTTOM LINE: The dream is a message about “love connections” and a hug that is a metaphor about a new child into your life.
BATTLING GHOSTS—THE DREAM:
I was in a large house with family and friends, in a bedroom; there was a red balloon and I could not see a ghost but a ghost which would pull the balloon down from the ceiling and let go, causing the balloon to bounce twice. I got annoyed and grabbed the balloon, but more would appear till the room was full of red balloons. I managed to get out of the room and we were taking a family picture but when the picture came out it had hundreds of ghosts faces. The ghosts were not friendly, they would try to attack and I’d pick up frying pans trying to throw at an invisible ghost and even kick at the air. I was scared and tried to scream all the time but couldn’t.
FELT HOW: Scared.
MAIN LIFE ISSUES: Family and relationship
STORY LINE: Someone battles something invisible, out of their reach.
SYMBOLS:
Ghost: Something invisible, not real.
Bouncing Balloons: Something that triggers a reaction, triggers anger.
Bouncing off the ceiling: An expression that refers to over reacting.
A Balloon: Something inflated; a metaphor for letting your imagination run away with you.
WHAT IT MEANS:
The story shows someone fighting something that is beyond their reach and not clearly identified, which suggests you may be overreacting or letting your imagination get out of control about an issue. The more they fight, the bigger the battle gets and instead of winning, they get more entangled. Since the setting is at home, the issue may be about a relationship or a family matter. The dream suggests either that you are struggling in vain or that you are in over your head. Since the fighting only makes you angrier and more frustrated, it tells you that how you are handling the issue is not effective. Since the central figure is a ghost, it may hint that you are dealing with an issue from the past or may be creating a problem when there really isn't one.
BOTTOM LINE: Identify the issue that is causing you frustration, and with which you are having no success. The dream suggests it may be wise to let the issue go or to change the way you are dealing with it.
A REPTILE AND A GHOST—THE DREAM:
I am walking with my family towards my house. We are six people and one of them starts to move like a reptile. We reach our house which is in forest; there are no lights but we enter and my mom starts dressing my kids. I am searching for my father. I try to call him because I am very scared; suddenly he enters and tells us he went for a walk. I tell him that tomorrow morning we need to sell this house and I start shouting, “If there is a ghost - come out.”
FELT HOW: Very scared
MAIN LIFE ISSUES: Really want to reach the top, be successful.
STORY LINE: Someone faces what is scary and feels threatened in a place that should feel safe.
SYMBOLS:
Walking with family to house: Going to a safe space with loved ones.
Starts to move like reptile: An instinctive action; acting on instinct; urges that are not human.
No lights in house: A familiar space that lacks clarity; a space that should feel safe which does not feel safe.
Search for my father: Seeking wisdom; looking to one’s roots and standards for guidance and answers.
Need to sell this house: Feeling the urge to change locations; reactions to one’s surroundings or place in life.
Ghost, ghost in house: Ghost as a metaphor for remnants of one’s past, past influences, unconscious forces that shape our decisions and reactions.
Trying to locate ghost and get it out in the open: Looking to the past to understand present fears and reactions. Attempt to understand forces to which one is reacting.
WHAT IT MEANS:
The dream is a mirror of your feelings, showing that life feels scary at the moment, whether because of a particular circumstance or in general. By showing the fear as a story, the dream invites you to name those fears, check where they are coming from and why, and decide what you can do about them. It can include fears about your ability to succeed.
BOTTOM LINE: The dream invites you to face whatever scares you and sometimes the fear is scarier than the real thing. Define what success means to you, why you want it, and what it would take to reach your definition of success.
GHOSTS CHASE ME AND MY GRANDSON—THE DREAM: (Two Identical Dreams)
I am sixty-three years old and my grandson is six. We had almost the same dream on the same night. In my dream, everywhere I turned a ghost was blocking my way or chasing me. I ran down a hall to get away but the ghost was there. The same night, my six year old grandson dreamed about skeletons and ghosts chasing him. The two dreams were very similar.
FELT HOW: I forced myself to wake up and stay awake. My grandson did, too.
MAIN LIFE ISSUES: Health.
STORY LINE: Both dreams are stories about trying to get away from what is scary.
SYMBOLS:
Ghosts: For an adult, a ghost can be a metaphor for “things from the past” or something scary. For a child, a ghost is something scary.
Running: Trying to get past something, in this case, a health issue.
Being chased: Feeling vulnerable, afraid.
A skeleton: An association with death and dying. Health issues may relate to grandson’s fears for his grandmother.
Blocked passage, no escape: Being forced to face something, facing the inevitable; in this case, no way to get past health problems.
Two people with same dream on same night: When two people have the same dream on the same night, it shows there is a strong bond between them and makes the message more important. It is a synchronicity of souls, reflecting a lot of love and understanding.
WHAT THE DREAM MEANS:
Being chased in a dream most often reflects feeling vulnerable and afraid. You mention health issues. The dream likely mirrors your anxiety about your health and young children often pick up on an adult’s anxiety. The dream invites you to face your fears and reassure your grandson that no matter what happens, your love will always be strong.