I’ve never shared these experiences outside my family b/c I am not sure how the Church feels about this. I know I believe them to be true, but I am not sure if others would think I was just a nutcase or what not.
My maternal grandfather died 10 years ago. After his death, he visited me in 3 dreams. The first was in his home. I was sobbing and he was comforting me, telling me he was ok. The second one, we were walking in what I can only describe as a Heaven-like park. I can’t imagine he brought me to Heaven, but it was a beautiful area none-the-less. We were walking and talking. At one point he showed me my mom and sister sitting on a bench to the right of where we were standing. I had the feeling he wanted me to tell them about the dreams and that he was ok. The final dream was short. He was trying to talk to me via telephone but the connection was poor and I couldn’t make anything else out.
It took me a while, but I finally told my mom about the dreams. She was happy because she was so distraught over her father’s passing. She also told me a story. Before my grandpa died, his brother passed away a year earlier. Now, my grandpa was an alcoholic and did die from complications due to drinking. Apparently, my grandpa was sleeping one night and woke suddenly. At the foot of his bed was his brother. He told my grandpa to stop drinking now or else he was going to die. Unfortunately, it only scared my grandpa straight for a few months. But the only person he ever told the story to was my mother. And she only ever told me. I thought that was interesting.
Well, I don’t know how the Church feels about such things. I know the soul doesn’t die but I also know that there are no such things as ghosts. Is it possible for loved ones to still visit us in dreams or in visions?
well i’m no cannon lawyer or apologist, but i do own the first season of “touched by an angel” and the person who made it into what it is (i don’t know the diferance of a director or edititor or publisher but its one of those) said something during the extras. She was talking about how after her father died she went to a shrink. the shrink’s office was on an upper floor and she went in and most of the time didn’t say or do much till the end when she burst out in tears and hopelessness. she was told that that was all the time for that day (not fun on her account). she walked out and there was a young man at the elevator that reminded her of her father only younger. when they went downstairs and started to walk out the door he randomly started singing her father’s favorite song which he taught her as a child “How great Thou art”. Upon hearing this she tried to catch up to him he turns the bend she turns the bend and he’s gone. no sign of him at all. she said she thought he was an angel, but i think it was her father from heaven who came down to comfort her. sometimes if you need your dead family member to help you to achieve God’s will, and the person is in heaven, God can send them to you like He did with that woman’s father who inspired her to (produce? direct? edit?) the show touched by an angel which help inspire a whole lot of people to believe in God.
EDIT:
Just realized you might be a bit confused when I say saint. I don’t mean a cannonized saint I mean someone who is not God who lives in Heaven (in this case I mean someone who lived a holy life and died and went to heaven). I am assuming your grandfather is a saint by saying this.
This question has always haunted me. I’ve had too many stories in my family and personally that seems to be evidence of loved ones saying hi or sending a message. But we are supposed to believe that the soul does not linger and goes on to its final destination rather quickly–and does not return. But I dunno. Guess we won’t really know for sure until it’s our turn.
well in the catholic church you don’t get canonized a saint unless you happen to have a miracle attributed to you post mordem (spelling?) . There have been times where siants actually visited people long after thier death. christianforums.com/t7551830/
this page gives an example of Joseph and John as apparitions. It is possible for saints to come down as apparitions as long as God wills it and wants some message to be shown to others.
Remember that time is a side effect of the physical entropy in our human bodies; as such, there is no time post death. If dream visitations are possible, there is no reason they couldn’t occur ten years after the death.
I also do not believe in ghosts, but a vision in a dream is not a ghost (an apparition in the physical world). Most dreams, IMO are no more than the editing floor of our conscious minds. But God could easily use dreaming to enter directly into your mind. The mind/soul of the dead person is just a bonus track in such an experience.
I don’t think there is any definite answer to your question, but I will tell you this:
Both my grandfather and grandmother on my mom’s side of the family were devout Catholics. My grandmother prayed the rosary regularly.
My grandfather died when I was a senior in high school (I’m 36 now), and he visited me once in a dream when I was getting divorced. He talked to me about my divorce. He actually scolded me about it at first but then sympathized with me. He said his purpose of visiting was to warn me that I could lose my salvation over the divorce if I’m not careful. His warning still sits in the back of my mind to this day, and has had an affect on me. The dream was one of the most vivid dreams I ever had, and the details of his face were like nothing I have ever seen in a dream. Then, and even more so now, I pray a lot about my salvation, and ask God to guide me to a place in this life where I am most pleasing to Him. I don’t know if it really was Him that came to me in a dream, or just God’s way of warning me, but I sure did take it seriously!
I had a personal experience and so did my mom shortly after my grandmothers death, but I won’t bother to go into that since it wasn’t a dream experience, but one that occurred while I was fully awake.
Forgive me if i bum a few of you out But I got to comment on this also.
I dont know if ghost are ghost Or lost souls or those in Purgatory.
The thing that makes me real concerned is those fallen angelic beings who appear as a spirit/angle of light.They are master at deception,very intelligent and crafty.roaming the earth looking for Souls to ruin.
Knowing of this,the only thing I want to do with any of them is to run them off.
Thank you for your replies. I should have made it clearer: I had the dreams right after he died, not recently.
My dreams just seemed so “real”. I even get a certain calm feeling just thinking about them. :)I can remember every little detail, even today. I think I will hold them dear and believe that it was him. I’ve never experienced anything like that before or after so I consider it special to me. I really hope it was him and that he made it to Heaven. :heaven:
My brother had this experience. Our father came to him in a dream and he has been dead for 29 years. My brother was going through some pretty serious health issues and was very sick. My father came to him and was talking to him telling him how he was proud he finished college and got married etc etc. My brother was just saying how much he missed him and wished he would not have gone so suddenly… then my father asked him if he was ready to leave. My brother said we just got here why leave. No he said, are you ready to leave? James (my brother) said I have the twins to care for.
My brother could only guess it was my Father asking him if he was ready to die. He was that bad off for a bit. It scared him good enough to get him back to Church. Maybe that was dad’s intent the whole while. Anyway it worked.
Peace.
GEddie ,you made an exalent point.To be praying before i sleep.
But for me,I dont trust anything that could be a trick or a trap.
And your right again,I cant control my dreams.
but I do control what I embrace.
and any and all spooks are a risk Im not willing to take.
in dream,thought,deed or in any manifestation.
I am speaking from experience and Concern for my Fellow human beings.
This is not an occasion for you to talk to them or ask them questions…just pray for them.
Domine Iesu, dimite nobis debita nostra.
Salva nos ab igni inferiori.
Perduc in caelum omnes animas.
Praesertim eis quae misericordia tua maxime indigent, amen.
Requiem aeternam don ei(s) Domine.
Et lux perpetua luceat ei(s).
Requiescat (ant) in pace, amen.
It seems to be quite common in hospices and nursing homes for dying patients to get visits from deceased relatives.
Another thing that sometimes happens is “clocks stop”. I’ve even seen posts on this forum where people claimed one or more of their clocks stopped synchronistically when someone died, right at the time of their death.
I’ve had a couple of brief visions of “my old pastor” in which he’s spoken to me, but it’s been very brief, and to the point. He died in 1992.
And I’ve also said ad infinitum that the night my own father died he appeared in my room, started with an apology for 25 years of cruelty; we argued and conversed, and then he disappeared with one almighty scream.
And I think your grandfather may well have been warned by his brother via a “dream”.
I also happen to believe in “ghosts”, although I don’t believe every ghost story. Exactly what they are I don’t know, but they exist. The same old pastor I referred to above predicted at one stage I’d be doing a cleaning job for a short time; wouldn’t like it much but the Lord would just want me to “hear about a ghost”. I thought that prediction was over the top when he said it, but it happened in 2006. The young bloke who told me the particular store was haunted said that one night all the stock on one complete set of shelves just jumped off the shelves and landed on the floor. He didn’t like being there.
So I do believe ghosts exist. And I think deceased relatives can communicate from time to time. The danger is to go seeking this sort of communication. If they just come to you, that’s a different story, although one thing you need to be wary of is “familiar spirits”, who can emulate deceased souls to a hair, having studied them for a life time.
I’ll just say it outright, yes, they can visit us and very often while we sleep. The difference between a visit and a regular dream is what you describe: even years later, we remember it as well as something we actually experienced awake. That is: it’s real. It doesn’t fade, or get jumbled.
The afterlife, Heaven or Purgatory, is not someplace far away, it’s outside of Space/Time. They are right here. Just like God is, or our Blessed Mother.
I don’t know about other kinds of apparitions and things, I just know God loves us and we get to have these things sometimes. They want us to know, God wants us to know, I think, know - not “believe” but know that life is Eternal.
A visit in a dream is a beautiful grace, I know you will cherish it always.
My Grandmother, who is very down to earth, says she had a dream where she saw a ‘misty figure’ and heard her Mother’s voice saying she ‘wouldn’t be with her much longer’. Later that day her Mother dropped dead in the middle of Mass. This isn’t exactly a visit from ‘the deceased’ but I’d be interested to hear if anyone has experienced anything similar.
I too have thought about this a lot as I have had some similar situations.
My Father’s Mother passed away on February 21st 2009. I had a dream in which I was sleeping and she woke me up and told me that she loved my father and I very much and to promise her that I would take very good care of him.
I got married in July 2010 and roughly about 2 weeks before the wedding I had another dream just like the last one only when she woke me she told me don’t worry your opa and I are coming.
This past August 4th my Mom’s mother passed away. I had a dream exactly 2 weeks ago. In the dream I was sleeping and woke up to the sound of my buzzer ringing. I went to answer it and after saying hello 2 times I heard my Grandmother say my name 2 times. It was so realistic that I woke up really quickly panting like a dog lol.
I’ve dreamnt of Scott, Mike, my dad, mom, nanna, Jen, and a few others often. In the dreams I know they have died, just always have a talk with them. Sometimes it is an imposter instead. Samson
On the morning of my 29th birthday (January, 2009) I had what you would call a “family reunion.” I saw EVERYONE!
My step-grandfather told me that he would eventually receive a great-granddaughter but he wouldn’t tell me who she would be born to (I even said “awww c’mon!”) to no avail. My great-grandmother told me that her son (my great-uncle) was going to die soon–so far, he hasn’t.
I got to speak “Spanglish” with my mom’s parents and brother and cousin. My step-grandfather was with his first wife (he was a widow when he married my nana), and Grandpa (Dad’s dad) was with his second wife. Oh, and my great-grandmother was holding my dad’s deceased brother (died at 9 months) and my maternal grandmother (Abu) was holding her deceased son in her arms as well!
I personally think it’s our loved ones checking-in on us or offering advice at a time when we need them and wish they were with us here.
P.S. A couple of months ago, my step-grandfather’s prediction came true! His granddaughter gave birth to her second child, a girl! As soon as I found out I suddenly remembered my dream! I was STUNNED at how it all played out!
I don’t normally remember my dreams, but several weeks ago, I had a dream of my father. He passed away in 1979 at 52. I was 14, In my dream, I was talking to my boss, and in the corner of my eye I noticed someone standing about 15 feet away near by. As, I glanced at this person, I recognized him as my father. He was probably 30-35 years old. I said to him, “dad”? He was smiling and waved to me. This dream was so lucid, I was quite surprised to see him. The encounter startled me so much that I woke up. I wish the conversation was longer, but it was good enough. I woke up feeling like I saw him and to just see him for that short time was really great.
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