Dream of dead mother smiling

What does it mean to dream of your dead mother smiling? Let’s face it any dream of dead mother smiling or any dead mother figure engaging with you is enough to trigger a sleepless night. Let’s not kid ourselves.

One of the most powerful symbols in dream interpretation is the mother. Whatever the quality of your relationship with the woman who gave birth to you may be, you cannot deny that seeing your mother in a dream can be a very emotional experience.

When we think of our mothers, we think about somebody who was in the position to care for us when we couldn’t care for ourselves. In many cases, we can appreciate how this person sacrificed months of her life for our care before we were even born.

And our mothers were there, at the very least physically, during the many years before our adulthood. While different people have different experiences in their relationships with their mothers, it is undeniable that seeing the figure of their mothers in a dream imparts a strong emotional effect.

What if that mother figure in your dream is a dead person? That’s right, you were dreaming of a dead mother. This takes dream interpretation to another level because it’s an emotionally charged image of your own mom.

To top it off, you see in your dream the image of your mother smiling. This makes the dream interpretation very challenging because a mother’s smiling dream packs a lot of meaning. This isn’t just a dream about your mother.

Usually, we think of our mothers as alive and well, taking care of us, talking to us, or all caught up in some sort of drama with us. This is how a typical dream involving the mother figure or the actual mother of the dreamer plays out.

But when you see your dead mother in a dream, and that mother is smiling at you, it’s very easy to be torn in many different directions.

Dreaming of a Dead Person

When you dream of any dead person, three common motifs come out. They all involve the context of your relationship with that person. The deceased may have been close to you or may have played a big role in your development as an adult, or you might have had mixed emotions or even purely negative feelings about the dead person.

What is undeniable is that dreaming of the dead person is not an empty detail. It’s not like you see all these different slides or scenes in your dream and that person’s image harmlessly shows up where you see the person’s face only to be replaced by another image.

It usually doesn’t play out that way because a flood of emotions comes over you when you see that person or become aware of the dead person in your dream. Proper dream interpretation looks at the context of the emotional impact of those images, and three patterns appear.

Feelings of Guilt

The most common reaction of people who dream about their dead mother smiling at them is a sense of guilt. In the west, guilt is one of the worst emotions anybody can feel. It connotes missed opportunities.

You could’ve done something to make things right, but years have passed, and all you have left is guilt. You could’ve done something to turn things around or prevent some sort of hurt or harm from happening, but you didn’t. And the fact you let go of these opportunities eats you up to this day.

But the truth is when you see a dead person in your dream, especially your mother, that feeling of guilt doesn’t necessarily indicate guilt in your waking life. Many times, what the image of a dead mother smiling at you means is that you acknowledge and accept the emotional impact and value this person had in your life.

You may be thinking that it’s not that important, but is it not? Frequently, when we think of somebody in our lives, we choose to remember that person based on our own terms. We look at our relationships with them and focus on how they helped us and what they did for us.

It’s as if their value as human beings that used to walk this earth revolved around how useful they were to us on an emotional, physical, spiritual, or developmental level. This is not necessarily wrong, but a person’s true importance and value must be deeper than this.

And when you feel guilt coming over you as you see your dead mother smiling in your nighttime visions, your subconscious is giving you a real-life wake-up call. This dream means that your subconscious is aware that this person means so much more than how you care to remember them.

The interesting thing about dead people is that, often, they were dead in our minds and hearts before they were put in a box and lowered into the ground. One way this plays out is that when you think about or talk to that person in your life, you only choose to do so based on your terms or how you define that person.

No wonder many people are surprised when they find out that their dead brother, who they remember as a bully or as a bossy person or even as a loving person, has a different side once everybody gets together for a eulogy. Funny how that works, right?

Often, many people in our lives are simply mirrors of how we allow them to be. And for whatever reason, we don’t quite know how to emotionally relate or respond when they show many different parts of themselves to us,

In some cases, people feel betrayed. Others are so shocked that they don’t quite know what to do. But this is the risk we run when we look at real flesh and blood people in our lives and turn them into caricatures or plain mirrors of our insecurities, wants, vulnerabilities, and delusions.

When you feel guilt in your dream about a dead relative, embrace it. Your subconscious is telling you that this person was real and important enough to you for you to be emotionally troubled. This emotional pain or a sense of uneasiness is not necessarily negative.

It is a psychological, internal, and spiritual confrontation pushing you, even demanding you, to look at this person based on who they were. That is the real breakthrough.

Your subconscious may be using imagery in which the dream represents a need for personal honesty, clarity, and the willingness to recognize, acknowledge, and finally accept that person based on who they were.

New Beginnings

When you dream of a dead person in your life that may have had a strong emotional impact on your development as a child, the deceased may be positioned as a symbolic figure for something more profound.

A dead person in a dream can also be a symbol of hope. Death is almost always viewed negatively in the west. But when you go to places like India, Thailand, and other regions where Buddhism is practiced, death is part of an ongoing process where energy is transferred from one state to the next, from one time to the next.

In other words, there is a certain flow. And when we look at the image of our dead father or sick mother on her way to her deathbed, the sense of grieving and loss is inescapable.

But there is something more to it because the image of a family death can indicate your subconscious’ realization that for another part of you to mature or break through the surface, a previous version or older part of you has to die somehow.

Put more concretely, you are a combination or a collage of dead people. I’m not saying that you’re a zombie. I’m saying that the person you were at eight years old is different from the person you became in your teen years.

Similarly, you were a completely different person from the previous stages of your life when you finished school, got your first job, or became a parent. These are all metaphorical deaths, but on a physical level, you died because your dead skin cells were replaced by new cells.

The same goes for your muscles and pretty much for your whole being. Even a large part of your bones are refreshed. This is the intricate dance between birth, growth, decline, death, and rebirth. When looked at from this perspective, we can see that the image of your dead mother smiling at you can be a symbol for your subconscious welcoming a new beginning.

I understand that the concept of “new beginning,” “rebirth,” or a personal renaissance seems positive, but they can also be scary. Implicit in the idea of a new beginning is the willingness to turn your back on many things that you knew to be true.

To take advantage of a new beginning also requires you to let go of some of the past. This is where people face difficulties because we are creatures of comfort, and it’s easy for us to hang onto things we are accustomed to even though they are not doing us much good.

If you were going to do emotional or psychological housekeeping, you’d be surprised as to how many worn-out, outdated, and ill-fitting ideas you have stored up in your mind. At some level or other, you know that these are getting in the way of you maturing and blossoming as a person, but you can’t let go.

When you see that image of your father or mother smiling at you with the full knowledge that they’re dead, you’re looking at the eyes of the past. But you need to let that go; you need to let go of that yearning and that impulse to want to go back or take refuge in the comfortable past for you to take full advantage of the new beginnings in your life.

Warnings of Future Difficulties

Seeing a dead person you had strong emotions for can indicate an unconscious awareness of trouble ahead. There is at least a threat to the stability that your old identity has built up through the years.

As you grow older, you assume that certain things are true and unchangeable. You become rigid and inflexible. It doesn’t matter what new information you come across; you see certain things as true. In many cases, you only need to see a few facts to comfortably and confidently jump to conclusions.

When you see the image of someone you love and respect, like your mother or father, smiling at you with the full understanding in your dream that they’re dead, your subconscious is giving you a warning.

Just as you have to let go of who you thought your father or mother was so you could more fully understand, accept, and love them, the same goes for things that you assumed to be true. There has to be a point where you have to break past the nostalgia and start to look at the world the way it is.

Unfortunately, given how people “mature,” this usually operates in the opposite direction. We need less and less objective validation to conclude that whatever assumption we had is true.

Well, the impending danger that your dream points to can be a personal catharsis. Sometimes people need to be knocked hard by life. And as they struggle to get back to their knees, they start to see things as they are.

Unfortunately, that’s how life works. You learn the easy way, usually in the form of second-hand experiences or cautionary tales, or you learn it first-hand. Learning many life lessons on a first-hand basis is the worst way to learn.

Contrasting Dream Interpretations of A Dead Mother

One key interpretive direction you need to consider when trying to make sense of the night vision of your dead mother smiling at you involves emotional transference. We usually think of comfort, love, acceptance, support, encouragement, and nurture when we think of our moms.

You can’t help but think of these, and we are filled with warm emotions. If you dreamed of your dead mom smiling at you, it means you’re looking for that sense of support or that special place of emotional comfort in your present life.

Maybe you can’t find this feeling in the relationships you have. Or you don’t feel that you belong at work or school. Perhaps you are filled with a sense of unease when it comes to this stage of your life, so your subconscious projects a tried and proven image that will give you a range of positive emotions onto your mental screen.

Please understand that knowing what this dream means is not enough. Your brain is using some sort of symbol set or projections to fill your heart with positive emotions. Dig deeper. What do these images of dead relatives and the emotions they bring truly mean?

It can mean that you are facing challenges today, and you feel that the only answer to them involves meeting someone from the past. This is almost always a bad answer because, in reality, all we have is the eternal present.

The past used to be the present, and the future will become the present. Realize just how much power you have when you choose to live in the present. Many cultural interpretations are present in mother and child relationships.

Islamic, Christian, Jewish, and Hindu interpretations can vary in small details. But at the end of the day, you have to look at the universality of our personal need for deep comfort, unquestioning love, and constant support.

If you dig deeper, your subconscious tells you to be more at ease with your vulnerability because your perception of feeling grounded, comforted, protected, and confident truly depends on you.

Because depending on your mindset, you can always feel unbearable pain, sorrow, loss, and a sense of dislocation no matter what’s going on with your life. The externals don’t matter as much as your willingness to explore and understand your awareness of the interpretations you’re putting on your life.

Smiling Dead Relatives

Another way to interpret a smiling dead relative is to look at milestones in your life. Throughout your development, many people have symbolically carried you on their shoulders. These people are not only those who trigger warm and fuzzy feelings in you.

Believe it or not, it could be your boss. Yes, that jerk who constantly and publicly humiliated you. It can also be that first boyfriend or girlfriend that broke your heart and made you feel you’re a loser. It can even be that schoolyard bully who you felt stripped you naked in front of many people.

Look at these mental and emotional images and past personal realities and how they line up to an unbroken progression of personal growth. It’s tempting to say that all personal growth is positive.

If you watch many Hollywood movies, you get the impression that people always come out ahead after getting out of traumatic situations and that whatever doesn’t kill them makes them stronger. That’s the media image, but in reality, many people in your life contributed to making you who you are because you gave them permission to.

Put simply, your interpretation of what they did, said, or insinuated counts for more than what happened. They can intend all the evil in the world, but if you perceive it in such a way that makes you stronger and come out ahead later on, they happened for a reason and to your benefit.

Look at the images of your dead mother smiling in the house or any family member who may have died or gotten sick as a combination of all the strong impact people in your past has had on you. There is no such thing as an accident. There is no such thing as a blip on your radar.

Everything happens for a reason. If you think about it hard enough and you’re willing to connect the dots, they happened on time.

Dream Example #1

My mother had always known that ghosts and spirits scare me. I was never fond of watching horror movies because they haunt me forever.

So when my mother died six years ago, I knew that she would not let me feel her presence. She was 86 years old.

When my mother was alive and wanted me to do some errands for her, she called my house to remind me. That was okay with me because most of the time, I was busy too. I even encouraged her to do that. For no reason at all, she would call me and say that she missed me.

After her death, she was in my subconscious mind until I accomplished the chores. What she was most concerned about was my health. If I missed medical appointments, she would not stop until I saw the doctor.

She had not appeared to me even once in my dream. My sister and I often joked about it. I told her that it was because our mom knew that ghosts and I did not work well together. I loved my mother. But I was too scared of spirits in general.

It was only last night that I had a dream about her.

She was standing on the right side of my bed. She was smiling at me, and I was smiling back at her. I asked her how she was.She did not respond.

I stared at my mother. She looked to be about forty years old only. I was a young girl of 12. How could that happen?

She sat at the edge of my bed and stroked my hair and face. It was very tender and comforting. She was still smiling at me. We stayed that way for a long time without talking. The child in me thought that her smile was enough. I was not frightened.

I touched my neck with my palm to check if I had a fever. No, I was not sick. What could it be? Why was mother here?

Memories came flooding.

I recalled that when I was younger and was working overseas, I would not let my mother know if I was sick. If I had personal problems, I did not share them with her.

It was not as if we were not close. But all I ever wanted was for her not to worry about me. Somehow, she always knew and asked me.

Every time I traveled, my parents brought me to the airport. My mother would be teary-eyed. I was already a grown woman and sometimes found it embarrassing.

I was about to have an operation and was semi-conscious. I sensed my mother in the operating room talking to my doctor about the procedure.

She was trying to be strong for me. It hurt that she had to see me in that situation. That image of her in the OR stayed with me.

I was still puzzled why my mother was here. Her appearance did not change. I reverted to my present age.

Was there anything my mother knew that I was not telling her?

After all, mothers know best.

Dream Example #2

I opened my eyes for the first time and saw nothing. It felt like I was blind. Am I blind? Everything was dark and the air felt cold. It can’t be. I can’t possibly be blind. I have to get out of here. If only there was a little bit of light.

I was trapped in an unlit room alone. I was certain no one was with me. I can’t hear anything besides the sound of my pounding heart and heavy breathing.

I can’t panic. I have to stay calm. I convinced myself. But I can’t. My heart was beating frantically.

How long was I in that state? A minute? An hour? I don’t remember. I’m tired. Then, like a ray of hope, I heard a voice.

There was a faint and familiar sweet voice of a woman calling out my name. I turned in the direction where I could hear it clearly. It sounded like she was outside the room where I was held captive. I can hear her muffling sound in the room next to where I am.

Was she imprisoned as well? Why are we both trapped? Who captured us? Who is she? Questions keep flowing through my mind like water in a stream.

I have to get out of here. I have to help the other person out too. It was my first and sole priority, to get out of this dark room.

I got up on my feet and started reaching out for anything. A wall. A door. Anything! I was very desperate. Then I heard it again. I turned around, hoping I could see even a speck of light. But there was nothing.

I stood and started to feel anything I could reach. I slowly walked forward hoping I could bump into anything. I felt a cold sensation on my palms. It was metal. I continued searching, still metal.

I don’t know how long it was but it felt like I had circled the room. I am trapped in a cold metal box. And what’s worse? Not even a single light illuminated this icy chamber.

I hope this was just a dream. I wish I could wake up from this nightmare. I am going to get out of here. I tried to sound as optimistic as possible.

Who am I kidding? I’m never going to get out of here. Not even alive. I’m starting to breathe irregularly. This is bad, I thought.

But there’s nothing I can do anymore. A grim thought crossed my mind. I’m going to die here alone. No one will ever help me.

I laid on the icy floor, waiting for all of these to end. Then I heard it again. But now, loud and clear. I got up and turned everywhere.

I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Am I dreaming? It was someone I knew. Someone I can’t believe I would see. It’s definitely her. She reached her hand on me and gave me a warm smile.

Then I shouted, “Mama!”