Abstract

It has been a common finding among modern theorists that dreams about the deceased are a healthy attempt by the bereaved to resolve conflicts, surrender attachments, and deal with feelings of abandonment . In this paradigm, the dream image has been seen as an internally generated memory trace, or introjection. In contrast, pre-scientific cultures and modern tribal peoples have held longstanding beliefs about the veracity of these communications from the dead. This study employed a qualitative research design using a phenomenological method to further elucidate this phenomenon. Five subjects who had experienced the appearance of the deceased as a dream image during the period of mourning were interviewed. It was shown that the dreams did assist the bereaved in their grief process. It was also evidenced that the image of the deceased, in most cases, developed as well. From this standpoint, the author speculated that the image of the deceased may be conceptualized metaphorically. That is, as neither a pure introjection on the part of the bereaved, nor as a substantive visitation, but as something that is created from what lies between the living and the dead. This co-created image can then be seen as a rich source of information for understanding the relationship dynamics in life as well as in death