Q: I am 24 years old. I had a dream last night that I was dead at the age of 25. I was trying to figure out how I died (in my dream) by interrogating people, but I couldn’t figure it out. I am very worried.
A: It must have been a particularly realistic dream!
If you often think that your dreams are prophetic, then I’d suggest that you remember your dreams better. We all have such strange dreams most nights that you can tell that dreams aren’t prophetic at all.
As a matter of fact, the dreams we remember the next day are usually the Opposite of what happened the day before – and they are therefore the opposite of what usually happens most days. (This is only about the “moral” of the dream, or the meaning we put to it. The actual events we see in our dreams, how the people in them react to things, etc…. these things are not even close to reality most of the time. They aren’t even “opposites,” but just sort of random.)
I wonder if you’ve had teaching in your life – perhaps from new age practitioners currently or even from the beliefs of adults when you were small – that taught you to believe dreams are prophetic. If so, reconsider what they taught you by looking at the hard data and noticing how different your actual dreams are from what happens each day.
If you have health concerns, get them checked out medically.
If you can’t stop worrying about this and it stays with you longer than a day or so, see a good therapist.
You might want to read the topic “Analyzing your own dreams” at my site for further insights. You are right to assume that the dream “means” something, but not to assume that it means you will die soon. This topic will help you to understand why I say that. (But beware of self-interpretation of dreams. It’s hard to be objective enough on your own. At least talk your troublesome dreams over with someone – a friend, relative, or therapist – who knows you well. Otherwise, you might believe the scariest interpretation you can come up with.)
