On Visitation Dreams
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I used to believe that once a person passes away, they no longer have contact with people on earth.
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I believed this until I experienced my first visitation dream.
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It happened during the week in which my Dad was actively dying; the period when he was coming in and out of consciousness.
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I dreamt that Dad was seated in his favourite chair. Still wearing his hospital gown. Early morning light shone through the windows.
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It felt more real than any conversation I’d had with him in weeks.
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“Are you dead?” I asked.
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“No,” he replied. “But I need to tell you something.” He placed his hands on my shoulders. “No matter what happens here, I will ALWAYS find a way to be with you. I will find a way to come to you.”
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Then I woke up.
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This was so CLASSIC Dad. If anyone could find a way to bend reality and be with his kids, it was him.
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After he passed away, the true visitations started; each dream following the same pattern:
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I see him and rush to him, arms outstretched. He’s healthy and young- often around 40. As I squeeze him tight I say, “I thought you were dead”.
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And he replies, “I am. We don’t have much time. But I need to tell you something.”
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We hold each other as he delivers a message.
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Over the years, he’s told me:
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“You have to choose to live in joy.”
“All of this that’s happening, it’s FOR you.”
“You will always be okay when you’re with me.”
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He’s told me a great many other things too. Statements too complicated and mysterious for me to share in this small space here.
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What I want to say is this:
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I didn’t believe it until it happened to me.
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If it’s happening to you and you’re questioning its validity, I want to tell you that you’re not alone, and you’re not crazy.
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Here is my advice: If it brings you comfort, go with it. Open your heart to it.
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What is “real” anyway? And who, if not ourselves, holds the power to distinguish waking life from dreams?