# Sleep and Dreams > General Dream Discussion > Nightmares and Recurring Dreams >  >  zombie dog

## LadyGoodman7

We lost our beloved dog just before Christmas 2012.  Since my husband often worked in the evenings, many nights it was just the dog and me.  He was always by my side and when we lost him to heart failure after nursing him for months,  I was devastated.  Only in the last few months have I stopped tearing up. when i think about his loss.
For the past year I've had a recurring dream that he's alive.  Well,  only half alive: he appears living to everyone else but I know he's dead.  He looks the same (although last night's dream he had a small, light greenish discoloration on his left haunch) but there's hardly any light in his eye, as if he's just existing,  and I'm afraid of SOMETHING if anyone finds out, but I'm not sure what it is.  That he'll die again? That people will think I'm terrible, or crazy? 

When I was still actively grieving I attributed the dream to missing him and not wanting to let him go.  Yet I'm still having it now that I'm at peace and I wonder if the dream is trying to tell me something else. 

Any thoughts will be appreciated.

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## DreiHundert

As far as subliminal meanings or omens go, I tend to take the position that all content within dreams comes from within one's own mind. Therefore, I believe that if there's anyone who can see the true meaning of your dreams, it is *you*. It is most likely one of the first things you even *think* is the meaning behind the dream. However, this topic is debated among oneironauts and dream philosophers, so I cannot give you a definitive answer. I can only tell you what I think. If it brings you comfort to seek the advice of a dream interpreter, then by all means you should do it, likewise, if it brings you comfort to look within yourself to find the answers, then you should look there.

The advice I'm going to give you, however, is from my perspective on the meaning of recurring dreams. I believe that your dream is nothing more than a representation of your sadness regarding the loss of your pet. It's a part of your grieving process. It's important to note even though the dream was started as a result of active grieving, it doesn't necessarily follow that it should end because you are no longer in a state of active grieving.  

Even after around two years, you are still haunted by this recurring dream, which makes it hard to believe that you are "at peace", as you say you are. However, the truth of the matter is that you may never be "at peace" with the loss of someone you love. It's okay that you are still haunted by this loss. Even the most minute triggers may bring us back to a state of sadness regarding the loss of ones we love. Think about when you watch home videos featuring family members who have passed on. It's just human nature to be sad. Your recurring dream is just a manifestation of such sadness. It's nothing that you should be afraid of. What you should focus on now, rather than interpreting the dream, is getting it to stop happening.

I would advise you further on that, but I fear that my ideas regarding using Mnemonics from the MILD technique might be counterproductive. I recommend you seek the advice of someone who is more knowledgeable on eliminating recurring dreams before I advise you any further

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