A Project Genesis website

JewishAnswers.org

Ask the Rabbi: answers from Project Genesis rabbis

Dreams

Question

I just had a dream in which a deceased relative appeared. Is this notion about the deceased appearing or not appearing in dreams as the volitional act of the “spirit” a part of the Jewish tradition?

Answer

While there is a good deal of discussion about dreams and such appearances in the Talmud, it is the general consensus among the early commentaries that dreams today are not a mystical revelation of any sort nor a connection to the ‘other side’ as such, but rather the extension of the thoughts (conscious and unconscious) of the dreamer during the daytime.

edb