The events that take place in our dreams are often symbolic, so dying in a dream usually relates more to the concept of change rather than literal death. “ Dreams about death speak about transformation, or where something in your life is undergoing serious change,” mystical practitioner MaKayla McRae tells Bustle. “You may be releasing what no longer serves you, getting out of a comfort zone, or experiencing a transitional time [in which you’re] emerging from who you once were into who you are becoming.” A fear of death is essentially a fear of the unknown, and it's natural to have some level of existential anxiety while thinking about the mysteries that lie ahead of us in life. But keep in mind that the meaning of dreaming of yourself dying doesn't necessarily equate to anything morbid. “ Dreams about dying can be really intense, but they are typically symbolic and not to be feared,” McRae says. “They’re often showing us something we’re unconsciously or consciously really invested in.”

As a culture, we’re death avoidant. We don’t tend to our dead in the same ways we used to, for a variety of reasons, and we often are not given the time or space to grieve for them,” Fourkiller says, adding there are two reasons our subconscious will present us with a dream like this. The first is to “process our fears about dying, and about our loved ones dying.” The second is to “remind ourselves of the simple fact that death is a part of life — a natural one, a universal one.”

One hour: Relaxation of muscles (primary flaccidity) starts right away, followed by the skin becoming pale

Peter James has penetrated the inner workings of police procedures, and the inner thoughts and attitudes of real detectives, as no English crime writer before him. His hero, Roy Grace, may not be the most lively cop, nor the most damaged by drink, weight or misery, but he's one of the most believable Death dreams can also be prompted by witnessing death in our waking lives, which is why you might have started having them during the pandemic. “We have to take into consideration that a lot of people have died recently — and that death anxiety is at an all-time high — when we begin to interpret our own death dreams,” Fourkiller explains. “They still could mean something specific, but they could also be reflective of the time and societal miasma we find ourselves surrounded with.”

If you’ve ever dreamt of your own death, then you can probably attest to what a jarring and unsettling experience it can be. But understanding exactly what it means when you die in a dream can help to transform these stressful nightmares into a helpful tool — as the subconscious meaning of dying in a dream often relates to something hopeful.