What Now? On the threshold of life, death, and grief.
Presented by palliative and bereavement health care professionals Julie Brown, Red Keating and David Kennedy. Dying is one of the few experiences we will all share, yet little is done in our culture to prepare us for this inevitability and it's resulting bereavement and grief. Drawing on their vast knowledge and experience each episode is a conversation meant to enlighten and demystify the often difficult and emotional experiences of dying, death and bereavement. Presented in partnership with Hospice Peterborough.
What Now? On the threshold of life, death, and grief.
S4E10: Understanding Grief Dreams - with Dr. Joshua Black
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In this episode, co-hosts Julie and Red sit down with Dr. Joshua Black, a leading researcher on grief dreams, to explore the powerful ways our minds process loss while we sleep. Dr. Black explains what grief dreams are, why they’re so common after losing someone we love, and how these dreams can range from deeply comforting to emotionally unsettling.
We discuss the emotional meaning people often attach to dreams and why dreaming of loved ones who have passed can feel incredibly real. Dreams can support healing, create ongoing bonds with the deceased, and challenge our cultural understanding of grief itself. On a personal note, Julie, Red and Joshua all share grief dreams they have experienced as well.
Whether you’ve experienced vivid dreams after loss or are simply curious about how grief shows up in the subconscious, this conversation offers insight, validation, and a deeper understanding of how love and loss continue—sometimes, even while we sleep.
Have feedback about the podcast? Have an idea for a future episode? Get in touch with us: whatnow@hospicepeterborough.org
