As a ritual that marks the end of life, a funeral is a Rite of Passage. Spiritually in dreams it signifies that we can put behind us matters that belong to the material world and can move into a more spiritual life. In allowing others the opportunity to honour their memories, they may make their own adjustments to a change of status. When we appreciate that the funeral is a wake, the symbolism is literally of coming awake to the validity of other realms. Dreaming of our parents funeral indicates a move towards independence, or of letting go of the past, which may be painful. We may need to let our childhood - or childhood experiences - go, and mark that by some ritual or ceremony, being prepared to take responsibility for our own lives. A teenager will often dream of a parent?s funeral, as they themselves pass into adulthood. To dream of being at a funeral indicates that we need to come to terms with our feelings about death and our attitude to loss. This may not simply be our own death but our issues over the death of others. It may also indicate a time of mourning for something that has happened in the past. This ritual perceived in dreams can allow us to move forward into the future. To dream of our own funeral can indicate a desire for sympathy. It may also indicate that a part of us is dead and we have to let it go. In a womans dream when a relationship ends she may need the finality of such a dream image to allow her to come to terms with the break-up. In a mans dream a funeral may highlight his own emotional make-up and perhaps his feelings of inadequacy in such a situation. For further clarification consult the entries for Coffin, Death, Hearse, Mourning and Wake.