Across cultures and eras, there have been countless stories of people receiving dream visits from deceased loved ones — often revealing vital truths or uncovering injustice. In Chinese tradition, the yuanshen, or soul, is believed to leave the body at death and enter another realm. While we cannot see this other world with our physical eyes, stories of posthumous dreams suggest the soul’s presence persists — and sometimes intervenes in the affairs of the living.
A son’s dream leads to justice
One of the most well-known historical examples is the Southern Song case of Zhuge Fu’s son, who appeared in a dream to his mother after being murdered for his family’s fortune. Her dream led to the arrest and conviction of the culprits. This story, recorded in the Yongle Encyclopedia, has long been cited as proof of the soul’s persistence after death.
A sister’s dream cracks a modern case
Such incidents aren’t confined to ancient times. In 2008, in Changbai Mountain, Jilin Province, a man named Zhang Yongcheng went missing. His bloodstained shirt was later discovered hidden in a neighbor’s woodpile. While police suspected foul play, they couldn’t locate his body or determine what had happened.
Then, Zhang’s sister arrived from their hometown, claiming she had dreamt of her brother. In the dream, he told her he had been murdered and buried in a remote area. Though skeptical, officers accompanied her to search the location. To their astonishment, she led them straight to an isolated patch of land near a railroad track — despite never having been to the area before. There, police uncovered Zhang’s body, and the case was soon solved.
A childhood friend returns in a dream
Another story, shared online by a Chinese netizen, involved a police officer recounting an event from his early career. While in high school, he had a close female friend who disappeared just before the college entrance exams. Years later, after joining the force, he was assigned a case involving a woman who had been assaulted and killed, her body dumped in a remote area. The investigation stalled for lack of leads.
One night, the officer dreamt of his childhood friend, who appeared crying and said she had been murdered and buried in a ditch. She pleaded with him to find her killer. Taking the dream seriously, officers searched the ditch and unearthed human remains. The case was reopened and eventually linked to the unsolved murder, leading to the suspect’s arrest.
An accomplice is driven to confess by a dream
A case from Taiwan in 2014 brought a different kind of confession. Years earlier, a man had been murdered after confronting someone for speaking to his ex-girlfriend. The attackers were caught, sentenced, and paid restitution to the victim’s family. But one accomplice, surnamed Cai, had evaded capture.
Six years later, he turned himself in. When asked why, he said the victim had appeared in his dreams for two weeks straight, repeatedly asking: “The others have repaid the 8 million yuan. When will you repay what you owe me?” Unable to bear the psychological weight, Cai confessed.
Dreams as messages from another realm
These accounts — ancient and modern — suggest that the soul continues after death and that right and wrong are ultimately answered for, even if delayed. The phenomenon of “dream communication” may involve a crossing of realms: the deceased reaching out from another space to convey truth, deliver a warning, or call for justice.
While skeptics may dismiss these stories as coincidences or tricks of the subconscious, those involved often emerge changed — convinced that a message from beyond reached them. Whether seen as spiritual justice or supernatural mystery, such cases open a window into the enduring belief that the soul, and conscience, do not die with the body.
Translated by Patty Zhang
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