This may sound nuts, but I think that, in dreams, we are sometimes "visited" by people who are gone.
From time-to-time, I've had those kinds of visitations from deceased family members or friends.
For example, 3-4 years ago, an actor friend died. A few months later, I had a couple of very vivid dreams about him. It was like he was trying to tell me something.
I spoke to his daughter, told her about the dreams, and told her that I thought her father was trying to tell me that he was "okay".
After that, the dreams stopped.
Strange, I know. But, it happened.