How To Forgive Someone Who Has Died
Updated 2025.06.23
How do you forgive someone who has passed away?
Forgiving in the afterlife, forgiving when someone makes their earthly exit, is possible.
When I was in college, my dad passed away the week before finals in another state across the country from where I was.
After that, my grandmother transitioned within the month.
I've also lost friends, grandparents, an uncle and a dog.
You could say I have a lot of support in Spirit, and I'm sure you do too.
After some of my early losses and I started doing mediumship readings, I noticed a lot of psychic mediumship readings were the deceased apologizing to the living in various ways, for various things.
Even today, many of my traditional mediumship readings revolve around Spirit coming through to tell their loved ones to release feelings of guilt over what happened, and that they are sorry for this or that.
Those in Spirit do come through and apologize, even if it has been many years since their transition.
In readings, they come to ask for your forgiveness.
You can also offer your apologies too, though they likely already can sense the energy you hold for them.
I wrote this post in honor of everyone who moved on before they had time to shore things up.
Forgiving when someone leaves this earth is possible. It doesn't matter how or what the circumstances; it's possible to have resolution in a relationship through the veil.
You can release old anger and pain to step into love even after some time has passed.
It doesn’t matter how long it’s been - it’s always the right time for being at peace with another in a spiritual sense.
Below, I want to go over my five-step process for bringing closure to a bond through forgiveness if one party is on this side and the other is in Spirit.
5 Steps To Forgiving Through the Veil
1 - Go to a special place for the two of you
Even if you had a tumultuous relationship with someone who has passed away, think back - there IS someplace where you share at least one fond memory.
Inhale and exhale.
Go to this place in your mind, recall a fond memory - maybe something kind this person did for you comes to mind.
Maybe a happy afternoon comes to your thoughts.
Feel the happiness emotions of this moment, bring into your heart the feelings of bonding, connectedness and joy.
You may get emotional if you haven’t done this for a while - that’s okay just breathe in the feelings, allow them to exist.
Happy feelings can still feel temporarily overwhelming, just breathe them in.
2 - Address them in Spirit
Imagine now that they come into the room where you are and are now standing behind you with their hand on your shoulder.
In your thoughts, say what you want to say to them, ask the questions that you have. If you want to offer an apology, do so now.
3 - Accept their apology or the energy that comes back in return
Notice if you hear a telepathic response - Spirit will often communicate this way.
You also may sense energy in your heart as a response.
When someone makes their earthly exit, they go through something called a 'life review' immediately after enter the Spirit World.
In this life review, they sit through a presentation where the events of their lives are played back to them.
They see new perspectives on what happened. They get to see things through your eyes and the eyes of all affected.
Embrace the energy that comes back to you into your heart. When you do, you may feel a shift energetically.
4 - Thank them for connecting
Take a moment to thank your loved one for listening and connecting.
Think about your intentions for peace, forgiveness and love.
They are learning their lessons in the afterlife and your soul journey together can still evolve even when they’re non-physical.
You have learned and grown from your relationship with them - acknowledge this in your heart.
5 - Ask for a sign
With your loved one’s spirit energy still around you, ask for a sign that your message was and the forgiveness is received. Ask for anything else you may need help with in your life.
Learn more about how to do that here: How To Ask For A Sign From Spirit.
Your loved one is still looking out for you in Spirit, as now that they have crossed over they’re on your Spirit Team, which means you can ask for any sign or support that you need from them.
They can help pull strings themselves from the Spirit World or they can deliver the message to someone who can, like another Archangel or Spirit Guide.
To recap, to forgive someone who has passed away:
#1
Go to a special place for the two of you
#2
Address them in Spirit
#3
Accept the apology and the energy that comes back in return
#4
Thank them for connecting
#5
Ask for a sign or support
All in all, your loved ones in Spirit want peace with you, even if they didn’t know how to achieve that with you 100% of the time while they were in the physical.
For some in Spirit, there were barriers to peace while they were alive that are no longer affecting their ability to offer it now.
One thing that happens when you cross over is that you are released from all physical stressors, pains and traumas, and as a result, your loved ones can have a greater ability to provide unconditional love once on the Other Side.
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