All the responses sound as a possibility. Who's to say what's what. Anything's possible, therefore, perhaps probable.

A few decades ago, there was a time for me when I was going through much emotional despair...many difficult changes at a fairly young age, and my psyche was reaching a state of great uncertainty.
At that time, I experienced a couple of rather interesting "encounters", which I'm sure some would most likely speculate as being "mere dreams". No matter.

Because of the fact that I believe anything really is possible, therefore probable, I cannot rule out the fact that perhaps it was the infamous "guardian angel" or, my "superior (spiritual) self" offering me a sense of security to provide me a means of "getting through" what was already extremely emotionally overwhelming.
Hard to say. All I know is, I woke to a bright light illuminating immediately in front of me, surrounding what appeared to be a human figure. "It" was just there....providing me a sense of reassurance and security. And I did hear it speak to me, (whether it was merely within my head, or not), I heard it tell me that "all will be alright".
Not a moment after that, I looked away, and back again, and it had gone.

Now...whether or not that was an illusion, or a result of a dream I'd just awaken from, or whatever....doesn't matter. It delivered me a new sense of security just when I needed it most.

Anything IS possible. All depends on what you believe it to be.

Shangrala