It’s a good thing when there’s some sort of wisdom in dreams. Like your parents telling you something. But that rarely happens, right?
Dreaming about people and relationships is just like in real life – complicated. These dreams can be really pleasant and warm. They can also be painful.
Dreaming about people your know or don’t know – either way, I love these kinds of dreams because they tend to make some general sense.
But please, you shouldn’t interpret people in dreams too literally. Dreaming about your spouse cheating on you doesn’t mean there is any truth to it. Dig a little deeper! What’s the emotion behind the dream? Who else is in the dream? Someone you secretly envy?
And. Just because someone you know gets hurt or dies in your dream doesn’t mean that will actually happen in real life.
Dreaming about someone might have nothing to do with that person and everything to do with your state of mind or your emotional state.
I believe dreams about death symbolize transitions. You might dream about someone dying if you are undergoing a period of change that is causing you anxiety and worry.
Dream about a stranger
In this example, I am dreaming about a complete stranger. That indicates to me I’m actually dreaming about myself, not somebody else. So my own feelings are what I should interpret here.
I was walking with someone. I had this feeling that I’d wanted to meet that person for a long time. I didn’t know her at all.
So we got to a restaurant. I had this feeling that there was something I needed to talk to her about. Or that there was something that was bothering me about our relationship that I wanted to tell her.
Then we sat down to eat. I’m not sure what she said, but she started eating the food. So we talked and the conversation continued until a storm came. It was like lightning everywhere. It seemed to be coming closer. And then the food I had was all gone.
She stood up. She looked like she was going to leave. I was thinking ‘Please don’t go.’ I felt sad. Then she came over and hugged me and kissed my cheek. It was so nice. Then she had to leave. It was like something pulled her back. I wanted the dream and the feeling of having a friend to last longer.
This dream I believe came about as an expression of my loneliness, my heart aching for a friend. The dream was a “wishful thinking” dream – creating an outlet for me, an opportunity to feel something I lack or wish I had more of in my daily life.
Dreaming about losing someone might symbolically mean that you have lost a part of yourself. This is a clear demonstration that dreaming about someone is usually not about that other person; it is mostly about you.
A common dream most of us have is about our exes. There is nothing inherently good or bad about dreaming about someone you used to love.
But, dreams about an ex could be a sign that you haven’t learned to let go and move on.
Dream about someone you know
When you dream about people you know, you’re not actually dreaming about them. Rather, the people in your dreams actually “represent aspects of yourself.”
When you dream about someone you know you need to consider both your own emotions and the symbolism of the person you are dreaming about to understand the dream.
In this dream example from my childhood, I am both experiencing the loving relationship with my dad and the mixed feelings I have about growing up.
I had a dream I was walking with my dad around our house. We walked through a forest. It was very beautiful and mysterious.
Suddenly there was a gate. I went through it, and he followed and didn’t say anything. I felt so safe with him.
Then we were surrounded by a bunch of boys. One of them was my boyfriend.
They looked at us like we were animals. That we were doing something wrong. They didn’t understand why we were so important to each other. I told them that my dad is my dad and I loved him.
In daily life, I felt pressure to leave the nest. So in this dream, I am only reinforcing my own standpoint but in a dream state. The dream gives me a clue about how I really feel. It’s not a solution to anything just a way of talking to myself.
The context of the dream matters and how you feel about the dream when you wake up will also give you a clue about the meaning of the dream.