What does it mean when people are in your dreams
What Does It Mean When You Dream About Someone? Here Are 8 Helpful Explanations.
What does it mean when you dream about someone? This is one of the most common questions people have about their dreams.
After all, dreams provide a rich, universal language for talking about both present and future concerns.
Here, we will teach you all about the possible symbols and themes to deepen your understanding of what these dreams might mean for you.
Below, we look at 9 common questions, and 9 helpful answers.
What you will learn in this article:
- 1 1. When you dream about someone are they thinking of you?
- 2 2. What does it mean when you dream about someone you hardly know?
- 3 3. When you dream about someone, does that mean they miss you?
- 4 4. What does it mean when you dream about someone all the time?
- 5 5. What does it mean when you dream about someone your ex?
- 6 6. So how do I stop dreaming about my ex?
- 7 8.
What does it mean if I keep dreaming about people from high school?
- 8 Common dream interpretations for why some people keep appearing in your dreams
- 9 Why should you discuss these dreams with people you know well?
- 10 Dream interpretation in general
- 11 What does it mean when you dream about your crush?
- 12 Enter the dream analysts
- 13 Three of the most common dream terms
- 14 Conclusion: what does dreaming about someone really mean?
- 15 How to dream about someone
- 16 15 Simple Steps to Fantastic Lucid Dreaming
- 16.1 Other dream-related posts:
1. When you dream about someone are they thinking of you?
The idea that when you dream about somebody, they are dreaming about you is a common misconception.
This is actually a false assumption because your brain never stops making new connections, even when sleeping.
Of course, it can also be the case that when you dream about someone, they are often thinking about you, or even dreaming of you.
This phenomenon is called “dream telepathy” and has been extensively studied by scientists, who have not found any solid evidence that dream telepathy exists.
Some research suggests that when a person dreams about someone else in their sleep, they are actually dreaming about themselves.
Dreams are basically reflections of what someone has been doing or thinking about before sleep.
So in that sense, it is of course possible that the person dreaming about you is thinking about you.
But there is no evidence to suggest that this is something that happens often.
2. What does it mean when you dream about someone you hardly know?
Dreaming about people that we barely know can be very confusing and startling.
It is not uncommon to dream about people from our past whom we have forgotten about, or whom we never had a strong relationship with.
When you dream about someone you hardly know, it is a sign of a connection that you feel with them, even if you might not know why.
It could mean that you like the person, and that this person has a place in your life in some way.
It could also indicate that this person represents something to you that you are not fully aware of.
If there are people in your life who constantly show up in your dreams, then it could be because they play an important role in your life that you haven’t (yet) fully acknowledged.
Make time for yourself to think about these people, and what they might represent to you — why do you think they’re showing up in your dreams all of a sudden?
There are many cases of people even dreaming about someone they have never met.
For example, if you liked someone in your childhood and never got to meet them during that time, the dreams might represent the frustration from not being able to make contact with the person, or even your emotional attachment to them.
3. When you dream about someone, does that mean they miss you?
In a word, no.
In fact, dreaming about someone is a common experience for many people.
A study found that 60% of people dream about someone they know, and 95% of those people dream about their current romantic partner at least once a month.
Dreams can also be deeply personal and may represent anxiety or insecurity that you are not consciously aware of.
When people dream about other people, it usually has more to do with the dreamer’s life, not the other person’s.
The dreamer may be concerned about the other person, and may be dreaming about them because of some emotional state they are in at the time.
Dreams are a product of our subconscious mind, and so dreams generally don’t really have any actual relevance to what is going on in other people’s waking lives.
However, sometimes there can be symbolic meaning that we can infer from the dream.
And because dreams are the product of our own subconscious thoughts and experiences, that means that when we dream about someone,
it is not because they are thinking about us, but rather because we are subconsciously thinking about them.
4. What does it mean when you dream about someone all the time?
Dreams can be interpreted to provide insight into a person’s subconscious desires or fears. The person you dream about might be a part of your life that you need to be focusing on.
When we have dreams of certain people over and over again, it could signify that they are significant or important to us, but not in the ways that we would expect.
Dreaming about someone might represent a relationship with them in your life. The person might also be an aspect of yourself that you are struggling to understand or have not dealt with.
Dreams can help us understand ourselves better as they often reflect parts of our personality we are unaware of.
People generally dream about someone they have strong feelings for.
Thus, if you dream about a specific individual on a regular basis, it is likely that you have strong feelings for them.
It may be difficult to confront these feelings, but do your best not to let them consume you and cause distress.
5. What does it mean when you dream about someone your ex?
People dream about their exes for many reasons, but one of the most common is that they’re feeling conflicted or unresolved about the relationship.
Dreaming about an ex could mean that you want them back, or it could be a sign that you are ready to move on from them.
Dreaming about an ex can be a sign, for example, that you are at peace with the breakup.
It can also mean the opposite, namely that you are still pining for them, or that you are still attracted to them and you want to get back together with them.
The dreamer will often interpret their ex in a dream as a sign of their deep-rooted feelings for the person.
They may also be dreaming about what could have been if they had chosen to stay in the relationship or not chosen to break up with them.
It is important to note that not all dreams about an ex mean anything significant.
Dreaming about someone you used to like can show that you are trying to reconnect with that person. It may be that you have not learned how to let go and move on.
Dreaming about an ex is often a sign of unprocessed feelings or unresolved anger.
You may be dreaming about them because it is the only way you can communicate with them.
It is also possible that your dreams are providing a sense of closure to the relationship, which will allow you to heal and move on.
6. So how do I stop dreaming about my ex?
Many people experience nightmares about their ex, and this is especially true for those who have recently gone through a break-up.
The dreams are usually related to an unresolved event in the relationship, which could be anything from jealousy to the absence of closure.
No one likes to dream about their ex, not even if they’re happily in a relationship.
It’s just a waste of sleep and can keep you from enjoying the present.
The key to stop dreaming about your ex is to understand what triggered the nightmare and find a way to resolve it.
It could be as simple as getting closure or changing your perspective on the situation.
There are also other ways; for instance, you can write a letter or talk with someone about how you feel.
In concrete terms, the best way to stop dreaming about your ex is to get them off your mind by concentrating on other things before you fall asleep.
Give yourself something to do before bedtime: watch TV, read a book, make dinner, wash the dishes, listen to calming music, or take a bath and just let yourself relax before bed.
The key is to occupy your mind so it doesn’t wander to your ex.
Also, try getting some exercise during the day (but not too close to bedtime).
Research shows that this can help some people sleep better because it helps reduce stress and anxiety.
8. What does it mean if I keep dreaming about people from high school?
In the interpretation of dreams, high school is often seen as a new beginning.
In a high school setting, a new beginning is often met with trepidation.
If the previous day was a day of trouble, the dreams of that night may reflect that.
High school dreams may show a person trying to escape from themselves or their problems.
The dreams may also show someone who has made some mistakes and is trying to make up for them.
Common dream interpretations for why some people keep appearing in your dreams
Dreams are one of the most interesting parts of life. They happen while we sleep and can be very informative.
In some cases, they are a sign that something is going on in our lives that’s not being addressed.
Dreaming about someone may just be a reflection of your thoughts and feelings towards that person.
However, it could also be a sign or symbol of something else that is important in your life.
It is difficult to interpret exactly what dreams mean, but they are often symbolic of the situations in our lives that we struggle with the most.
It could also be an indicator of things we are thinking about in our waking hours.
Dreams can be about anything, sometimes even things we haven’t seen or experienced before in real life.
When you dream about someone, it is usually a reflection of how you feel about them in your waking life.
Your dream may be telling you to pay attention to that person in your waking life.
Your subconscious may be trying to connect the dots on something and needs your conscious mind to help them figure it out.
You might also want to take note of any recurring themes for clues on what might be going on in your life.
Why should you discuss these dreams with people you know well?
Your best friend has a knack for what your subconscious mind is trying to tell you.
They know you better than anyone and can tell what you’re going through without you even saying anything. If you have a problem or are having a terrible dream, just tell them about it and they’ll know what to do.
As for your co-worker, they’re less likely to be able to pick up on what’s bothering you.
They’re not as close to you and don’t have the same perspective on the many different ways that your mind works.
Every dream is a different story and can be analyzed by examining the symbols in the dream, the current situation in the dreamer’s life, and their family dynamics.
For example, a dream where a family member is disapproving of the dreamer’s current relationship may reflect the fear of disapproval from the family member.
This type of dream may also be an indication that the family member is feeling lonely or left out in the family.
Dream interpretation in general
Dreams are the result of your subconscious trying to process emotions and thoughts that you’ve had during the day.
Some psychologists often interpret dreams with a sort of symbolic language. These interpretations may differ from person to person, but there are some general themes you can expect.
Dreams can be analyzed using Freudian and Jungian psychology because they are representations of mental processes.
Dreams usually represent what we are feeling in the present or what we want in the future.
They also represent our hidden desires and our deepest fears.
The unconscious mind tries to make sense of everything that has happened during the day and it does this by responding with symbols and images from our everyday lives and experiences.
Some people believe that dreams are just stories created by the brain to help process information or make sense of experiences and feelings, while others say dreams have a significant meaning behind them.
A dream can be seen as a way for the subconscious to process information that it does not understand consciously.
Dreams allow us to work through our own experiences and emotions and the thoughts of others in a safe environment where everything is possible.
Dreams can also help you learn more about yourself, your personality traits, and your emotions, which you might not be aware of when awake.
There are many different theories about dream meanings and what they might represent.
For example, some people believe that dreams are the result of memories from daily life or a release of unconscious thoughts.
Sigmund Freud, for example, believed that dreams were a way of resolving conflicts in the dreamer’s mind.
He believed that most dreams were wish-fulfilling and typically involve satisfying needs, urges, or desires.
Others believe that dreams are forms of wish fulfillment.
The interpretation of dreams is an ancient and time-honored tradition.
One well-known school of thought holds that common dreams appear to be universally understood in similar ways by people from different backgrounds.
Such common dreams are often interpreted as symbols, or as warnings to the dreamer.
Dreams that deal with danger and fear, for example, might be interpreted as a warning to avoid such things in daily life.
The interpretation of dreams can vary depending on the person and the circumstances.
For example, in one person’s dream, their best friend may be a co-worker. In another person’s dream, their co-worker may be their best friend.
What does it mean when you dream about your crush?
Dreams about a crush can be interpreted in a variety of ways.
They may be wishful thinking or your subconscious trying to tell you something about the person you’re dreaming about.
One interpretation is that, as children, we are taught to admire love and affection from others.
When we dream of our crush, it may be that we are identifying with them in some way.
Perhaps they represent someone who is strong and confident, like a hero in a movie or book.
It’s been said that Freudian theory has been debunked because it doesn’t make any sense for people to dream about their crushes in order to fulfill a need or want.
But, it’s not so much about the person themselves as it is the unfulfilled need behind the dream.
Dreams about your crush might be a sign that you are feeling insecure.
When you dream of your crush, the interpretation can change from person to person.
For some, it might mean that they see them as a safe thing that they can depend on or it could symbolize a longing for someone that they have been separated from.
Enter the dream analysts
People who are trained in the art of interpreting dreams are called “dream experts.”
Also known as “dream analysts,” they are able to interpret the meaning of dreams by analyzing the symbols in the dream.
Professional dream analysts are trained to interpret the significance of dreams.
Dream experts have said that dreams are a way for the unconscious mind to process thoughts, feelings, and memories.
A dream is a visual representation of your thoughts and feelings, and the symbols in your dream are what your mind is trying to process in order to make sense of them.
This is why vivid dreams can be intense.
For this reason, it’s important to analyze what a dream means because they often point to something the person needs.
Three of the most common dream terms
- REM sleep: The most restful stage of sleep, characterized by rapid eye movement, which is why it is often called “REM” sleep. When someone is dreaming in REM sleep, their eyes will move rapidly behind their eyelids.
- Vivid dreams: Dreams that are remembered. They happen when people are in the REM stage of sleep.
- Sleep cycle: A complete sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes.
Conclusion: what does dreaming about someone really mean?
Dreams are an unusual phenomenon but they are also a great way to understand oneself. A dream is when the unconscious mind communicates with the conscious self.
It’s important to remember that it’s not always easy to figure out what your dreams mean and it can take time to decipher their meaning and intention.
It could also be a sign of a need. For example, if you are dreaming about an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend, you may be feeling a need for companionship or some type of emotional support.
It is generally accepted that dreaming about a person, place, or thing can be a sign that the person, place, or thing is significant in your life.
Dreams can offer clues to problems you’re currently facing.
Most importantly, though, dreams are symbolic representations of events in our waking lives.
In order to understand the meaning of a dream, it’s helpful to look at the context of the dream and how it relates to your waking life.
This can help you uncover their “hidden meaning.”
In conclusion, dreams can mean many different things.
For example, the dreamer may be curious about the person in their dream.
It’s important to understand the context of the dream before reading too much into it.
How to dream about someone
There is no right or wrong way to dream about someone.
Nonetheless, one of the best ways to dream about someone is to focus on them when you are awake, which will help you remember them in your dreams.
This could be as simple as having them on your mind while you’re at work.
Alternately, it could involve something much more intentional, such as writing a letter to them, imagining what you think they would say.
This kind of “intentional dreaming” is a form of lucid dreaming.
Lucid dreaming is a skill that enables you to be aware that you are dreaming while inside your dreams.
You can control what happens in your dreams, and experience anything that your imagination can come up with.
In other words, it is an experience in which you can consciously manipulate your dreams.
If you want to have lucid dreams, then there are certain things you can to do before going to bed.
Follow the 15 steps below, and hopefully your lucid dreaming adventures will soon begin
15 Simple Steps to Fantastic Lucid Dreaming
- Have a positive attitude about lucid dreaming, and think ahead about what you want to do in your lucid dream.
- Stay hydrated.
- Sleep in a dark room.
- Take a nap during the day.
- Stay active throughout the day to keep your mind fresh.
- Try to remember your lucid dreams from the past day or two.
- Practice observing your surroundings in the daytime.
- Remember to do reality checks throughout the day: ask yourself “Am I dreaming now?” That way, if it is a dream, you can control it.
- Before going to bed, try to remember as many details of your day as possible.
- Set your alarm for 5 hours before you want to wake up.
Alternately, set your alarm to go off every 30 minutes. - When the alarm goes off, open your eyes and visualize yourself in the dream world.
- Try to get into as comfortable a position as possible.
- Notice your breathing.
- Try to stay conscious.
- Imagine a place you would like to visit, or something that you want to do in the dream, like flying or talking to someone.
After you have returned, write down what you experienced!
Keeping a dream journal like this makes it is easier to remember your dreams, and can be helpful in recognizing patterns that induce lucidity.
Towards this end, keep a pen and paper next to your bed and write down anything you have dreamt about
With these skills, you can go on amazing adventures, solve problems, and face any fears that bother you in real life.
Happy dreaming!
Other dream-related posts:- What does it mean if you have dreams about teeth falling out? Here are 5 simple takeaways.
- What do dreams of being pregnant mean?
- Dreams about water can symbolize both renewal and cleansing.
- Why do you dream about losing your hair?
- What are dreams about snakes trying to tell you?
Images: via Pexels, Pixabay, and Upsplash
What It Really Means When You Dream About Someone
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By Brittany Brolley/Updated: Feb. 22, 2022 8:50 am EST
Although we dream anywhere from two to five times per night, we rarely recall our dreams. According to Matthew Walker, a neuroscientist and author of Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams, people have their "most vivid, hallucinogenic, narrative, memory-laden dreams" during the REM stage of sleep.
We don't always remember them, though, because we may not be waking up at the right time, Walker revealed to Business Insider. Still, most of us remember at least a few dreams — and some of them may be downright confusing. This is especially true when we're dreaming of someone other than ourselves.
Since the days of Aristotle, experts have been looking into the meaning of dreams. But, it's not exactly a hard science. "Like the wonderful diversity of dreams, there is a diversity in thinking about dreams," Meir H. Kryger, a physician and professor at the Yale School of Medicine, penned in an article for Psychology Today. "There may not be a right answer." Nevertheless, today's leading experts have offered their best guesses on the meaning behind specific dreams. Here's what they think your subconscious is trying to tell you when you have a dream about another.
Dreaming about someone you know
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Carder Stout, a licensed psychotherapist and dream analyst, believes dreams play a significant role in our lives.
"There is a shared understanding among therapists in my field that dreams are compensatory, meaning that they are not arbitrary and meaningless but have a distinct intention and purpose, which is to bring material from the unconscious into consciousness," the expert revealed in an article for Goop. Of course, much of a dream's meaning depends on what the dream was about.
When you dream about people you know, Stout explained that you're not actually dreaming about them. Rather, the people in your dreams actually "represent aspects of yourself." Stout explained further, writing, "If you dream about a close friend, then think about their strongest character traits. If you think of them as being humble then you are dreaming about the humble side of yourself." Yes, even in our dreams, we're all a little self-obsessed.
Dreaming about someone you used to know
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Dreaming about your best friends may be more about you than them, but what does it mean when you dream about someone you used to know? As it turns out, this kind of dream might not be all that deep.
"What happens is, when you fall into sleep, those thoughts and images and data that are spinning in your brain prior to sleep — those things are going to continue to spin throughout the night," clinical psychologist John Mayer (no, not that John Mayer), explained to Elite Daily.
So, say you had a dream about an acquaintance from high school — someone you haven't thought about for years and years. While the dream may seem totally out of the blue, it's possible that you saw someone earlier in the day who reminded your brain of your former friend. This may have happened without you even realizing it, but your mind stored the information regardless. "We have no control of how all that information you receive during the day might show up as you sleep," Mayer revealed. "That's why it can sometimes make people uncomfortable."
Dreaming about someone you used to date
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Even if you've gone no-contact with your ex, that person may still occupy a part of your brain — especially while you're sleeping.
"We all have a cast of characters who play in our dream theatre. And all of us have (at least) one ex with a recurring role," Kelly Sullivan Walden, a dream expert and author of Love, Sex, Relationship Dream Dictionary revealed to Bustle. "This is partially due to (mental) habit, partially due to what your ex represents to you, and partially due to an attempt to heal unresolved issues (perhaps the reason for breakup)."
Although dreaming about your ex can be disconcerting — especially if you're in a relationship with someone else — these dreams don't necessarily mean you want to get back together. Jennifer Freed, a family behavioral specialist, said it could mean that "you are making your best effort to own the parts of you that you gave over to them, whether good or bad, and that you have an opportunity to become more whole."
Dreaming about someone you don't know at all
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Even creepier than dreaming about an ex or someone you once knew is dreaming about someone you don't know at all: a stranger.
It may surprise you to learn that about 50 percent of the people we dream about are strangers. That is, people who are unfamiliar to us. An older study (via Psychology Today) found that these strangers tend to be male. Patrick McNamara, a neuroscientist, summarized the study in an article for Psychology Today, writing, "In short, male strangers occur very often in dreams and they invariably signal physical aggression." He continued: "...Male strangers appear to be a 'code' for aggressive impulses that are being processed in memory."
McNamara revealed that this is further proof that dreams do not necessarily mimic our everyday lives. "Instead they appear to be about other matters, matters (and characters) that we cannot capture adequately with images derived from everyday life," he added.
Dreaming about losing someone
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If you've ever lost track of someone in a dream, you may awaken with an awful sinking feeling in your stomach.
This type of dream is "unsettling," Carder Stout, licensed psychotherapist and dream analyst, confirmed to Goop. "We tend to be afraid that we will never find them again," the expert added. But, what does it mean? Well, according to Stout, the meaning changes slightly depending on who exactly is the person getting lost.
"If you dream that you are losing your child, it refers to ignoring those childlike qualities in yourself," the dream analyst revealed. In your waking life, he suggested loosening up: "...play more and stop being such a grown-up." If the person being lost is not your child, but your spouse, Stout said "there may be a need for you to address the masculine or feminine energy that pulses through you." Either way, though, losing someone in your dream signifies losing a part of yourself.
Dreaming about someone dying
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Dreaming of death may leave you feeling frightened upon waking.
But, try not to worry. It's not a bad omen. "It does not... suggest that [a person] will actually die imminently," Chicago-based psychotherapist Jeffrey Sumber told HuffPost. "People who have dreams about death tend to be those who are entering or exiting an uncertain phase or period in their life," he continued. "It could be a potentially life-changing event that creates anxiety and fear of the unknown."
Lauren Lawrence, host of Celebrity Nightmares Decoded and dream analysis writer, told Bustle that dreaming about death represents the desire to "terminate something" — not someone — in your life. This could be a toxic friendship or an unfulfilling job. You will want to pay attention to who is dying in your dream, though. Are you dreaming of someone with whom you have some deep-seated issues? If so, you'll likely want to address those feelings in real life.
Dreaming about someone chasing you
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Chasing dreams — or nightmares — tend to involve "great amounts of anxiety," Michael R.
Olsen, a dream and unconscious intelligence expert, researcher and speaker, revealed on his site. As scary as these dreams may be in the moment, they're not always as bad as they seem on the surface. "If another person, more people or even animals are chasing you, these can all be illustrations of sides or elements of yourself, something you either will not acknowledge, or simply [haven't] yet realized you contain," he explained.
As an example, Olsen illustrated that a woman might dream of being tailed by another woman, but, upon turning around, sees an unassuming street musician. "She might be a symbol of a more loose or free, potentially creative/musical side of you, that you currently are hiding in waking life," he revealed. Yep, the person you are running from may actually be a version of yourself that you should run to.
However, this isn't always the case. If you find you're being chased by "a very dominating" person, Olsen said this may be a trait you possess, are embarrassed about, and thus run away from in your dreams.
Dreaming about someone criticizing you
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Your dreams contain many versions of you. To explain this concept, David Bedrick, a speaker and counselor trained in Jungian psychology, recalled the words of the 20th century Spanish poet Antonio Machado in an article for Psychology Today. "I am not I," he wrote. " I am this one walking beside me whom I do not see."
In a dream about being chased, for example, you are both the one being chased and the one doing the chasing. This doesn't just apply to those sorts of dreams though. The expert explained further, writing, "...Let's say 'I' am being criticized by someone in a dream; I am not only the one criticized or hurt, I am also the one who is being critical." This may call for some changes in your real life. "Maybe I need to be less judgmental of others or myself," Bedrick mused, "or perhaps the dream is advising me to be more consciously critical of ideas and people I accept.
"
Dreaming about someone cheating on you
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It can be unsettling to dream about your partner having an affair, but it's actually a fairly common dream, Michael R. Olsen, a dream and unconscious intelligence expert, researcher and speaker, wrote on his site. "When we dream that our partner is unfaithful, it's frequently a (perhaps unconscious) feeling in ourselves that our relationship with our partner may be experienced as less safe and secure during the time that we have this dream," he explained.
"Our partner may in the waking life be 'unfaithful' in ways other than with another man/woman," he continued. It could be that work, kids, or any number of things are dominating your partner's time and causing you to dream about infidelity. A dream about your partner cheating could also be a sign that your relationship has gotten stale or that you've started to bicker more often. Olsen said dreams about cheating "rarely reflect real infidelity," but you should still view the dream as a red flag and take the opportunity to assess your relationship in real life.
Dreaming about someone pregnant
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Just as dreams about death can symbolize the termination of something and not someone, dreams about pregnancy can represent the start of something. Although more women than men have dreams about pregnancy, both sexes have experienced pregnancy-related dreams. "At its core, this dream is about creativity," Ally Mead, a dream analyst, told HuffPost. Yet and still, there is a difference between having a dream about being pregnant yourself versus someone else.
"If you dream of being pregnant, you are likely craving time to be creative, or 'dreaming up' a new and exciting creative project that will come into existence down the line," Mead explained. "This could be as small as a home-based renovation project or a large-scale artistic work." If you dream about someone else being pregnant, however, it's probably not steeped in personal growth.
Rather, the expert said it's a sign that "something has been left inside, unexpressed or undone."
Dreaming about someone in your family
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If your mom has been invading your dreams, you're not alone. In her book Dream on It: Unlock Your Dreams, Change Your Life, certified dream analyst Lauri Loewenberg revealed that mothers appear in dreams, on average, about once a week. But, she may not represent your real mother. "Basically, Mom in a dream is the manifestation of all that you would typically associate with the word mother: comfort, nurturing know-how, [maternal] discipline, even fertility." Fathers, too, play a symbolic role. Your dad in you dream reflects "your inner knower, decider, disciplinarian, and financier."
When you dream of your own young child or children, though, you don't need to dig too deep to discover the hidden meaning. Loewenberg revealed that your kiddo "will likely be playing his or herself if they are still under your care, in which case they are a part of your dream because there is a current waking concern or issue with the child and your dream is trying to help you with it.
" Loewenberg recommends reflecting on the events from the day before the dream to determine why you might be dreaming about your little one.
Dreaming about someone strangling you
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Though terrifying, dreams about strangulation and suffocation are oddly common, dream and unconscious intelligence expert, researcher, and speaker Michael R. Olsen, revealed on his site. If you dream that you yourself are being strangled by someone — or even yourself — it serves as "a very clear indication that you in a some way — in what you say, think or do — limit yourself in a way that is 'killing you' (that is to say mentally, because you lack vitality)," according to the expert.
Just as you may figuratively say something is "suffocating" you in real life — be it a needy friend or a demanding job — you may dream about literal suffocation. "There are numerous things — within yourself and in your surroundings — that can 'strangle' you and prevent you from unfolding and developing," Olsen explained.
If you have recurrent dreams of being suffocated, though, you should consult your doctor. According to The Neurology Center for Sleep Disorders in Maryland, some people with sleep-related breathing disorders, like sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS), have reported experiencing recurrent dreams about suffocation and even drowning.
Dreaming about someone who is famous
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Sometimes, you'll wake up from a dream feeling relieved that it wasn't real. On the flip side, when your alarm goes off while you're popping champagne and sharing a limo with Robert Downey Jr., you'll probably want to keep on snoozing.
In an interview with Reader's Digest, certified dream analyst Lauri Loewenberg explained why you might dream about meeting someone famous. She revealed, "The message that celebrity brings to you can be found in the title of the song or maybe the lyrics or the character you know them from.
There's something your subconscious identifies from it that applies to you and your life right now." Perhaps you and Iron Man are more alike than you thought.
If your dream about the celebrity goes beyond just meeting the A-lister and ventures into the getting it on territory with the celebrity, the meaning of the dream is actually much the same. The expert expounded when speaking to Prevention, saying, "Celebrities in our dreams often represent some part of ourselves we want recognition and applause for. To figure out what that is, use the same formula [highlighted above]."
Dreaming about someone who isn't alive in real life
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"A lot of people dream about people who are no longer alive," Michael R. Olsen, a dream and unconscious intelligence researcher, expert, and speaker, revealed in an article on his site. Some people dream about a person they recently lost and Olsen revealed that is "a way of coping with grief.
" For others, especially those who are having trouble accepting the loss, these dreams won't come until the person is ready to say goodbye.
Not every dream about a lost loved one is comforting, though. Depending on the dream and the person, dreams of the deceased can be frightening. Either way, though, these dreams can also be "a symbol of your relationship with that person (and as a result, how that relationship [has] an influence on your life), or the deceased might be a symbol of an aspect you possess that reminds you of that person." According to Olsen, the lost person may also serve as "commentary on how you live your life" — as if looking on either approvingly or disapprovingly of your life choices.
Dreaming about someone cutting your hair
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When your head hits the pillow, you probably don't expect to have dreams about someone cutting your hair. But, as it turns out, it's not all that uncommon.
After consulting numerous dream dictionaries, GQ reported what these hair-related dreams seem to mean, and, apparently, they have nothing to do with wanting to change up your look.
They can instead symbolize losing control or strength — "kind of like biblical hair-god Samson," the publication explained — and can be brought on by stressful situations in your professional or personal life. DreamDictionary.org described dreaming of someone cutting your hair to mean feeling "brought down by someone." However, this type of dream doesn't always signify losing your power. In fact, the site went on to reveal that the dream can point to a new beginning of sorts, as it also symbolizes "chopping off the past, getting rid of those dead ends to start [anew]."
Dreaming about getting it on with someone
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If your sex dreams have you confused, you should know that these dreams — like most dreams — are symbolic.
Janet Brito, a licensed psychologist and certified sex therapist, explained to Healthline, "When sex shows up in your dreams, break it down into a story that has a beginning, a middle, and an end, and focus on experiencing the feelings in your dream and being curious about where the energy of the dream leads you, specifically of how the dream ends." She went on, "This will reveal to you the emotional need that your sex dream is trying to have you fulfill in waking life."
Of course, the meaning may vary depending on who you're getting it on with in your dream. Dreaming about an intimate encounter with a stranger could literally just be about sex. "It may just be that your libido is high," Healthline revealed, "and you're not getting your needs met." On the other hand, if you dream about having sex with, say, a teacher, you may not actually be hot for teacher. Instead, it could signal that you're looking for attention from someone with a position of authority, Fran Walfish, a family and relationship psychotherapist, said.
Dreaming about harming someone
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There are few dreams more unnerving and mystifying than the ones in which you're cast as a killer. Once you put aside all the guts and gore, though, dreams about killing someone can become less terrifying and more telling.
According to DreamMoods.com, dreaming about killing someone can mean you're "putting an end to an old habit and a former way of thinking." As such, you may encounter this dream if you're trying to quit smoking. Anger is also an underlying theme of these types of dreams. The site explained that the dream can point to "repressed aggression" toward someone in your life or even at yourself.
Interestingly, a group of researchers discovered that those who dreamed about committing murder were actually found to be more aggressive in their waking lives. "Emotions in dreams can be much stronger than the emotions in waking life," Michael Schredl, lead author of the study and head of research at the Central Institute of Mental Health's sleep laboratory in Germany, clarified in an interview with Live Science.
Still, he advised, "If you do dream about killing, look at your aggressive emotions in waking life."
Dreaming about someone you work with
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If you've ever had a dream about one of your coworkers, you may have thought they made their way into your slumber simply because you see and talk to them frequently in your waking life. As it happens, though, dreaming about someone you work with isn't as much about them as it is about you.
Dreams about coworkers follow what Kelly Sullivan Walden, author of I Had the Strangest Dream: The Dreamer's Dictionary for the 21st Century, calls the dream "rule of thumb" – that "everybody and everything is an aspect of you" in a dream. She explained further, telling Fast Company that dreaming about your boss could mean "you're connecting with the part of you that feels empowered."
There's also a lesson to be learned from thinking about which coworkers hopped into your sleeping-mind palace.
"What two or three adjectives would you use to describe them?" Sullivan Walden mused. "Then consider that you are connecting with that part of yourself. Your subconscious is saying that you want to become more of that."
Dreaming about the same person repeatedly
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Chances are you've had a recurring dream at some point in your life. Clinical psychologist John Mayer revealed to Elite Daily that around two-thirds of people are thought to experience the phenomenon of having the same kind of dream more than once. "The dreams are usually not exactly the same each time," the expert explained, "but the recurring theme is usually something in your head that is somehow unresolved."
While more than six in ten people may experience dreams with recurring themes, it is more unusual to dream about the same person night after night, Traci Stein, health psychologist, told Elite Daily.
Don't freak out if you've had the same someone making a nightly appearance, though, as it may carry a similar meaning to other recurring dreams.
Stein advised jotting down the details of this kind of dream in order to discover its theme. "That could either tell you something about what you feel about the person that you may not consciously want to address, but that a part of you thinks it's important to take a closer look at," Stein explained.
Dreaming about someone who is angry with you
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If you've ever had a dream about someone getting angry with you, you know how uncomfortable it can be. While you may not want to parse through every mean thing your friend yelled at you in anger, there's actually a lot that can be gleaned from doing so.
"It's super important to pay attention to what's being said to you in a dream because it's really something you're saying to yourself," dream analyist Lauri Loewenberg told Bustle, adding, "So whatever is said to you should give you some good and honest insight into whatever it is you're angry about.
" Certified dream interpreter Claire Harrison agrees. She noted that you could be "angry with an aspect of yourself at a subconscious level" if someone's upset with you in your dream.
The identity of the person who's mad at you may also matter. According to the Loewenberg, if a particular friend pops up in your slumber and is angry with you, it may mean you're feeling guilty about not being there for them as often as you feel you should.
Dreaming about physically fighting with someone
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Even if you can't picture ever becoming violent in your waking life, your brain is perfectly capable of conjuring up those images while you're asleep. If you find yourself in a physical altercation in your dream, it's not necessarily a red flag pointing to unchecked aggression.
Dream analyst Lauri Loewenberg explained to Bustle that these kinds of dreams can just mean that you're "beating yourself up" over a mistake or some other problem you're faced with in your waking life.
You might be mad at yourself for something you did and are simply taking out your anger in the dream.
It's not unusual for dreams to stem from a place on anger. "In my experience and research, it's the third most common emotion in dreams — the first being frustration and the second being fear," Loewenberg revealed. Still, if you're having recurring dreams about getting into physical fights or taking out your anger, she recommends taking action. "Figure out what it is and find a healthy way to process it so you can release it," the expert explained. Otherwise, she said, "your dreams will continue to nag you" about it.
Dreaming about someone drowning
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As horrifying as they may be, dreams about drowning are common. According to an Amerisleep survey of over 2,000 people across the United States, nine percent of people admitted to having recurring dreams about drowning. While dreaming that you are the one drowning can mean you're feeling overwhelmed, seeing someone else drown in your dream indicates that "you are becoming too deeply involved in something that is beyond your control," according to DreamMoods.
com. "Alternatively, it represents a sense of loss in your own identity," the site noted. "You are unable to differentiate who you are anymore."
In this type of dream, you may also envision yourself coming to the person's rescue, which could mean you've "successfully acknowledged certain emotions and characteristics that is symbolized by the drowning victim." Successfully helping someone who's drowning in your dream can point to your ability to accept help. However, if you are unsuccessful in your rescue attempt, that may mean "you are numb from fear." The site advised looking into areas of your life where fear may be interfering.
Dreaming about cheating on someone
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If you've ever dreamed about being unfaithful to your partner, you should know that it doesn't necessarily point to some subconscious desire to have an affair in your waking life. According to DreamMoods.com, the dream can denote dissatisfaction with your partner, but, more often than not, dreams in which you're cheating on someone symbolize "feelings of self-guilt and self-betrayal.
" And this may not even be within the context of your romantic relationship, but instead just a time "where you were being dishonest," the site explained.
The meaning of cheating dreams can also vary depending on the person with whom you're having an affair. Dream analyst Lauri Loewenberg believes dreaming about cheating on your partner with someone you know could mean you're prioritizing something — not necessarily someone — over your relationship. Or, if your dream is about cheating with multiple people at once, Loewenberg told Bustle, "It may also mean that there is some sort of confusion in how and where you distribute your energies. You may be going into too many directions and as a result, are spread too thin."
Dreaming about riding in a car with someone
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According to dream specialist Cathleen O'Connor, vehicles and modes of transportation are "common dream symbols.
" The expert detailed in her book The Everything Law of Attraction Dream Dictionary: An A-Z Guide to Using Your Dreams to Attract Success, Prosperity, and Love, "Dreaming about driving your car, or traveling in a bus, train, or plane, usually symbolizes where you are going in your life." However, the meaning of the dream varies depending on who's behind the wheel.
While driving a car can denote a feeling of control, riding in the car alongside someone who is driving can mean the opposite. "If you are a passenger, you don't feel in control of where you are heading or are not yet comfortable with the direction your life is taking," O'Connor wrote.
You'll want to try to recall where you were sitting in relation to the driver as this is also telling. The expert continued, "If you're sitting in the back seat, perhaps you are depending on another person to get where you want..."
Dreaming about someone breaking into your house
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Fifteen percent of the 2,000 Americans polled in a 2020 survey by Amerisleep reported having a recurring dream about intruders breaking into their homes.
Depending on where you live, you may have this concern in your waking life, but often these dreams are not literal.
An intruder in a dream "is often an inner psychological figure who may represent some shameful or unwanted part of ourself who is breaking into our consciousness," psychiatrist Richard J. Corelli wrote for Stanford University. "It is about to break into our awareness and then we will have to confront this unwanted aspect of ourself." The expert continued, writing that the person breaking in is a culmination of the worst parts of ourselves that we can become more aware of them and learn to accept these "vitally necessary parts."
Having dreams about someone breaking into your home may be frightening, but Corelli believes they're worth thinking about in waking life. "The intruder in the dream represents some part of ourself that we have kept outside our awareness for too long and now needs to be let in," he explained.
Dreaming about marrying someone
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What does it mean when wedding bells are ringing in your dreams? Well, much depends on whom you're marrying.
If you have a dream about marrying someone you wouldn't dare marry in your waking life, don't freak out. Dream analyst Lauri Loewenberg told Bustle that you'll want to "ask yourself what stands out about them to you." She continued, saying, "Maybe they are always volunteering and doing charitable work. That would likely be what they represent to you, in which case your subconscious is proposing the idea of ... being more charitable in your own life."
Even if you're already married in your waking life, you could have a dream that you're getting married again — and to someone other than your real-life partner. While this can hint toward dissatisfaction in your relationship, Loewenberg explained that it's more often about the dream figure's qualities. If the person is someone you know in waking life, think about their outstanding qualities. The dream expert said that "at least one of them is a quality you need to commit to 'til death do you part.'"
What do people's dreams say?
- Chris Baranyuk
- BBC Future
Image credit: Thinkstock
People have been writing down dreams for decades trying to understand their meaning.
But what can these archives of our night visions reveal about human thinking? And can modern technology help decipher them? The BBC Future reviewer is looking for answers to these questions.
Another day of World War II has come to an end. 36-year-old Lars (not his real name), a Hopi Indian, was getting ready for bed. His village was far from Europe, where there were devastating battles, but the inhabitants listened to radio reports every evening. And in a dream, Lars saw with his own eyes what he heard on the radio.
He was lying in bed and he dreamed of some European city that seemed to him like Paris, although he had never been there.
Wandering the streets, he saw that these places were badly damaged by the bombing. At first it seemed to Lars that he was in Paris, but then he suddenly realized with horror that the ruined city actually stands in a valley not far from where he lives.
- topcat2
- How to finally sleep?
- topcat2
Finally, the night vision faded, Lars woke up, and after a while the war ended.
Lars is long gone, but we know what he dreamed about that night. Moreover, we can peer into the dreams of hundreds of people from all over the world thanks to archives that record night visions of representatives of the Hopi people and other tribes.
Today, new collections of dreams are being compiled - several smartphone applications have been created for this purpose.
But what do such archives tell us about the meaning of dreams? And who even came up with the idea to start writing down dreams?
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Photo caption,Freudian dream interpretation seems to have fallen out of fashion, but many continue to search for meaning in the madness of dreams
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Probably, a person became interested in dreams as soon as he acquired the gift of coherent speech.
However, the first large-scale attempt to record dreams and make these records available to the public was undertaken only during the Second World War.
The half-forgotten dream archive was the brainchild of American psychologist Bert Kaplan, and its legacy has recently been reflected in a book by Harvard University (USA) researcher Rebecca Lemow entitled "Database of Dreams: A Forgotten Attempt to Catalog Human Dreams" (Database of Dreams: The Lost Quest to Catalog Humanity).
For many years, anthropologists have been collecting data for this project, interviewing tribal communities around the world.
Recordings of these conversations in the form of microcards were kept in archives located in various places.
The cards were printed in miniature type - in some cases more than a hundred pages were placed on one such card.
Magnifiers were used for reading, but this technology quickly became obsolete.
Today mankind has a huge opportunity to store information in digital format. Data is no longer required to be compressed - it is enough just to download it.
For eight years Lemov traveled to libraries, collecting crumbs of information for her book.
Sometimes such records remained untouched for decades, and in one case librarians even threw them into a landfill.
But when she managed to get access to the desired archives, the dreams of various people were revealed to her.
Dark clouds
For example, there was a story of a Lebanese woman suffering from typhus who imagined a beautiful plum, and her father took this plum from her in exchange for Turkish gold coins. These coins were then taken from her to pay the doctor.
"When I woke up and couldn't find my gold coins, I screamed," the woman told the scientists who spoke to her.
The inhabitants of the Pacific Islands once dreamed of one of their compatriots - a man who "went crazy" after the landing of US naval forces in this area, and one Indian woman dreamed of "flying in dark clouds", where she met her relative.
Everyone knows this: sometimes we have dreams that have meaning for us - in any case, we understand why we could dream them at all.
But very often some details of dreams confuse us or seem completely out of place.
"Dreams are not exactly remembered, they elude us," Lemov notes. "And I don't think technology can easily overcome this."
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Image caption,Violence is often a dream on a full moon. Or is it just a frightening coincidence?
But some still believe that technological progress can help us determine the meaning of dreams.
Applications such as Dreamboard and Shadow allow users to record their dreams.
Application developers, in turn, try to identify patterns and signals based on them in order to better understand what dreams are and what information can be gleaned from them.
However, as Shadow founder Hunter Lee Soik points out, it's not that easy.
The Shadow application, which has not yet reached the mass market, has been installed by about 10,000 beta users. Their dreams have already revealed some patterns.
But Soik emphasizes that no definitive conclusions can be drawn from the results obtained.
"In our very small sample, there has been an increase in dreams with erotic overtones or with scenes of violence during the full moon, and we have consistently received these results since the launch of the application," he says.
"But we're seeing this in a very, very small database, so I can't say by any means that it's true in all cases."
At this point, however, it is perhaps interesting to note any relationship - and one can understand why some are curious to explore this topic in more depth.
Developed by Soik, the application collects keywords from users' descriptions of their dreams, which allows you to identify patterns in individual countries and even around the world.
How many people in Japan dreamed about Godzilla yesterday? According to Soik, the Shadow application is able to give a rough answer to this question.
"Many people have nightmares, and they remember them well," he adds. "On the other hand, some people clearly dream about flying and doing all sorts of interesting things."
"Women have more actors in their dreams, and in general their night dreams are more lively and vivid - this is very entertaining."
Dream deciphering
After examining the data obtained by Soik, you involuntarily wonder: can people learn to decipher the meaning of dreams?
Neuropsychologist Patrick McNamara of the Boston University School of Medicine, USA, who is a consultant for the Dreamboard project, came up with this idea.
McNamara is interested in finding patterns in dreams - for example, figures and objects that have certain associations - and building a "dream code" on their basis.
"If we manage to collect enough of these code elements, we can understand whether dreams really matter," he says.
The scientist adds that there are great prospects for compiling more and more dream databases.
It's nice to know that such a breakthrough could happen in the near future. However, McNamara cautions that no such codes currently exist, and vehemently denies the plausibility of claims that anyone is supposedly able to interpret dreams.
"I'm not saying dreams don't matter, I'm saying we don't know it yet," he explains. "No single method of interpreting dreams has a scientific basis."
Image copyright, Getty
Image caption,Neurologists hope to soon be able to read our dreams using brain imaging
A group of Japanese scientists from the University of Tokyo recently described an algorithm for teaching a machine to establish relationships between certain patterns of brain activity and specific images .
This system, described in the prestigious American scientific journal Science, is able to "guess" what a person was dreaming about by monitoring the activity of his brain during sleep.
Still, dreams generated by the inexplicably working human brain are still one of the strangest and most inexplicable phenomena associated with man - despite the fact that billions of people have them every night.
The thought of being able to decipher dreams never ceases to haunt our minds, perhaps because dreams often appear to us as slits through which our deepest feelings and desires can be seen.
At the very least, Soik is convinced that the growing desire of people to share intimate information about themselves in general bodes well for the development of the science of dreams.
"We hope we can gain the trust of users so that they feel free to share [their dreams] more and more openly," he says.
"Everything we keep silent about, we keep to ourselves.
The more transparent we are, the more we can say about our dreams and understand their root causes and meaning."
Although there were no such breakthroughs during Bert Kaplan's lifetime, Lemov notes that many of the participants in the first phase of the Dream Database project treated this as a collection of information that could be useful to future generations.
"Some of the participants in the project in the 1950s saw it as a means rather than an end," she explains.
Maybe one day we will succeed. But for now, we're only dreaming.
Why do people talk in their sleep?
Content
- Why do people talk in their sleep? Causes of somniloquia
- How to stop talking in your sleep? Prevention measures
Statistics say that only 5% of adults and 30% of children have the ability to talk in their sleep. Probably each of us is familiar with at least one such person.
There is an opinion in society that during such a conversation one can blurt out all the secrets. There is no single answer from science. Some experts say that this is not true, others are sure that during sleep a person only talks about what really happened to him, and on the last day.
Everything would be fine, but sometimes people not only talk in their sleep, but also toss and turn a lot. This can interfere with a partner who is sleeping next to you. To solve this problem, you can buy an orthopedic mattress of a suitable type.
The only thing that is known for sure is that a person can say words or sentences during such phases of sleep: fast and slow.
Interestingly, in the first case, it is difficult to wake up a sleepwalker, and in the second case, it is very easy. Sometimes he himself can wake up from the sounds of his own voice, though he will not even guess that he said something.
By the way, scientists call conversations in a dream such a term as somnilokvia .
It appeared a very long time ago, because many years ago people were interested in unraveling the mystery of why people talk in their sleep. Despite the fact that modern sciences have gone far, the secrets of the human subconscious for the most part remain secrets, and therefore it is still impossible to pinpoint the reason for talking in a dream.
There is no single cause of somniloquia, as already mentioned, but there are several predisposing facts. So, researchers are sure that the tendency to talk in a dream, like sleepwalking, can be inherited.
They also claim that such a "habit" develops in those people who have increased excitability and emotional instability. They experience certain emotions (even positive ones) too much, as a result of which they cannot sleep peacefully at night, as a result of which the speech center is activated.
In addition, some diseases can lead to this condition. It has long been no secret that in a fever, patients often conduct monologues.
This can be provoked by strong drugs.
Sleep talking is a common occurrence in sleepwalking and nocturnal eating disorders. It is difficult to establish the causes of the disease, but there are a number of factors that can provoke somniloquia. why a person talks out loud in a dream is not easy to establish, there are a number of factors that can provoke somniloquy. For example:
- disease;
- fever;
- alcohol consumption;
- stress;
- mental disorders;
- depression;
- lack of sleep;
- sleep apnea;
- sleep walking;
- nightmares.
Somniloquia is much easier to explain in children. Most of them are prone to this specific disorder, and all due to the fact that they are actively learning about the world around them. This should not be feared, but you can only be glad that the baby is trying to understand the many new knowledge he received in one day.
