Why Do We Dream About People?

Dreaming About… Strangers

This one is interesting. Sometimes it may be scary to dream about people you don’t know at all, but hey – they say, seeing strangers signifies positive changes in your life! You are likely to be open to something new and fulfilling at this stage in your life, so watch out for success. On the other hand, dreaming about strangers that you don’t like may reveal your hidden fears and petty concerns, especially when these strangers appear as a crowd.

Dreaming About… Relatives

Now this is where we can’t do without a bit of Freud, can we? On the surface, dreaming about your immediate family may rather result from your regular communication with them and be the reflection of your relationships. It is likely that dreaming about negative events reveal your true concerns, while being happy and careless stands for either your hopes or quiet mind.

Particular relatives in your dreams are known to signify certain qualities of your personality or behavior. For example, dreaming about your parents stands for being or wanting to be protected, cared for, or directed; your siblings is your vulnerable and sensitive side not devoid of a certain sense of rivalry; grandparents stand for your connection to your home, family traditions and security; extended relatives like cousins, aunties, etc. are more directly related to your personal traits.

Dreaming About… the Dead

Why do we dream about people who are deceased? It’s not that creepy as it may seem, and you shouldn’t be scared of it unless the dead come to you in a nightmare (and even then, you may have watched too many horror movies).

Dead people who were good to you during their lives may signify your longing to have them back or simply your impression of your past relations. If you see a dead person whom you didn’t like, it’s likely to stand for your current sense of insecurity and fears about your future. Of course, some of these dreams may be too realistic up to the point where you start to see it as an omen. However, it’s only true when you believe in it, which in this case is more about the power of your imagination rather than mysticism.

Dreaming About… Your Sweetheart

This ability to actually dream about the people we love or fancied in the past accounts for so many beautiful verses! Probably, we are then too spoiled by poetry if we want to believe in the supernatural powers of such dreams. Alas, there’s quite a plain explanation: it’s all about our own perceptions of ourselves and our image with other people. Watch out for the signs that point to your anxiety, phobia, unfulfilled desires, haunting memories, or passion for life. Probably, you could find a way out of a complicated situation or take courage and reveal your feelings to the one you have a crush on.

It rings particularly true about ‘sex dreams’. Why do we dream about people in situations that involve flirt or intimacy? In most cases, they mean you are overlooking your own needs and desires, including the need for physical gratification. Regardless of whom you have sex with in your dream – be it your favorite movie star or your ugly schoolmate – it has nothing to do with your real-life preferences, only your sexual appetite in its pure form.

Remember we talked about keeping your dream journal? Apart from getting to know yourself better, there’s another benefit of this rewarding routine – lucidity. This beautiful word stands for a super power that is actually within everyone’s reach: the power to control your dreams.

If you have ever come across the film Waking Life (2001), you might be puzzled by its topic. You may be puzzled even more knowing there’s a whole movement of lucid dreamers investigating the limits of their sleeping reality. If you fancy becoming one of them, there are a few initial points to consider.

Why do we dream about people is a good question for a waking you, but try to ask it within your dream! Actually, the key to achieving lucidity in your dreams is realizing that you are dreaming at the moment. This is where your dream journal may come handy. First, by detailing your dreams every now and then you will start to see recurring themes and haunting subjects that appear regularly. Try to make notice of them and then – when seeing them next time in your dream – remind yourself of their dream nature. The result? By getting aware of actually being in a dream, it would be possible for you to wake up within it!

Getting hold of your own actions in your dream is powerful. Some lucid dreamers use their dream space to realize their real-life ambitions, or to turn their dreaming reality into a wonderful mess of absurd and magic, or – most importantly – to study their own personality. The choice is yours!