People in Dreams: What Does it Mean to Dream About Someone?
Did you have a dream about someone you know? You very likely have seen friends, family members, neighbors, co-workers and other people appear in your dreams. Maybe you have even had a dream about a mysterious person who you have never met!
People in our dreams are very common. When you consider that most of us talk to other humans every day of our lives, it’s not surprising that people would make an appearance in our dreams!
When we understand what these dreams mean, we can use this insight to help us with our own personal development, our careers, our relationships with others and more!
Today we’ll share a little bit about how you can understand what your dream about a person might mean,
What Does it Mean to Have Dreams About Someone?
The best way to understand the people in our dreams is to imagine them as characters in a story.
We’ve already talked about dreams as stories on our site, and so if you think of your dream as having a setting and a plot, of course it will have characters! Our family, friends, and even complete strangers may appear in a dream as characters in a dream. They often appear as actors and actresses playing a specific role.
These people in our dreams as actors and actresses can play various roles and represent many different things in dreams. Sometimes they symbolize a particular character archetype – other times they are in a starring role as your own self!
Being able to see this person as simply a player on the screen makes it a lot easier to understand what they might symbolize in the dream, or if the dream could be about something important for us to know.
The Three Types of People as Characters in Our Dreams
The people in our dreams typically fall into one of three primary roles. Here are some common ways characters present themselves in various roles in dreams.
Characters Starring as Themselves:
This is most common when you have recent experiences involving the person. This person is “fresh in your mind” still, so it is not uncommon that you might have stirred up some thoughts and feelings associated with the person.
Dream Examples:
- You dream of your significant other after experiencing an argument.
- You dream of someone who recently called you on the phone
- You dream of a person you saw unexpectedly while running errands the day before
Occasionally, you may also have a precognitive dream about a person. Before you panic, most dreams are not literal in nature. If you dream of someone dying for example, this is more likely a symbol of a person changing than actual death.
It is also completely possible to have dreams of a person that communicate a specific message. For example, one time I dreamed of a friend having the baby she was expecting – sure enough I woke up to find out around the time I had this dream she had texted me to let me know!
We can also have dreams about people who are passed on. I have had many dreams about people who have died, and in many of these they are what I call Visitation Dreams. These dreams have some very clear characteristics that make it easy to recognize when you are truly communicating with someone who is passed on compared to a simple release dream that is expressing thoughts and emotions.
If the person is currently alive in real life, it’s also completely possible that you and another person are sharing a dream experience. In those cases, you might talk to a friend and find out you both had the exact same dream with each other. This is most likely if you are both very vivid dreamers and at least one of you has the ability to lucid dream.
While all of these dream scenarios are totally possible, they are not very common for most people. I have only had a few instances of shared dreams with others, but I’ve probably had thousands of dreams about people.
Make sense? Good! Let’s move onto understanding people in our dreams as symbols.
People and Characters in Our Dreams as Symbols
Most of the time, the people in our dreams are actually symbols. They can be symbols for a specific thing or even our own emotions.
Dream Examples:
- Dreaming of a distant cousin may symbolize feeling distant in situations in life.
- Dreaming of your friend who is a nurse may mean you feel like you need some nurturing and care in your life
- Dreaming of someone who used to live in New York when you have plans to travel to NYC next week
When you dream of a person and you are pretty sure they are there as a symbol, it can be helpful to think of your own personal associations with the person or try to identify them as one of the 12 character archetypes. This can help give you some insight on what the dream means.
Someone in a Dream as an Aspect of Yourself
Characters featured in your dreams many times may even star as YOU. This may be very surprising for people, but someone has to play a part for you in a dream! This is where people step in to play as actors and actresses.
Someone in a dream playing a role as you is especially true if it is someone from the past or someone you do not recognize.
Dream Examples:
- You dream of a former co-worker, representing the career/professional aspect of yourself.
- You dream of a stranger as a cashier while shopping in a dream – the stranger represents you looking at your current choices to make a decision.
In most dreams, these characters either symbol an external force or very likely some aspect of yourself or your own life.
Questions to Ask to Understand the Meaning of People in Your Dreams
To better understand the characters and people in your dreams, it helps you answer some questions about them.
This will help you to identify what type of dream character they represent, as well as help you better relate the meaning of the dream into waking life.
Here are Some Questions About the Person You May Want to Ask
- Name – Does their name have any special meaning or significance?
- Age – How old are they in the dream?
- Relationship to You – How do you know this person?
- Physical Characteristics – What do you notice about the person’s appearance?
- Personality Traits – What is their personality like?
- Choose 3 Words to describe to the character in the dream.
- What profession or role in life does this person have?
- What is this person’s archetype symbol? {See our post on character archetypes for a list of different character roles and personality traits}
- What mood or emotions did the person make you feel?
Answering these questions about characters will help you make associations and identify whether the person is a symbol, a representation of a part of yourself, or if the character is playing the role of themselves in the dream.
If you are wondering what it means to dream of someone, learning about how people present themselves in dreams can be very helpful. Often times when you ask the questions we listed above it and think about current events in our lives, it becomes very clear on why this person might be appearing in our dreams!
Want to Learn More About Understanding the Meaning of Your Dreams?
You might want to check out these resources on our website:
- How to Start Interpreting Your Dreams
- How to Create a Dream Journal
- Ways to Remember Your Dreams
- What Nightmares Mean & How to Stop Them
Do you have any dreams of people you would like to know more about? Share your thoughts and dream experiences in the comments section below!
I dreamt i was on holiday with my sister.we stopped at a hotel to get a meal my car got stolen and she got drunk and didnt care.i made her walk the streets looking for my car.she was so happy and i had to hold her up while we sesrched but never found the car
I dreamt last night I was with my dad at his house, we were talking about a family member who is ill, then a larger then normal robin appeared in the room, ( my mum always loved robins).
I remember some of the feathers were sticking out just like my mums hair use to. I looked at the bird and said “mum?” The bird started to nod, I then asked the bird if they knew wot was happening? And again the bird nodded, I then asked if she will be there to meet this person when the time comes? She looked me in the eyes and nodded. The bird then lent forward and pulled a peace of wool from my jumper and dropped it, like my mum would of down if she had seen something on me. Then lent forward again and put her beak over the bridge of my nose and said “ I love you” then went over to my dad who was sat in shock and did the same, then it vanished.
Was this a visitation dream do you think ? X
I haven’t seen this guy I liked in 35 years I always like him I had a dream I talked on phone a short time and I remembered his voice I forgot what he looks like lol
Hi! I have a dream recently, in that dream i have a super powers and the people that i didn’t know want to finish my life. But i escape in that place. And then I ride on a jeeepney then someone that i really know is with me. And then he is a guy and he’s my friend. Then after that ride we both walk. He proctecting me to the people around us. But then he saw a girl then He live me. After that I wake up. And i cant understand what was that dream about?
My high school friend has cancer we haven’t seen each other aftr high school graduation but we were good friends.. I got message from her last night that she dreamed of me few days ago, she said in her dream we simply hugged. m 38 now
I dreamt of my loved one….. We were in club and he was not talking with me….he was ignoring me…I felt so sad about that….so I went back from there. In second situation …I was looking for him…..I wanted to meet him…..I tried a lot bt it didn’t work…..n I noticed his name everday somewhere….I am not able to interpret what this means.
I dreamt whilst at an amusement park, I ran into someone who was once a friend but I cut contact with and havnt seen/spoken too in a year, we were wandering the park together and he found his twin/doppelganger, they embraced then we walked away, whilst walking away my singlet slipped and my breasts were exposed.
This person has shown up in a few dreams thus far and am struggling to figure out what they represent/symbolise
I have been dreaming of an unknown person for quite sometime now. Started when I was in 8th grade and I am in 2nd year college now. He just randomly shows up on my dream, and I cant really remember his face the moment I woke up. But the more he shows the more I can figure out the details of his face. I am just curious who could it be, cause I am pretty sure I haven’t met him yet.
For the past year I have been having dreams about my childhood best (from five years ago) and I dating, and in these dreams it’s always set in the future, also in the dreams he plays as his self.
Thank you so much! That was helpful
Last night I had a dream of my neighbor and she died! Woke up and the coroner was there? What the heck? The same lady passed n my dreams! Weird?
Hi Sloane, see our post on Visitation Dreams, this happens a lot more often than you might think!
Why I am appering in most of my friends and co workers dreams
I saw my ex at the beach recently and messaged him if he wanted to meet. I then had a dream he and his friends were on holiday and me and my best friend were also on holiday there and I spoke to him and he pretty much told me he hates me. is this my own anxiety fearing he hates me or does he actually hate me?
I had a dream where I was in a darkroom with one of my ex-coworker from my former company. She was wearing a golden colored brocade dress and despite the fact that it was dark, I could still see her. I really felt peaceful and was comfortable in her company. Later I saw bright lights coming from the houses on the mountains far away. I wanted to take a picture of it so I grabbed my cellphone to take a picture but the camera did not work.
Hi my dream was about someone about my age asking for my number. (I am in high school). I was walking in my grandma’s building and it looked like it was winter cause we had our coats on. In real life it is summer though. I walked into the elavator but the door did not close. It was not because it was not working t just happened in the dream. The guy walked in and said my number is 929 ….. and i could not hear the rest cause of how quiet he was. I then looked to the right of me and suddenly it had said his snapchat username on the wall. In my dream it seemed like this was normal and I said I would add him on snapchat. I still remember the username. it was something like mrindonesian.I know my dream is weird so it might be hard to tell the meaning of.
I dreamed about a guy who was also in my other dream and in the first dream, I liked him but not really, he was just so outgoing and we were kinda friends, then in my next dream, we were getting kinda close and I had a crush on him then I was so clingy to him and we get along so fine now then he confessed to me with a ring, actually, we are I think in college or senior high or what, then I confessed too so we both got in a relationship then like I really liked him, he had these qualities that I like in a guy, he was Japanese, tall , cute, outgoing and friendly, he was the first friend I had in the vball club since both liked volleyball, we were also classmates and we were in 2nd year, despite all of these I’ve never met this man my whole life. Like never.
I keep having these reoccurring dreams of my old FWB(friends with benefits). I’m not sure why. It’s been almost two years since I’ve slept with him. I also am in a relationship that makes me so happy, and we plan on getting married. But at least 3 times a week my ex fwb is in my dreams. Last night it was about
Me and him going to a drive in movie theater and we were cuddling and watching this movie. Holding hands and what not. Most dreams are like this. I’m just not sure why they keep happening. Please help!
I have Dreams Where I Relive The Day I Just Had – And There Is An Extra Person I Never Met – But Know Everything About Me. I Don’t Know What It Means Please Help.
I had a dream that i was at the dentist, and it was a friend of mine that was the dentist. This is a friend that i have not seen or spoken to this friend for about 4 years so its very strange that they popped into my dream. I had not been thinking about them recently either. It was a very vivid dream which is why it seems strange.
I dream of a person very tym but when I woke up I forgot his name n face completely today also I dreamt of him can u tell me what to do to find him ?
I had a dream early this morning about a basketball player named Lebron James and I don’t even understand why. I never think about this guy and I never watch basketball. So I don’t know why and I don’t even begin to understand how he appeared in my dream when I don’t know him at all. It was like I was watching him on the court playing with his teammates and then on the big screen his basketball I.D. showed a picture of him when he younger – it made my dream seem as if he has passed on and everyone including me was watching a remembrance video of him or something of that nature. It was a little confusing to me because my dream had a sad song playing as if he had died, if so then I wouldn’t know how he died or what happened to him. But this whole dream was a bit perplex.
Hi Jenique, without knowing much about basketball myself, LeBron James is a legend to many. If it were my dream, I would ask if I was in the defense about anything in my current life or if there is anyone else currently legendary in my life, such as a close parent, grandparent or other relative I might be currently worrying about.
I dreamnt of sharing the marble i was eating hurriedly with my crush ……..i was eating it in a way to finish it as fast as possible …but as i saw my crush only one was left and i gave it to him and he ate it what does it mean ?
What does it mean why a friend’s husband has a vivid dream about my fiance who I have not heard from in two weeks. Her husband dreamt head come home outside and it was so real. Could it be because they hope he comes home to me too?
I dreamed of a lady friend who I am quite fond of sharing time with my family and they have never met before. Is this a future event?
I have had a few dreams that included someone that I had dated briefly. In the dreams he ignores me completely. In reality I don’t think about this person and I find it odd that he shows up in my dreams. When we dated we had a great connection however it was just bad timing. I have since moved on and am in a committed relationship. I have not seen or spoken to him in a few years. Do you have any insight as to why he’s popping in my dreams out of nowhere?
My wife and I had an argument, didn’t speak all day and went to bed separately. I had a dream that we were in a foreign country, at a basketball court. Two separate men wanted to play a game, I was thinking that I was going to dominate these guys, but thought my wife, athletic and competitive, I would take on my team. When I turned around she was dribbling a ball and getting ready. She was focused on competition, and thought she should’ve been embarrassed, but I was still upset with her. All males on the court were watching. The second time I looked, she had shorts on. I was going to offer my shirt, and the third time I looked, she had someone else’s shirt on.
My husband dreamt Prince Phillip (our Queen’s husband) came to stay with us in our own home as “recuperation” and we were chosen – his assistant told us – because “I had done such a good job looking after my elderly dad” !!! In the dream he said we had a police car on standby outside our house and lots of gadgetry fitted on the TV and around the house to aid the Prince’s stay, which was expected to last three days!! What does it all mean?? My husband said when Prince Phillip spoke during this dream “it really did sound like him”!!!
Hi Janet! Your husband would be the best interpreter of the dream but one technique to better understand why we dream the things we do is to think of the people in our dreams as actors playing characters in the dream. If it were my dream, I would ask myself if there is anything happening in my current life that is of great importance or value that needs to be taken care of. Our post on character archetypes in dreams may also be helpful in understanding the role of royalty and care taking.
You may also want to look at these other dream symbols:
Queen Dream Meaning
What it Means to Dream of Numbers
Hope that helps!