How to Interpret Dreams About People

Many dreams don't make sense at first.

Often, having dreams that you do not understand can be frustrating and confusing. Interpreting your dreams may help you decipher the messages your subconscious mind may be trying to send you. People in dreams can represent you (literally), characteristics you wish to acquire or goals that you have. However, the most important aspect of interpretation is what you think the dream means. Although outside resources may point to a single interpretation of your dreams, remember that you are the dreamer: only you can truly understand the message.

Things You'll Need

• Pen
• Paper

Instructions

1. Write down any dreams about people as soon as you wake up. Be as detailed as possible. Describe everything that happened in the dream, including what happened to the person and how it made you feel.

2. Determine if the person is someone that you know -- this may point to strong feelings you have for this person, or something that they represent to you. Consider the events that occurred to a person you didn't recognize -- the events may be what's important in the dream, and not the person.

3. Consider the race, age and gender of the person -- if they share these characteristics with you, the person may represent you. Write down your feelings about the person if they do not share your characteristics -- for instance, dreaming of an old woman may represent your fears of aging.

4. Ask yourself if the person is living or dead -- dead people in dreams can represent feelings about death, or goals and relationships that were abandoned.

5. Consider how you feel when the dream is over -- feelings about dreams are often underrated, but can tell you a great deal about the messages your subconscious may be sending to you. Decide whether you feel positively or negatively towards the people in the dream -- they may represent traits that you feel good or bad about in yourself.

6. Repeat these steps for several nights. Determine if you are having the same dream frequently -- this may indicate unresolved issues that your mind is trying to address.

Tips & Warnings

• Dreams often come with nonsensical details, and no one is sure why. These details may not be important if they do not reoccur over several dreams. Disregard them and focus on the individuals who do come up frequently -- people dreams can be powerful, and interpreting them correctly can help solve stubborn problems in your life.

References

• "I Had the Strangest Dream...: The Dreamer's Dictionary for the 21st Century"; Kelly Sullivan Walden; 2006