What Does It Mean When You Dream About Someone? Experts Weigh In

When dreams are wildly fantastical, peppered with mythical creatures and fictional settings, you probably shrug them off as figments of an active imagination.

But when you dream about someone or something rooted in your reality, you might assign meaning to the night visions.

Scientifically speaking, there's no evidence to confirm that when you dream about someone, it means they're thinking of you.

That said, the theory of Jungian Psychoanalysis and other depth psychologies1 do suggest that the people you see in your dreams are psychological symbols created by our unconscious minds. 

"Let's say that I have a dream about my boss at work. My boss represents an emotional or psychological concept that my mind is wrestling with in the night," Lyon explains the studied concept.

"For most people, seeing your boss symbolizes ideas of power, authority, and leadership (or if you have a bad boss, repression, judgment, and criticism). By seeing my boss in my dreams, my mind is trying to figure out how I can improve my own qualities of leadership and authority in my life!"

From a spiritual perspective, while dreaming of another person doesn't necessarily mean they're thinking of you, New York City–based medium, intuitive, and dream interpreter Amanda Lieber says humans are innately telepathic and constantly sending and receiving messages to and from other people.

Experts have shared psychological meanings and spiritual implications of when a person dreams about someone they know.

Figuring out which explanation you subscribe to can be tricky because dreams are so complex, and while there are scientific studies that support or challenge different claims, more research needs to be done on the topic.

Whether you're more scientific than spiritual or vice versa, we know that everyone dreams and you're bound to dream about someone you know sometimes.

The not knowing is also what makes speculating over what it means when you dream about a specific someone so fun. 

Below, a list of common instances of dreaming of someone and what they could mean:

1. Dreaming of an ex

A common misconception about dreaming about an ex is that you miss them or want to get back together with them. This could be true (only you know how you feel about this person), but according to Lyon, dreaming about an ex can also symbolize a piece of your romantic and sexual history or a trauma or pain from the past you've yet to work through. 

"By dreaming about [an ex], your mind is trying to heal from that past pain and reviewing your past love experiences so that it can learn how to avoid the same red flags in your next romantic partner," Lyon explains. "Your mind is metaphorically reviewing the tapes like a football player who reviews a previous game so that it can learn and be better next time."

2. Dreaming about someone who's not alive

Lieber tells mbg that, from a spiritual perspective, dreams about a deceased loved one are considered "spirit visitations" and usually come bearing a divine meaning. "They're reminders that our loved ones are at peace and always with us."

From a psychological perspective, Lyon says that dreaming about a loved one who died is a way for your mind to remember the wisdom and impact they had on your life.

For example, you might dream about a grandmother or grandfather who has passed away at times when you would have normally sought out their advice. Lyon explains, "By dreaming about them, your mind may be asking you what advice they would give to help you navigate the difficult situation you currently find yourself in."

3. Dreaming of a co-worker

It depends on the context of the dream. Dream analyst Lauri Loewenberg previously told mbg that the most common co-worker dreams she hears about involve romance or intimacy.

This could mean you have a crush on your co-worker, you'd like to work with them more closely, or you admire things about them. 

4. Dreaming about someone you do not favor

Dreaming about someone you don't like might sound more nightmarish than dreamy, but Lyon said your visions might not have anything to do with the person in question.

Instead, it might represent internal struggles you have within yourself. For instance, if you dream about someone you find "full of themselves," Lyon said your mind might be trying to grapple with your own self-centeredness.

5. Dreaming about a celebrity

If you're dreaming about a celebrity in a romantic sense, Lowenberg told mbg you're likely looking for traits they possess in a partner.

But, if the celebrity sighting is more random, she prompts you to think about what you associate said celebrity with, like a song or movie. "You associate them with something relevant to your life," she explains. "They can also represent the part of you that wants recognition and applause."

6. Repeat dreams

"This is a call to action," Lieber tells mbg off the bat, stressing that if you have a dream about someone repeatedly, your subconscious will not rest until your conscious mind gets the message it's sending.

"In this case, it's important to journal about your dream and uncover its nuanced meaning so that you can move forward in a healthy way," she urges.

Note: While it's fun to explore dream interpretation and speculate over what dreaming about someone you know or who has passed could mean, Lyon warns that believing these concepts to be absolutely true could be potentially detrimental to a person's mental health. 

"It's important that we know our minds are a safe and healthy place for us to heal," Lyon says and cautions that the idea that, when you dream about someone, it means they're thinking of you, could lead to ridiculous implications if we assume them to be true. "If I dream of Taylor Swift, does that mean she is thinking about me? Of course not! She has no idea who I am!"

A dream is an equal parts psychological and neurological phenomenon2. Dream interpreter Jesse Lyon M.S., CCHt, Q.S., LMHC, defines it as a "unique altered state of consciousness" during which the prefrontal cortex of the brain rests, shutting down all of the body's sensory inputs, and the other parts of the brain remain very active processing the data that was collected in our waking hours.

"By reducing the amount of activity in the prefrontal cortex, we become less critical, judgmental, and analytical, instead allowing our mind to process our experiences, without this conscious filter getting in the way," Lyon explains. 

He goes on to specify the two core tasks the brain sets out to accomplish while you're sleeping: Create new pathways in the brain and deepen existing neural pathways. Dreams result from these processes, and dream analysis helps you understand the personal developments or challenges that are taking place to help you grow. 

When you dream about someone, it doesn't mean they are thinking of you.