Wondering what that crazy dream you had could possibly mean? Don't let it keep you up at night. Dreams often reflect our inner world and can contain messages about others: maybe in ways, we could help them or warnings to stay away from them! Our dreams can connect us to deeper levels of our psyche, such as archetypal energies or deeper spiritual layers. In this article, we'll explore the common themes and meanings behind dreams featuring friends, drawing upon expert analysis to help you make sense of it all.
According to ancient dream lore, meeting friends in your dreams is a sign of impending good fortune.
Layne Dalfen, author of the Have a Great Dream books, is our in-house dream analyst who writes the Dream Catcher column. She draws upon her decades of experience to explore what a reader’s dream is trying to tell them.
The Role of Friends in Our Dreams
Friends typically play an important part in your life so, of course, they are going to meet you and you are going to meet them again and again in your dreams. Your dreams reflect on and draw inspiration from your real life. But while your friends might be a headliner in your dreams because you see them every day, their guest appearances - like everything else in dreams - may also carry some special meaning.
Even though our dreams are a personal conversation with our unconscious, there are commonalities in the images we experience. Jung called this the collective unconscious. The collective image bank contains archetypes. An archetype, as you'll recall, is a common pattern of experience that is shared by all people. Archetypes are useful because they communicate ideas that others can understand. These archetypes can help us to build a structure or based on the experiences of those who have been there before.
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But while your friends might be a headliner in your dreams because you see them every day, their guest appearances - like everything else in dreams - may also carry some special meaning. So what does it mean when you dream about your best friend? What does it mean when you dream about someone you know or have just met?
It feels good when a friend tells you that they dreamt about you, doesn’t it. It feels reassuring because you or something about you has inspired their dreaming mind to carry on your waking conversation at a deeper level. Although this is true to some extent the cold hard truth is that your friend hasn’t really been dreaming about you at all.
Most people assume that when someone appears in their dream, that the dream is about that person or is meant for that person. This is rarely the case. From a Jungian dream interpretation perspective people in dreams reflect your inner life, revealing aspects of your own personality.
Many professional dream decoders believe that the majority of people seen in dreams are a subjective representative rather than an objective one. Every person in your dreamworld throws some revealing light on some aspect of your inner world - be it your hopes and fears, or aspects of your personality that you need to control or cultivate. And this is especially the case with friends appearing in your dreams because many of us count our friends as our most significant and cherished relationships.
Naturally, there's a little bit more to it than that. So, to help you think along the right lines, here are some common dream themes featuring your true friends.
Read also: Decoding Common Dreams
In the Persian tradition, a friend in dreams announces spiritual problems, grief, and sorrow. The dream is positive if you receive a friend in your house, and it suggests good relationships with others. Friends in dreams can be omens of your past.
If you see friends in your dream, this indicates that you need to better relate to people around you. If you know the identity of the friend in your dream, you need to be able to look at the relationship with that person in order to find ways to improve it.
Dreams often reflect our inner world. They are a representation of the psychic space we inhabit in our inner world. Write down the details of your friend in your dreams, what was they doing and what can you learn from this dream.
Our dreams can contain messages about others: maybe in ways, we could help them or warnings to stay away from them!
Common Dream Scenarios and Their Interpretations
Dreaming of a Friend
Your dreaming mind projects aspects of yourself onto people you are close to in your waking life in order to make you aware of aspects of your character that are being neglected or which need to be developed. Think of your friend as a metaphor for something about you that you need to understand or integrate for your personal growth. To repeat: It’s really not about them. It’s all about you.
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Of course, different dream meanings apply depending on the friend. But in the majority of cases seeing a friend in a dream symbolizes some aspect of their personality that you may have avoided or rejected until now, but are ready to think about incorporating into your own life. For instance, a dream about your most organized friend might be a sign that you're ready to try to get a handle on the more out-of-control aspects of your work life. A dream about a friend with a great sense of humor may be a signal to inject more fun into your personal life and soon.
Pay particular attention to how the friend in your dream behaves. If they interact with you in a familiar way this suggests you feel at ease with yourself. If, however, they act out of character or act oddly, your dreaming mind is alerting you to an aspect of yourself you feel uneasy with.
Dreaming of Your Best Friend
Should your best friend make a cameo in your night vision this has a very similar interpretation to dreaming about one of your friends as outlined above. Just add an extra big energy boost to that interpretation. Your dreaming mind is using the symbol of your very best friend to boldly underline the point that you really, really need to notice or integrate some quality that your best friend has.
Dreaming of an Acquaintance
Were you worried that you could only suss out the meaning of very close friends in your dreams, because you know them so well? Well, fear not - it’s also possible to decode the meaning of that dream you keep having about Dawn from Accounts Receivable (her name is Dawn, right?).
Whereas dreams about your best friends are in your face, dreams about acquaintances or people you barely know or have just met, are more like a gentle nudge. They are reminding you that there are still significant parts of yourself you have yet to get to know better - you know, like Dawn. No, wait, her name is Emily! Oh god, did I ever call her Dawn to her face?
Dreaming of a Childhood Friend
Dreaming about the kids you used to play "Bombardment" with? Any dream that points back to your childhood in some way is highly significant. It is during childhood that we develop our personalities and become socialised. So if you are dreaming of childhood friends this isn’t nostalgia. Your dreaming mind is taking you right back to your childhood to focus on lessons you learned, or failed to learn then and these lessons may be relevant to your current situation.
Childhood friends can also indicate a desire to be more spontaneous and carefree. Perhaps you want to escape the rules and responsibility of your adult life? They can also signify feelings that you have recently been acting in an immature manner, but it's probably the first one, right?
In short, add a little more spontaneity and laughter into your daily life. Your inner child is feeling starved of it.
The dream is lucky if the childhood friend was somebody that you wanted to see. If you dream of your childhood friends at school and this can suggest peace and comfort in your daily life. Hopefully future is as promised if you are dreaming of a childhood best friend. Often we sometimes reconnect with our past when we are feeling worried about the future. What are you worrying about?
Dreaming of a Long-Lost Friend
Sometimes your dreaming mind throws into your mind friends you rarely think about or have long forgotten. Is this a sign that you want to get back in touch with them or that you should get in touch with them? In the overwhelming majority of instances, no.
Their appearance in your dream scene is a metaphor for some neglected or forgotten aspect of yourself that you'd like to reconnect with or could benefit from reconnecting with. A hobby you put aside? A course of study you gave up on? Those Skype tap-dancing classes that you just stopped showing up for? It could be anything, really.
To dream of a long-lost friend whereby there was no conflict can indicate happy and productive living. It is a sign of new responsibilities and relationships are coming your way. If the long-lost friend is featured positively in the dream then this is a sign that you will enjoy the company of others.
Dreaming of a Former Friend
Your dreaming mind may also reunite you with someone you would rather not think about. That person isn’t in your life anymore for a good reason. Perhaps you purposely lost contact with them or they cut you out of their life. It happens!
If you have this kind of dream it represents a lesson that you still haven’t quite learned from the break up. You need to see if you can apply what you learned from a failed relationship to a current relationship or situation or issue you have. On the other hand, dreaming about ex friends can also mean simply that you've recently encountered something or someone in your waking life that reminded you of them - maybe something pleasant, like a band you both liked, or maybe something more negative, like the issue that ended your friendship.
The former friend could be there is a way for you to repair the damage in your relationship. There is a reason why this was a former friend. If you just lost touch with a friend and it could mean that you may need to rekindle the relationship.
Dreaming of a Dying Friend
Dreaming that someone you care about is dying or dead can be really alarming. You may wake up in the morning urgently wanting to check that they are okay.
Rest assured, real life isn’t like the movies. You haven’t had a premonition. Premonitions can and do happen and I explored this exceedingly rare phenomenon in a book I co-authored with neuroscientist, Dr Julia Mossbridge called The Premonition Code, but there are sure-fire signs that distinguish those kinds of dreams from symbolic dreams and they are about a potential future, the future is not fixed. So, you don’t have some secret inside information about your friend's health.
Typically, your friend is in the dream to inform you that a certain aspect of yourself is dying within you or that you are anxious about it dying. This dream could also indicate that your friendship with this person is changing or needs to adapt in some way.
To dream of a friend dying may represent your feelings about an impending change, loss, or failure of an aspect of yourself that feels good being supportive. Consider what qualities stand out the most about that friend and how that quality may be lacking or suffering in your life at the moment.
Dreaming of somebody dying is never an easy dream to handle. Through no fault of your own try to make sure that you do not get into trouble with other people if you had a dream of a dying friend. Everything normally has a beginning and an end and if you dream of dying a friend it can point towards a new start in the relationship this is generally a positive omen.
If you are a man you dream of as a dying friend it can often represent that you are feeling nervous in your social relationships, and you might be confronted with a momentous decision when it comes to your relationships in waking life. If you are a female you're dreaming of a dying friend then it can mean transformation, pleasant and successful predictions going forward. Perhaps this is a new clean slate and it foretells that you will be prepared in relationships going forward.
Dreaming of Hooking Up With A Friend
There are few dreams more unnerving than the "sleeping with a friend whom I only have platonic feelings for" dream (well, the "all my teeth fell out" one is pretty unnerving, too). Dreams about hooking up with a friend that you really and truly only like as a friend typically just symbolize that they have some personal quality that you'd like to make part of your own life. It might even just symbolize how close you feel to your friend - after all, when are you more vulnerable than when you are getting intimate?
So just try your best to take it all in stride. You really don’t secretly fancy them in that way. Your dreaming mind has simply latched onto something about them, some quality they have or something they do, that you really need to get into you.
To dream of sleeping with a friend or having a "relationship" when you don't have this type of relationship in waking life can be quite shocking the dream. We've got to remember that our friends are quite close to us in the dream, therefore to dream that you are sleeping with a friend can suggest that this is a repressed desire for either of you. Therefore sleeping with a friend in a dream can indicate that you might feel you want to connect with them more.
I also must say that this dream is a connection of love. Touch itself is a reaffirmation of your love for another person. Love can come in all different shapes and sizes. Everything is probally okay in your relationship and this dream does represent that you have deep feelings for your friend.
Next time you are with your friend look at the body language as this suggests whether you trust your friend or not perhaps one of you doesn't feel friendship is strong enough to allow the other one to truly express their emotions.
Other Scenarios:
- A sick friend: means that you will avoid danger.
- A faraway friend: appearing in your dream is a sign that he or she is sick or is in trouble.
- A calm and content friend: the dream tells you to expect news from this person any time soon.
- A female friend: suggests your reciprocal feelings in friendship, but also in love.
- An old friend that you have not seen for a long time: is a sign that you will soon meet with friends from your past, but not necessarily with the one you dreamed about.
- An upset friend: in your dream is a herald of illness and suffering.
- A friend looking like an animal: means that, because of some enemies, you will separate from close people.
- A friend wearing red clothes: means worry and anxiety for your relatives.
- A friend seen at a high altitude: tells that you will have lots of things to solve if you want to prove that you are correct.
- Departing from a friend’s house: it is a sign that the cause of some quarrels will lead to dubious pleasures.
Specific Dream Examples and Interpretations
Here are some specific dream examples and their interpretations:
- Dream: "I have a friend I lost touch with over the past two years since her husband initiated an emotional affair with me. In the dream, she is at her engagement party. She is very short, which I notice because when we hug, she reaches my chest. It feels so familiar and warm."
- Interpretation: This dream may indicate that you recently felt that someone or something familiar to you is different or changed from what you are accustomed to. It could also reflect your personal growth and realization that someone isn't the right choice for you.
- Dream: "I dreamed that I was standing on land as a good friend of mine was on a boat that kept flipping over. She always managed to get it to resurface and stay afloat. But whenever I turned around, thinking she was fine, the boat would flip and pull her under again. When I went to try and help, it was all okay again! This kept happening over and over."
- Interpretation: This dream underlines our powerlessness to change another person or their situation. There is some solace in this lesson, because we're ultimately absolved of any responsibility in the outcome. Freedom comes for those who keep this in mind and remain an observer, as opposed to a meddler.
Table of Dream Scenarios and Interpretations
| Dream Scenario | Possible Interpretation |
|---|---|
| Dreaming of a friend | Reflects aspects of your own personality that need attention or integration. |
| Dreaming of your best friend | Highlights a quality in your best friend that you need to incorporate into your life. |
| Dreaming of a childhood friend | Indicates a desire for more spontaneity and carefree behavior. |
| Dreaming of a dying friend | Signals the end of a phase in your life or a need for change in the friendship. |
| Dreaming of a long-lost friend | A metaphor for some neglected or forgotten aspect of yourself that you'd like to reconnect with or could benefit from reconnecting with. |
| Dreaming of a former friend | Represents a lesson that you still haven’t quite learned from the break up. |
| Dreaming of hooking up with a friend | Symbolizes a quality in that friend that you admire and want to integrate into your own life. |
Questions to Ask Yourself
As a rule of thumb whenever a buddy pops up in your dreams you need to immediately ask yourself probing questions like these:
- What in a single word describes my current opinion of my friend?
- What is my friend doing in my dream that I am doing (or not doing) in my waking life?
- What do I admire about them?
- What do I envy about them?
- What do I really feel about them?
- What can they teach me?
Your friend is chosen for symbolic reasons. We all come to associate certain friends with certain characteristics or actions. Consider what those associations reflect or say about you. If you can listen to your dream friends they may be able to help you deal with any conflict and confusion you are experiencing in your waking life, and help you grow up as a person too.
Here are other questions to consider:
- Perhaps the friend’s voice reminds you of someone else.
- How would you describe this friend to someone who doesn’t know her?
- Do you know anyone else with similar characteristics or qualities?
- Or, try asking yourself if you know someone who is in a similar situation (metaphorically) to the one in the dream.
- Might this dream be a picture of your own fluctuations on a certain subject or relationship?
Is it a reminder of someone you know or a warning to you to be assertive and not just passive?
To dream of a real-life friend represents a quality in yourself based on your most honest feelings about them. Negatively, dreaming about real-life friends may represent conflicts, misunderstandings, or unresolved issues that are currently affecting you.
To dream of having a friend that you've never seen before may represent feelings of support, assistance, and help being received in a new situation. A supportive or cooperative aspect of yourself. Your projection of a situation or arrangement that is beneficial to you. Feeling optimistic about enduring a problem situation.
WHEN SOMEONE APPEARS IN YOUR DREAMS, IT MEANS...!! @psychologyexpertsays
Dreams often reflect our inner world. Houses of friends in dreams are a representation of the psychic space we inhabit in our inner world and the relationship we have with them. How does the situation that you dream about relate to your current friendship?