Why do dream about my ex

Yes No. Heather Wright Pathologist MD. Kahn, D. Dreaming and waking consciousness: A character recognition study. Journal of Sleep Research, 9 4 , — Coutts, R. Variation in the frequency of relationship characters in the dream reports of singles: A survey of 15, visitors to an online dating website. Comprehensive Psychology, 4, Zhang, W. Frontiers in Psychology, 9. Nir, Y. Dreaming and the brain: From phenomenology to neurophysiology. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 14 2 , 88— Black, J.

Comforting versus distressing dreams of the deceased: Relations to grief, trauma, attachment, continuing bonds, and Post-Dream reactions. Ruby, P. Experimental research on dreaming: State of the art and neuropsychoanalytic perspectives. Frontiers in Psychology, 2. Nielsen, T. Immediate and delayed incorporations of events into dreams: Further replication and implications for dream function.

Journal of Sleep Research, 13 4 , — Clarke, J. An investigation among dreams with sexual imagery, romantic jealousy and relationship satisfaction. International Journal of Dream Research, 3 1 , 54— Sparrow, G. The construction and analysis of dream metaphors from the standpoint of Co-Creative Dream Theory. International Journal of Dream Research, 13 1 , 90— Learn more about Dreams.

Dreams By Eric Suni October 30, By Austin Meadows November 11, By Sarah Shoen October 7, By Sarah Shoen July 22, By Danielle Pacheco July 16, And in the midst of the COVID pandemic, plenty of people have noted that they've had dreams wherein they cheat on partner , sometimes with an ex.

But the meaning of any of these dreams to be teased out from them likely doesn't have much to do with your ex, specifically. Below, Loewenberg outlines possible reasons as to why you keep dreaming about an ex, and analyzes the meaning of popular dreams during which it happens.

According to Loewenberg, it's best to not read too far into it. A big misconception is that dreaming about your ex signifies you want that person back in your life; after all, why else would your subconscious keep visualizing them. But Loewenberg suggests to think less literally: "Usually [the dream] is not so much about your ex, but about what they represent.

She says this helps to explain why many folks have had cheating dreams with an ex while quarantining with their partner during the pandemic. To understand the message your subconscious is trying to send, keep scrolling for intel on what nine different dreams can indicate and what you can learn from each. The ex people tend to dream about most often is their first love. That excitement, the butterflies, that spice that you experience with your first love will continue to show up for a few reasons.

One of those reasons may be that your current relationship is becoming routine, as she says all relationships do. This could mean a few things. And what does not get worked out during our waking hours gets worked through while we sleep. You may dream about your ex dying, not because you want her to although, sometimes that happens too! This is a healthy part of letting go. Our unconscious mind is always trying to work through unresolved issues, whether they're from childhood, previous relationships, or some other trauma we've experienced.

If there's an unresolved issue in your life, it's likely to follow you from relationship to relationship. For example, if your first love betrayed you, you may dream about cheating on your new love with your ex in order to work through your trust issues. In other words, your ex may simply be a stand-in to help your unconscious work through the larger roadblock.

The more distance we get from a breakup, the more awareness we tend to have. That means it's not uncommon to process a break up in stages — even long after you think you've 'moved on'.

Sometimes dreaming about someone you once loved is a way of helping you take the lessons that you learned in the previous relationship into your new one.

Consider it a gift — and a sign that you're evolving and growing. In dreams, people, places, and things are often symbolic. Your ex may symbolize a time in your life or something else important. A good question to ask yourself: what feelings or memories does the person make you connect with when you analyze the dream? This can provide a roadmap for you to better understand what he or she is representing.

It can also help you to work through and process whatever it is you need to deal with that probably has nothing to do with your ex. What issue right now in real life makes you feel the same way? Sure, your ex may anger you constantly, but what in particular, right now, is angering you? When they finally get out, they get mad at themselves and they beat themselves up, and the dream reflects that.

Do I truly forgive them? Do I hold any anger? How did you feel when you woke up from it? What comes to mind is what that dream is about — so maybe you need that quality back in your life, or maybe, if it was a terrible experience, you need to be aware that this could be back in your life again with someone else. Did I get turned down for a job?

Did something I pitched get turned down? Did it kill off your spirit? Did it kill off your ability to trust? Did it kill off your confidence?