14 possible reasons you dream about someone you don’t know (complete list)

Dreams.

What do they really mean?

Are they just the ramblings of a sleeping mind, or do they actually have meaning that we can interpret and act on in our daily lives?

Some people believe that dreams can be interpreted because we connect with the greater collective unconscious as we sleep.

So what does it mean when we dream of strangers, and why exactly are we dreaming of strangers?

Here are 14 possible reasons why you might be dreaming about someone you’ve never met in your life, and how to understand these unusual dreams:

1) Someone new is about to enter your life

One of the most common reasons why we dream of strangers is because we can feel that someone new is about to enter our lives.

We can feel the energy of a new, unknown person approaching us, even if it hasn’t happened yet.

Whether that’s a good thing or not, we don’t know yet; all we know is that our day-to-day life is about to be disrupted by a new person we’ve never met before.

All you can do at this point is keep your mind open to the possibility that the next person you meet might be someone who becomes a recurring character in your life, not just someone you see once and never again.

2) You’ve lost confidence in yourself

Your self-esteem and confidence plays a big role in how you see yourself, and of course, how you dream.

And strangers appearing in your dream can possibly mean that you’ve lost all the confidence you once had in yourself, even if you haven’t realized it yet.

Strangers represent the unknown, but also caution and fear.

Seeing a stranger in your dream might be a reflection of seeing yourself in your dream, but you don’t recognize who you are anymore.

After a number of heartbreaks, failures, and struggles in your life, you might not recognize the person you see in front of you, so much so that they now resemble a stranger more than you.

3) You find yourself falling in love in your dreams

The presence of love in dreams is always interesting and there are typically numerous ways to interpret it.

Falling in love with someone could mean that love is just on the horizon, and your next relationship will happen sooner than you think.

It could also mean that you are simply just ready for the next romance in your life, or perhaps you’re bored and tired of waiting.

However, if you’re currently in a relationship, this could mean that you’re unhappy with your partner and you might be feeling that there’s a missing void in your life.

You might well also be repressing that unhappiness. Many of us paint on a smile and pretend we’re having a grand time with our partners when the reality is far from it.

If this is triggering a feeling of guilt or a bit of flinching within you, it’s likely you need to get to grips with tackling any emotions you might be overlooking.

Rudá Iandê is a world famous shaman who has helped thousands to better understand themselves, and consequently develop better relationships with others.

His free Self-Love Quiz is a great resource which really probes you to tackle those slightly daunting questions you might be avoiding.

And who knows – answering them might lead you to uncover something deeper, which exposes the reason why this person keeps turning up in your dreams…

Click here to try out the free quiz and see for yourself!

4) You may not be dreaming of a person, but of a feeling

It’s never a good idea to take dreams literally (if ever). That’s because our brains play a game of association and connect random images to feelings and memories.

So when you dream of a stranger, that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s another person involved in your thoughts or interacting with your energy at all.

They could just be your mind’s way of interpreting a certain feeling you may be having that you haven’t yet fully understood.

When you think of this stranger in your dream, try to remember your overall mood or what you might have been feeling the night before. Perhaps try to recall what you felt immediately after you woke up.

Consider starting a dream journal where you track your dreams as soon as you wake – otherwise, you might end up forgetting them and lose the ability to connect the dots!

5) The person may represent a wish or desire within you

There are several ways a stranger in our subconscious can be interpreted; in one way, you may think of strangers as representing fear and anxiety; in another way, you may associate strangers with the unknown, but not necessarily in a negative context.

If there’s something in your life that you wish you had – but something that you were stopped from getting – then a stranger in your dream might represent exactly that.

This stranger is just your intense desire for that goal or wish, whatever it might be, trying to return to the forefront of your attention.

If you dreamed about the stranger being in love with you, then that could mean that you desire to be loved.

6) Someone may be reaching out to you, or thinking of you

When we sleep, we’re more connected to the collective unconscious than at any other point during the day.

So seeing a stranger in your dreams could be the manifestation of someone’s energy reaching toward you while you sleep, intentionally or unintentionally.

Simply put, someone else is thinking about you deeply, and their thoughts are engaging with your energy while you’re asleep.

So what can you do?

Try to meditate more, and focus your thoughts.

Open your energy before you sleep, as if you’re preparing yourself to be more aware of whatever may be coming your way.

The more open you set your mind, the more you’ll be able to recognize who this person may be.

That “stranger” may stop being a stranger in your dreams.

Specific Dreams and Situations: What They Mean

7) If you’re a woman dreaming about a strange woman approaching

As a woman, seeing a strange, unknown woman approaching you in your dream could be a sign that you’re about to get some bad news.

The news might be related to rumors being spread about you, so it’s time to make sure that all your tracks are covered and there’s no dirt on you that anyone can use to spoil your reputation.

8) If you’re a woman dreaming about a strange man approaching

However, if you’re a woman dreaming about a strange man approaching, it could mean something else entirely: the start of a new, unexpected relationship.

And the age of the stranger is very important: a young man could mean your next lover is a playboy; a middle-aged man could mean your next lover will come from a mutual contact; an older man could mean your next love will be completely unexpected.

9) If a stranger keeps asking you questions in your dream

No one wants to be asked too many questions, especially when the person asking is a complete stranger.

So when you dream of a stranger asking you various questions about your personal life, it could mean that you are experiencing some problems in your private life that you want to hide away, and your mind is reminding you of the consequences that would happen if anyone ever found out.

10) If a stranger dies in your dream

You might think that dreaming of death is a bad thing, and while that would be the case most of the time, it isn’t exactly the case when the death is a stranger you never met.

When you dream of a stranger’s death, it could actually mean good fortune for you.

Your career, your business, or your job prospects are about to get some good news, because the death of a stranger in this context means the death of uncertainty and worry.

11) If a stranger slept in your bed in your dream

There’s nothing more unusual than seeing a complete stranger sleeping in your bed, so what could it mean in your dream?

Well, some think that when you dream of a stranger in your bed, it could mean that your plans are about to experience some major turbulence.

You should begin planning backup plans for your major life choices because there might be some new, unexpected problems that appear out of nowhere.

12) If a stranger hugs you in your dream

Getting hugged by strangers in your dream?

That almost always means one thing: you’re about to experience an unwelcome visitor in your life, and that person will stick with you for much longer than you wish.

It’s time to start relearning how to tolerate even the most bothersome people because you might be with them for a while.

13) If a stranger gives you money in your dream

So what does it mean when a stranger gives you money in your dream? This is usually interpreted as a good sign.

Remember: strangers generally represent anxiety and uncertainty in our subconscious.

So when a stranger is doing something positive for you like giving you money, that means your confidence might be sky-high, and you’re feeling the good vibes of good luck and lucrative partnerships coming your way.

This is a time to be open-minded and say yes to any new deals or business opportunities that might happen.

14) If a stranger breaks into your home in your dream

There are few worse cases of dreaming of a stranger than when they break into your home because there’s almost no way to interpret this kind of scenario positively.

If you dream of a stranger breaking into your home, then it’s time to hang on tight to all your most prized possessions, because you might be predicting a future where something valuable is stolen from you.