21 spiritual meanings of dreaming about someone (revealed)

I admit that I’ve once or twice googled “What does it mean when I dream of someone dying?” in great panic. Are you in the same boat?

Fret not as dreams are rarely literal, if at all. In fact, deaths in dreams usually signify changes, like a rebirth of sorts or a big shift in dynamics. 

But still! I understand that dreams can take a toll on our emotions, especially if it involves people we know and love. 

So, let’s talk about it, I’ve categorized the spiritual meanings of dreams depending on who you dreamt of. 

However, let’s start with something more general:

Dreaming about someone in general

To prevent repetition, I included a “general” section right here. These meanings can apply to the other sections of this list as well.

1) You miss them

Perhaps the simplest and most human reason on this list, we dream of people because we miss them. They could be far away or even in the next room and we could still miss them.

They may have already passed on or are just no longer part of our lives. We dream of who they were to us. 

We miss who they were in our lives. 

2) There’s a big change in your relationship 

This could be the end of a friendship, moving away, breakups, a new job, etc. It could be looming over you or you’re already in the middle of it. 

Even impending changes should be considered. You might be seeing patterns and your subconscious is telling you to pay attention. 

3) There is conflict between the two of you

Being in the middle of a conflict can make us feel restless. You might find yourself staying up all night trying to work this problem inside and out.

Stress is never a fun roommate and it could even cause more frequent dreams. 

And it makes sense that our main stressor would even appear in our dreams—perhaps to solve the conflict in dreamland or even exacerbate it. 

Maybe this is what they mean when they say to never go to bed angry. 

4) You’ve been thinking about them a lot

This could be anything—hyper fixation, admiration, worry, guilt, fear, stress, love, and so on. And this could be anyone as well—strangers, lovers, friends, family, and so forth. 

Point is, you’re thinking about them a lot.

And that would bleed into your dreams. 

5) You saw or experienced something that day that reminded you of them

It could have been a passing thought, a post on the internet, a song at the supermarket, or a scent that passed you by during your commute. 

It could have been a stranger that looks like them or an actor on the TV that provoked a memory. Even a color might do it, too. 

It could be anything, even something tiny that you thought nothing of during the moment it happened, but your subconscious chose to bring it up in your sleep. 

6) You asked the universe for a sign; pay attention to what they represent in your life

If you’re the type of person who asks the universe (or any higher power you believe in) for signs, this “dream someone” might just be what you’re looking for.

They could be representing something. A boss could represent a sign about work. A friend could represent close ties. 

So are family and partners. Even enemies or people no longer in your life. 

You might be dreaming about them as a sign. 

I personally know a lot of people who ask for signs from their deceased loved ones, for guidance, like a hug or a message from the afterlife. It’s usually when they’re contemplating big life decisions.

(Honestly, that might not be your cup of tea, but I find that beautiful.)

If you’re dreaming about strangers

Let’s move to what it could mean when you’re dreaming about strangers. This encompasses strangers you’ve met or never met but look up to.

7) You’ve seen them that day in passing

It could be as simple as you saw them in passing. 

There’s actually a theory that our brain can’t just “invent” new people in our dreams. They’re either people we have seen—even briefly!—or a composite.

You might have seen these strangers on the street and found them attractive, you might have liked what they were wearing. They might have evoked a memory, too.

8) You admire them

They could be someone famous that you look up to. It could be some random person that the social media algorithm threw at you that left a mark.

You might have unknowingly fixated on them, or your brain just cataloged them “for next time”.

9) You wish to emulate them

This is mostly for famous strangers or strangers you look up to. They represent a goal. 

Maybe you want to be like them, live the lives they live. Maybe the restaurant owner from the next town over, someone from a 30 under 30 list, an idol, an actor, an influencer, etc.

They might be appearing in your dreams because they are signifying a path or a purpose. It’s not necessarily “them”, but what they represent.

10) They’re a placeholder for someone or something

What do I mean by this?

They represent a decision you need to make. They are playing a “role”. It’s like you’re casting a stranger in this idea or person. 

Perhaps the stranger plays the role of your partner even though you’re single. The stranger represents your yearning.

Perhaps the stranger acts like they’re family, that might mean you’re looking for close bonds. The stranger represents an ache. 

The stranger is representative of what you are looking for.

If you’re dreaming about a friend

Now let’s move to what it could mean when you’re dreaming about your friends. 

11) You’re worried about them

Something anecdotal for this number: I dream about my friends often and a lot of times I don’t even remember what happened in the dream. 

Even so, I always take this as a sign to message said friend.

I always message with an “I hope everything’s going well with you, just thought I’d check up on you.” I also add that my lines are open should they wish to talk about it.

More than a handful of times, it’s been the right call. Many of them needed a friend at that time or were experiencing something turbulent.

I’m not saying I’m magical in this regard, I attribute it to me worrying about them and it started manifesting in my dreams. 

The dream is the push for me to reach out. 

That could be the same for you, too.

12) You need to catch up with this person

In this case, you’re well aware that catch-up is needed. Maybe you miss them or you’re just due for a life update with each other.

The dreams appear as a reminder.

13) You have unfinished business with this person 

Unfinished business as in unresolved conflict or something important is pending. Whatever kind that may be, you might be fixating on this and it started manifesting in your dreams.

Pay attention, friend, because you might not even know this is unfinished business. You might have swept things under the rug but you’re not really okay with the situation.

You might be replaying an instance over and over and seeing (or hoping) for a different outcome in your dreams. This requires a reflection on your part. 

If you’re dreaming about a romantic interest (past, present, or potential) 

Let’s be honest here, there’s a high possibility that you clicked on this article because you dreamt of someone you are romantically involved with.

So, let’s talk about it.

14) You want their reassurance

Let me be the first to say that assurance, reassurance, and understanding should be the bare minimum in a relationship. You might be dreaming about them because you are lacking these at the moment.

Yes, you might be feeling insecure about your relationship. 

If you do decide to open this line of conversation with your partner, make sure that you’re NOT coming from a place of hostility. 

(And I know that it has become a running joke now that couples fight because someone dreamt of being cheated on, but that could be a red flag, bestie.)

15) You didn’t have closure

Ah, exes in dreams. Personally, not a fan of this, and it has certainly happened to me a handful of times.

Older now, I understand that their silence could just be the closure I was waiting for. Their non-answer IS the answer. 

Still, when they do appear in my dreams, it does the job of annoying me now more than triggering my yearning. But as I said, I have gotten to that point in my life where I can just let it be.

Obviously, it’s going to be different for all of us.

You might still be waiting for closure (no judgment from me, bestie, but just know that a snake will always be a snake and you’re better off) and it has manifested in your dreams.

You might be waiting for answers and in your dreams, you might have gotten them. 

16) You have unresolved feelings

Besides closure, you could just have unresolved feelings in general. It could even be the opposite of closure, you might be dreaming of an “almost”.

You know, one of those situationship or “never was” type of deal. 

Too broad? That’s fair.

A gifted advisor might help steer you in the right direction. 

We can both sit here and comb through all the symbols in your dream and still, we won’t be 100% certain what it will mean, but getting guidance from someone with extra intuition could just give you the answers. 

Here’s that link again for a love reading, bestie. 

17) You’re feeling anxious about your relationship

You know… that reading could work here, too, as this is more generalized. Sometimes we don’t even know where the relationship anxiety comes from. 

But that won’t stop our subconscious from bringing it up in dreamland.

You might be seeing patterns and are not consciously aware of them. You might have belatedly realized a red flag or you might be feeling like something’s not right. 

Talk to a trusted friend if you can, someone who won’t look at you like you’re crazy but someone who won’t add fuel to the fire either. 

If you’re dreaming about an authority figure, like a boss or an elder

18) You want their validation/approval

Tell the people around you that you are proud of them if you are! Life is too short to not say words that can make a person’s day. 

If you love them, let them know. If you are proud of who they have become, let them know.

Otherwise, they might dream of you, too, the way you’re dreaming about someone giving you their approval.

You might be dreaming of their validation because it’s unlikely to happen in real life. 

19) You feel unfulfilled with work

Work is a stressor for most people. It’s not surprising that work can bleed into people’s dreams. 

Again, dreaming of a person in this case could be representative. You might be feeling unfulfilled with work or the workplace.

It could even directly be about the person involved, maybe their management or attitude. 

If you’re dreaming about family

So many of the “general” meanings could also apply to family like missing them or having big changes in your dynamics. 

Here are two more (trigger warning: family trauma, death in the family):

20) You have unresolved trauma that you need to process or address

“The axe forgets; the tree remembers.”

– African proverb 

Trauma of any kind is never an easy conversation, trauma caused by family is even more devastating to navigate (especially for certain cultures.)

I won’t explore this topic further as I am not knowledgeable enough to talk about it in-depth, but I will say this:

Anger is quick, resentment is enduring. 

21) You are grieving

“You see, love and grief are two sides of the same precious coin. One does not—and cannot—exist without the other. They are the yin and yang of our lives… Grief is predicated on our capacity to give and receive love. 

“Some people choose not to love and so never grieve. If we allow ourselves the grace that comes with love, however, we must allow ourselves the grace that is required to mourn.”

– Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph. D.

We all process grief differently, that is a fact. 

Like I said near the start of this article, some of us wait for dreams of our loved ones who have passed. 

Many times, I see posts of friends talking about their loved ones and hoping they would visit them in their dreams. How they miss them so.

I find that beautiful, how we find love in ways that are still possible for us, even with lifetimes apart. 

For some, dreams could be all that they will have. And what’s that WandaVision quote that sums this up? 

Ah, “What is grief, if not love persevering?”

With all of that said

There are some of us that only have our dreams as a refuge, and so seeing people we know in said dreams can feel very overwhelming.

I understand the need to just make sense of it, one way or another. I hope this list gave you the answers or confirmation you were looking for.

At the very least, something to think about. Something to ponder on. 

May you find what you seek and may your dreams be ever kind.