Decoding dreams has always fascinated me. When we dream, our subconscious mind alerts us to a certain problem. Dreams use visual clues and hidden messages; A type of code that we have to parse to understand the message.

Dreams draw our attention to aspects of our lives that need fixing. In other words, you dream about everything that is important in your life, whether you realize its importance or not.

So, what does it mean to dream about people from your past? Well, it depends on a few things; The person, your relationship with him, what he represents to you, and what is happening in your life now.

“The subconscious mind often pulls a specific memory, person, etc., from our past when something happens in our present. There was a lesson we learned from that time that we need to apply now.” Lori Loewenberg – Dream Expert

6 Things you dream about mean people from your past

Dreaming about someone from your past
To decipher the dream, think about the person in particular. What did they mean to you in the past? Was it a happy relationship? Was it platonic or romantic? How did you part with the company?

Now think about the present. How does this person fit into what’s happening now? Are there aspects of your life that remind you of this person?

For example, imagine that you are handcuffed to someone from your past, and you cannot find the keys to free yourself. The message behind this literal dream is that you feel trapped.

It could be that someone in your past is controlling you, or that you are in a situation that you cannot escape.

Dreaming of a friend you haven’t seen for a while
Sometimes the people we dream about in our past represent important figures in our lives. I had a friend who was much older than me, but she was a substitute for my mother.

Perhaps this friend of yours represents a role model that you are missing in your life. They may have been your mentors or helped you in the past and you could do with that kind of support in the present.

Or it could be a quality you admired in your friend and wished you had yourself. This type of dream may indicate a lack of confidence or self-esteem. Look deeply into the qualities of a friend; This is where you will find the answers.

Dreaming about someone you are no longer friends with
The analysis of this dream depends on how you feel about the friend and how the friendship ended.

Did you regret breaking off the friendship or did they instigate it? Do you want to be friends with them? Are you unhappy with the way it turned out? Do you think there is unfinished business with this friend?

If this is a recurring dream, your subconscious is telling you that you are not acknowledging some aspect of the breakup. Did I do something wrong to cause the end of the friendship? Do they or you want to apologize? Whatever it is, it’s not resolved.

Dreaming of a dead person
My best friend died last year, and I dream about him often. He was my platonic companion. In real life, we never got along, but when I dream about him, I hug him tightly. I don’t want to let him go. I hope he understands through my tight hugs how much I love and miss him.

In the end, he told me I should let him go. Even for the amateur psychologist, the message here is clear.

Dreaming about dead people from your past, whether you liked them or not, is the brain’s way of processing difficult emotions. However, if the death was recent, this person will consume your daily thoughts. It is not surprising that we dream about them at night.

Dreaming of someone you no longer talk to
This is a dream about emotions. What is your emotional state in the dream? Were you happy to see this person or did they make you feel afraid or angry?

If you feel happy in the dream, it means that you have fond memories of that person, even if you don’t talk to them anymore. Maybe it’s time to reconnect?

If you feel angry in the dream, this indicates resentment over some past injustices. Maybe you’ve been hurt or betrayed, and even though you think you’ve moved forward, your subconscious is telling you you haven’t.

Dreaming about your ex-lover

I often dream about my ex (a jealous control freak). In my dream, we are back together, but I know it is wrong to be with him. I surrender to the fact that we will stay together.

I guess that’s my regret for staying with him for so long. We were together for 10 years, but I should have left much sooner. Maybe I’m still mad at myself for not having the strength to leave sooner.

Dreaming about a toxic relationship with an ex is that your subconscious mind is helping you get over the trauma. You may have unresolved issues that are still on your mind.

In this case, your dream is trying to solve it for you. It pushes you to move forward and move away from the past.

Why do I keep dreaming about someone from the past?
This person represents unfinished business for you. If you are still dreaming about someone from your past, think about what they meant to you at that time. How did you interact with them? How were you when you were with them?

There are common reasons why we dream about people from our past:

We miss them and want them back in our lives
This person represents something missing in our lives
There is trauma associated with this person
We have unresolved issues with this person
A person represents quality in our life
Analyze dreams about people from your past

Sigmund Freud believed that there are clear clues (manifest content) and hidden messages (latent content) in our dreams.

If you often dream about people from your past, look at the clear signs in your dream first. Examine the literal and visual parts, symbols, and story line of the dream. Then look beneath the surface. Take these codes and decode them.

For example, you are driving a car and pass someone from your past. They wave at you, but you keep driving. Driving symbolizes your journey through life. Because you kept driving, even though they waved at you, you left this person behind for a good reason.