Dreams About Exes are Always Unsettling
Dreaming About Exes Can Be Just as Scary!
Dreaming about exes (ex-boyfriend, ex-girlfriend, ex-husband, ex-wife) seems to rank amongst the most unsettling dreams – bordering on nightmares for some people! Snake dreams, dreams about dying, and dreams about loved ones who have died are still the MOST disturbing dreams, but dreams about exes aren’t far behind.
Almost daily I hear from dreamers who want to know what their dreams are trying to tell them. The dream’s meaning, as you might expect, varies from dreamer to dreamer. As with all dreams, you have to look at several things to find your own dream’s interpretation.
If you dream of an ex (or have recently had such a dream), ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I have lingering anger, resentment, or bitterness toward my ex?
- Do I still have feelings for him/her?
- Do I feel guilty for something I did or said to them or for something I put them through?
- Do I feel guilty, in a way, that I’ve moved on and found happiness when they have not?
- Irregardless of my feelings for this person, was I happier THEN than I am NOW?
- Do I simply miss being in a relationship… just not with them?
- Do I have trust issues that stem to this relationship?
- Has this ex caused me to now fear getting hurt – so much so that I am overly cautious with my relationships today?
Your dream is not so much about the ex as it is about your feelings. I’ve heard from people who have ZERO feelings for the ex, but simply wish they were in a relationship. Their ex (even though they wouldn’t want to get back with them) represents the word “relationship” to them. Their dream simply means they want to find a special someone to share their life with.
I’ve also analyzed dreams for people who are carrying baggage from the relationship. Sometimes the baggage is packed with pain that hasn’t quite healed yet. Sometimes there are trust issues or even residual anger and resentment. I once talked with a young woman who kept having dreams about a “really sweet ex boyfriend.” She had moved on and was happy with another guy – in fact, they were planning their wedding. However, she kept dreaming about her “sweet ex.”
She said she was certain she didn’t have any feelings left for him. They’d remained friendly since the break up and she was happy that he’d started dating another girl. When I picked up on the fact that she didn’t have any feelings for him, romantically, I asked her to name the 3 feelings she associated with him. I’ll never forget her reply:
- Guilt
- Guilt
- Guilt
She had cheated on him, lied to him, and hurt him pretty badly. She said her heart still broke when she remembered the look on his face when he found out. She was obviously overcome with guilt. After all, she’d hurt someone very badly and yet, here she was, happier than she’d ever been in her life.
I told her that the dreams sprang from these feelings of guilt and that the best way to deal with the feelings was to forgive herself. After all, he obviously had forgiven her if they remained friends. I also told her that when someone is overcome with feelings of guilt and sorrow for something they’ve done, a heartfelt, face to face apology can help ease the pain. She said she intended to do just that.
When you dream of an ex, think of the three feelings you associate with him or her. The interpretation for your dream is lying within the words that come to mind.
What Does it Mean To Dream About a Stuffed Dog?
Toy Dreams and Stuffed Animal Dreams Are Always Fun….. and Interesting!
What does it mean to dream about a stuffed dog? I don’t remember much about my dream except for the fact that I was happy and excited and I bought a stuffed dog at a store (a store I’ve never seen by the way). Mind you, I’m too old to play with toys or stuffed animals any more (I’m in my 40’s after all!) but I was SO excited about buying this stuffed animal in my dream. I was wondering what the dream meaning was for this. Thank you. – Signed, Feeling like a little girl at least in my dream!
What a fun dream! I, personally, dreamed about bats last night, so I’m a little jealous. I would have MUCH rather had a dream about a cute stuffed dog!
I think it’d be interesting to look at a few dream interpretations, along with the symbolism of toys, stuffed animals, and even dogs first of all. Then I’ll tell you why you should be as excited about your dream as you were excited about the stuffed dog in your dream!
Toy Dreams
Toy dreams generally represent childhood or, at the very least, a childlike state of mind. Our childhood generally represents to us a time of carefree fun and wild abandonment. No stresses, worries, responsibilities, or “to do lists.” When we were children, we simply enjoyed each day as it came – another opportunity to play, explore, and simply enjoy life.
Is it any wonder we often return to childlike symbols in our dreams?!
When we dream about toys (dolls, stuffed animals, toy cars, games, bicycles…) we are dreaming about enjoyment and having fun with life. Some people think of toy dreams as your mind’s way of getting the adult dreamer back in contact with someone they haven’t thought about in a while…. their younger self.
Anything can trigger these dreams – from being around or seeing children to seeing old pictures of yourself. Toys can trigger these dreams as well since they often take us back to our childhood.
Dog Dreams
Dogs, in dreams, usually symbolize comfort and happiness. The only time they do not is when (in the dream) they are angry or aggressive. A dog’s dream interpretation has a great deal to do with how the dreamer FELT during the dream. If the dreamer felt afraid or anxious – this symbolizes fear they have in their daily life.
If the dog caused the dreamer to feel safe, then the dream analysis is that the dreamer is looking for a safety net in real life.
Here’s the fascinating thing: A dog in a dream may or may not appear as a REAL dog. He or she may be in a picture, in a painting, on a magazine, or (in your case) may even appear as a stuffed animal. The mind will work the dog into the dream where it’s convenient for it to do so.
Dream Analysis for This Dream
The fact that you found a stuffed dog in what you referred to as a store you’ve never seen – and were SO excited about it – indicates that you have an abundance of excitement about something in your daily life. I believe the fact that the dog is represented by a stuffed animal indicates that, deep inside, you’re feeling a childlike joy and experiencing childlike excitement.
That’s the best kind!
One of the things that fascinates me the most about dreams is this: Our subconscious mind is SO MUCH MORE IN-TUNE with our life and what’s going on around us than our conscious mind. Our conscious mind has far too much going on to recognize every minute detail. We have to do lists, bills, relationships, health, world events, etc – all competing for our attention.
Because of this, we may miss key details or clues about upcoming events. Here’s a cool example: I once heard of a woman who kept dreaming of a wedding. She wasn’t involved with anyone at the time (although she was “seriously” attracted to someone in her neighborhood). She wondered why she was dreaming about weddings when she didn’t even have a boyfriend. As it turned out, her subconscious mind realized that the man she was attracted to was also attracted to her. Her conscious mind “missed” the signs. She was always too busy going to and from work, worrying about her aging parents, paying rent, and trying to make ends meet to notice the obvious.
He was always smiling at her the same way she smiled at him.
Her subconscious mind picked up on the clues and pretty much dwelt on them while she was asleep!
Within a year, they were married.
I believe the stuffed dog dreamer‘s subconscious mind is picking up on clues and overlooked signs – things the dreamer’s conscious (or waking) mind is too busy to fully realize. The fact that the dreamer experienced such excitement in the dream leads me to believe they’re in for a very pleasant surprise in life. Their subconscious mind is sort of putting them on notice…. “Look out! Something wonderful’s about to happen!”
Dream Analysis: A Plate Upside the Head Doesn’t Spell Future Headaches
I dreamed about 4 nights ago that my husband and I were fighting so bad that I hit him in the head with a plate. We were yelling and yelling and he was so unreasonable and was saying such mean things that I felt like I had to just shut him up. I am not a violent person and actually don’t even fight with people that much. I argue with my husband sometimes but all marriages have that. But I never hit him with plates. Why would I be so violent in my dream? It is really troubling me. I can’t get the image of the plate and his cut head bleeding so much blood out of my mind. It makes me sick and I don’t know what to do. Is it a bad omen for something happening to one of us or to a big fight. As you can see I am really a wreck over this. Please help me.
First of all, rest assured that there is no omen involved. People often think that, but dreams can’t tell the future. They do, however, often indicate something that is currently going on or something that has gone on. A dream such as this one indicates that there is something “below the surface.” More times than not, if we dream about an open wound (or surgery, pulling teeth… that sort of thing) – our mind is trying to “dig” beneath the surface for something.
In this case, I would be willing to bet that you have been trying to get something across to your husband for a while – something that he either isn’t accepting or simply isn’t “catching.” It could be hints you’ve been dropping for a new sofa, something around the house that you want him to take care of, or something on a grander scale. It could even be a case of wanting him to listen to you or pay more attention to you.
The hit in the head with the plate was pretty much your subconscious mind’s way of saying, “Now I’ve got your attention!!!”
As far as dream symbolisms go, I think that the fact that “so much blood” came out of the wound indicates that you fully expect to be able to get through to him – in your heart you believe that you’ll get to the source of the problem. If, in your dream, you had hit him on the head and nothing had come out, I’d worry that you might be fighting a losing battle and that (down inside) you knew it.
Think about how this relates to your situation. I’d be willing to bet that a light bulb has already appeared!
Again, this is absolutely not an omen for anything. If, by coincidence, he cuts himself shaving or you have an argument about what movie to see Friday night – know this: The dream did not predict or cause either one. Dreams rely on what happened yesterday, not tomorrow.
Sweet dreams!
Dreaming About Ex-Boyfriends, Girlfriends, Husbands, or Wives
A frequent dream analysis request on Dream Prophesy goes something like this: “What does it mean to dream about an ex? Does it mean I want them back?!” Most people seem astonished to dream of their ex because, in their conscious state, the last thing they’d want is to have the ex back!
More times than not, when you dream about an ex (girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife), it isn’t really THEM that your dream represents. Usually (though not always, of course) it’s the period of time that your mind is revisiting – your ex just happens to be there. In the same way that our AWAKE mind revisits the past, through memories, sometimes our ASLEEP mind does the same.
If we’re going through a stressful time in our lives and seem to have more on our proverbial plate than we ever asked for – our mind will take us to a “simpler time” – if an ex happens to be there, it isn’t necessarily a compliment to them. They just happened to be in the picture at the time.
However, if it becomes a recurring dream, the analysis may be a little different. Here’s an example:
Trudie was married to a man named Carl, a wonderful man who she was crazy about. His only vice, her e-mail said, was that he was a workahaulic. He worked 12 hours a day and, when he came home, all he wanted to talk or think about was work. Other than that, they were happily married and had a comfortable life.
However, she began to dream about her ex-husband regularly. In her dreams, they were always having fun – doing things they used to do together (fishing, hiking, going to movies…). She was beginning to think that her subconcious mind wanted Mr. Wrong back instead of Mr. Right!
She was reliveved to find out that her subconcious mind was simply giving her a message – she missed doing the things she once did and a part of her wished that her second husband had as much fun with life as her first one did. After all, she said, it was the only thing he ever got right!
Without mentioning the dreams or husband #1’s name (of course), Trudie told Carl that he needed to lighten up and enjoy life more. The whole business of work-related subjects being the only words out of his mouth had gotten very old, very fast. She made arrangements for them to go fishing one weekend and Carl fell in love with it so much, she now kind of wishes he’d give her a Saturday OFF the lake!
Examine your dreams and see if there’s a hidden message, such as the one above. 9 times out of 10 there isn’t a specific message – your subconscious simply wanted to take a stroll down memory’s lane… and you-know-who just happened to be there!
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