- The theme love and relationships has 11 symbols in the dream dictionary.
- The most searched symbols of the theme are ex-partner, wedding, sex.
- Every symbol is read three ways: folk dream books, psychology and sleep research.
- The details of the dream, the colour, the behaviour and how you felt, change the reading.
- Dream interpretation is a tradition of reading symbols; it does not predict events.
What love and relationships mean in a dream
In the 20th century psychology joined the tradition. Sigmund Freud read dreams as the expression of repressed wishes, Carl Gustav Jung as the psyche’s attempt to restore balance. Modern sleep research shows that the content of dreams is shaped largely by the day’s impressions and by sensations in the sleeping body.
If you cannot find the exact word, start from a theme. Inside each theme the symbols are grouped and compared with one another.
Most searched dreams about love and relationships
Ex-partnerLove and relationshipsA dream about an ex is traditionally read as unfinished business or news of that person. Psychology reads the ex as what that relationship gave or took, a quality you miss or a lesson not yet learned, and research finds ex-partner dreams among the most common relationship dreams, especially after a recent break-up.WeddingLove and relationshipsA dream about a wedding is traditionally read as a change of state, and in many folk traditions, oddly, as a warning rather than a promise. Psychology reads it as a union of two sides of yourself or a decision you are about to commit to, and research shows wedding dreams cluster around real-life transitions.SexLove and relationshipsA dream about sex is traditionally read by the partner: folk books say sex with a stranger brings news and sex with an ex brings unfinished business. Psychology reads sex in a dream as union with a quality the partner carries; research finds sexual dreams in most adults, often without any sexual meaning.CheatingLove and relationshipsA dream about cheating is traditionally read as a warning about trust, not a report of fact. Psychology reads it as insecurity, guilt or an unmet need in the relationship, and research finds infidelity dreams common and unrelated to whether anyone is actually being unfaithful.HusbandLove and relationshipsA dream about your husband is traditionally read by how he appears: gay and handsome promises a happy home, pale or leaving is a warning of strain. Psychology reads such dreams as a picture of the relationship, trust and your own needs, not as evidence of what he does.CrushLove and relationshipsA dream about your crush is traditionally read as a sign of longing, and folk belief adds that the person is thinking of you. Psychology reads it as wish fulfilment and the projection of an ideal, and research shows such dreams simply follow how much the person occupies your waking mind.LoveLove and relationshipsA dream about love is traditionally read as contentment: dream books take it as satisfaction with your life as it is. Psychology reads the feeling rather than the person, and research finds that warm, affectionate dreams are common and closely follow what is happening in waking relationships.KissingLove and relationshipsA dream about kissing is traditionally read by who is kissed: a partner brings harmony, a stranger a new acquaintance, an enemy a reconciliation. Psychology reads the kiss as closeness and acceptance rather than sex, and research places romantic contact among the most common dream themes.BoyfriendLove and relationshipsA dream about your boyfriend usually mirrors how you feel about the relationship, not what he will do. Dream books read it as a comment on love, while psychology and sleep research point to your recent emotions and the events of the day.
All symbols: love and relationships
BoyfriendA dream about your boyfriend usually mirrors how you feel about the relationship, not what he will do. Dream books read it as a comment on love, while psychology and sleep research point to your recent emotions and the events of the day.CheatingA dream about cheating is traditionally read as a warning about trust, not a report of fact. Psychology reads it as insecurity, guilt or an unmet need in the relationship, and research finds infidelity dreams common and unrelated to whether anyone is actually being unfaithful.CrushA dream about your crush is traditionally read as a sign of longing, and folk belief adds that the person is thinking of you. Psychology reads it as wish fulfilment and the projection of an ideal, and research shows such dreams simply follow how much the person occupies your waking mind.Ex-partnerA dream about an ex is traditionally read as unfinished business or news of that person. Psychology reads the ex as what that relationship gave or took, a quality you miss or a lesson not yet learned, and research finds ex-partner dreams among the most common relationship dreams, especially after a recent break-up.GirlfriendA dream about your girlfriend is traditionally read as a picture of the bond between you: warmth for harmony, quarrels for friction. Psychology adds that she may also carry your own feelings, and research finds partners among the most common dream characters.HusbandA dream about your husband is traditionally read by how he appears: gay and handsome promises a happy home, pale or leaving is a warning of strain. Psychology reads such dreams as a picture of the relationship, trust and your own needs, not as evidence of what he does.KissingA dream about kissing is traditionally read by who is kissed: a partner brings harmony, a stranger a new acquaintance, an enemy a reconciliation. Psychology reads the kiss as closeness and acceptance rather than sex, and research places romantic contact among the most common dream themes.LoveA dream about love is traditionally read as contentment: dream books take it as satisfaction with your life as it is. Psychology reads the feeling rather than the person, and research finds that warm, affectionate dreams are common and closely follow what is happening in waking relationships.SexA dream about sex is traditionally read by the partner: folk books say sex with a stranger brings news and sex with an ex brings unfinished business. Psychology reads sex in a dream as union with a quality the partner carries; research finds sexual dreams in most adults, often without any sexual meaning.WeddingA dream about a wedding is traditionally read as a change of state, and in many folk traditions, oddly, as a warning rather than a promise. Psychology reads it as a union of two sides of yourself or a decision you are about to commit to, and research shows wedding dreams cluster around real-life transitions.WifeA dream about your wife is traditionally read in Miller (1901) as unsettled affairs and discord in the home, though an affable wife promises profit. Psychology reads such dreams as a picture of closeness, trust and the dreamer's own needs.
Questions people ask
What does it mean to dream about love and relationships?
It depends on the symbol and the details. Folk dream books give each symbol a fixed reading, psychology asks what this image means to you, and sleep research reminds that dreams rework the day. Open a symbol for all three.
Does the same symbol always mean the same thing?
In dream books, mostly yes. In psychology, no: the same image can mean different things to different people, and your feeling in the dream is the key.
What if my symbol is not here?
Use the search. If nothing comes up, describe the dream in a few words on the search page; the editor reviews suggestions and adds the symbols that people ask for.
Sources
- Miller G. H. Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted, 1901.
- Freud S. The Interpretation of Dreams, 1899.
- Jung C. G. Man and His Symbols, 1964.
- Artemidorus. Oneirocritica, 2nd century.
- Hall C. S., Van de Castle R. L. The Content Analysis of Dreams, 1966.
- Schredl M. Dream research: an introduction, in various editions.
How this page is made
Each symbol page sets three readings side by side and names where each comes from. A symbol is published only when its page has a full description with sources. Search volumes decide which symbols are written first.