A breakup isn’t a pleasant thing at all. Those who have been through this pain and trauma will know and understand how difficult it is to cope with the scars of a broken relationship. Does the past often keep bothering you? Do you find it difficult to get over your past?
Your thoughts may also haunt you subconsciously, resulting in dreaming about your ex.
What could be the reason behind your dream? You’ve either severed ties recently or ended your relationship long ago. Whatever the reason, dreaming about something that has become a thing of the past isn’t pleasant. Perhaps you’re missing your ex. Maybe you haven’t been able to recover from the blow of losing someone you trusted, and so on. The reasons could be many. Read on to learn what it means to dream about your ex.
6 General Meanings Of Dreams About Your Ex
It’s obvious that when you dream about your ex, even if you aren’t thinking about or missing your partner, it could make you feel unsettled the next morning. You’ll feel anxious, and you might lose your peace of mind.
If you have gone through such an experience, you’re not alone. The memory of a past relationship coming back through dreams isn’t an uncommon thing to happen.
Research shows that around 35% of individuals in a relationship may dream of their present or previous partners. On the other hand, 17% of people who were engaged before but single at present dream of their exes.
Dreaming of an ex has a lot of generalized meanings. Let’s look at them before we get into the symbolic ones.
1. You Miss Your Ex and Want Your Partner Back in Your Life
Just think of how your relationship ended. Did you opt out of the relationship after mutual consent, or was one of you responsible? Was it a long-term relationship or a short-term one? You might have called it quits in the heat of the moment and now repenting about it. You wish to have your ex-partner back in your life.
It could be that your ex broke off, and you wanted the relationship to last long. Your partner may have moved on, but you haven’t. You think of your partner most of the time and miss your ex terribly. No wonder your ex keeps visiting your dream time and again.
2. Your Relationship Might Have Ended Abruptly
Did you end with your ex on a bitter note? Did he suddenly break all ties with you? When you know why your relationship ended, it helps you to come out of it physically and emotionally.
Since you were unaware of why your relationship ended, you must have kept wondering what went wrong. If you knew why your relationship didn’t work, it would’ve been easier to come out of it.
Perhaps this is why you keep dreaming of your ex. Your relationship’s sudden, unexpected ending could be solely responsible for the dreams.
3. You Crossed Paths With Your Ex
You perhaps bumped into your ex just the other day or saw him from a distance. You may have even seen notifications of him through social media. The both of you might not be connected anymore. It may be through a mutual friend’s post that you got info regarding his whereabouts.
It has likely brought up memories of the past, which may either be good or unpleasant ones as well. The thoughts of your past inspire your dreams.
4. Your Ex Got In Touch With You
You may have ended on a friendly note and vouched to remain friends. It could be that you decided never to be in touch with each other. Now, one fine day your ex texts you maybe to ask about your whereabouts.
It might also be work-related. Perhaps one of your ex-partner’s documents is with you. The reason could be anything. However, a knock from your ex stirs the old feelings you had tried hard to suppress. The outcome could be seeing your ex in your dreams.
5. A Trauma of the Past Keeps Bothering You
If you faced trauma from your past relationship, it might be difficult to shed the old baggage. Suppose your ex-partner cheated on you. You may fear that history may repeat itself. So, the bad experiences of your previous association keep troubling your mind. Hence, you are likely to see your ex in your dream.
6. You Face Similar Troubles in Your Present Relationship
Say, your past relationship ended on a proper note. You moved on and seemed quite happy with your present relationship.
However, trouble strikes when your relationship goes through a rough patch. You find yourself back to square one.
Like, when in your previous relationship, the two of you might have fought over a trifle. The same thing is happening at present as well. The person is different, but the situation remains unchanged. Such a Catch-22 situation compels you to be reminded of your ex. Don’t be surprised if you dream of your ex in such times.
11 Symbolic Meanings Of Dreams About Your Ex
While narrating her dreams about her ex, an anonymous dreamer says she had been with him for seven long years. They seemed the perfect couple according to family and friends. Their breakup was a shock to all.
She couldn’t accept it when her boyfriend decided to end their relationship. In such a case, she never dreamt of being alone with her ex-partner but was surrounded by people. Surprisingly, she sometimes dreamt of her boyfriend saying mean things to her. But, in reality, he was extremely kind in his approach.
When you have such a dream, it can mean several things – your inner conflict, your struggles, your insecurities, your urge to start fresh, and so on.
1. You Lack Emotional Satisfaction or Feel Emotionally Secure
You might be reminded of your past when you lack an emotional connection in your present relationship. There might have been problems, but you were in a happier space.
Similarly, if you had a troublesome past and doing better at present, you may still remember your ex. You keep returning to your past and comparing your traumatic past with the beautiful present.
2. It’s Time To Move On
You’ve come out of your past trauma and have healed to the point that you decided to move on. At this point, when you dream of your ‘ex,’ it’s symbolic of the new partner or life you’ve chosen.
You are confident, and the past no longer affects you. If you’re in that phase of life where you have decided to give it a second chance, this dream is a positive sign, urging you to go ahead.
3. You’re in A Happy Space
Now that you’ve moved on, you’re in the happiest space in your life. Your life seems complete, and you’re all set for a new beginning. If you dream of your ex at this juncture, it will symbolize a feeling of contentment. This dream means you’ve finally gotten over the past and moving ahead toward a fulfilling relationship.
4. You’re Connected With Your Ex Emotionally
You’ve come out of the relationship, yet that emotional connection is there. You haven’t been able to move on completely and often reminisce about the golden days. It strikes you in your subconscious mind. Thus the dream of your ex.
5. Your Ex Stands for Something Else
Your relationship in the past may have left you broken. You are insecure and lack self-confidence. Seeing your ex at this juncture would mean your mind is in tremendous turmoil.
Your ex here represents you, your inner self. There’s a part of yourself that you repress. This dream is a hint that you should strengthen your relationship with yourself. Refrain from investing your energies in focusing on external aspects. Instead, concentrate on yourself. Inner healing is more important than anything else.
6. There’s a Lot to Learn From Your Past Relationship
Life is a book, and every juncture has a lesson for us. Your past relationship may have taught you a lot. If your partner cheated on you in the past, then the next time, you’ll be a lot more careful regarding trusting your new partner.
Seeing your ex at the time when you’ve just begun a new relationship or are about to start one is a warning sign for you to be careful.
7. It Could Have a Negative Implication
Did you have an abusive ex? Does your partner keep coming back in your dreams? Well, then, it’s your inner conflicts that are surfacing through your dreams. It isn’t a pleasant feeling if your ex was abusive and you keep seeing him in your dreams.
Did you know that a part of you is being harsh on yourself? Perhaps you are treating yourself cruelly, and the dream about your abusive ex reflects your state of mind.
8. You Are Unhappy
Is something in your life robbing you of your peace of mind? You need to break up with that one thing that is bothering you. The dream about your ex is a warning of the same. If something is troubling and worrying you, you need to work on the same. Once you do that, it’ll make you feel better.
9. You Are in For a Change
Then end of a relationship means a change in your living pattern. It sometimes means starting from scratch. So, did you dream about your ex at a time when your life was going topsy-turvy? The dream may mean you wish to change your life’s pattern and adapt to healthy living.
10. You Are Struggling to Cope With Boundaries
People may have taken undue advantage of your innocence in the past. You may be trying to communicate with others and struggling to make your voice heard. This dream symbolizes your efforts in not letting anyone take you for granted in the future.
11. You’re in A ‘Once Bitten Twice Shy Situation’
Suppose you’ve had a dream when you just started a new relationship. In that case, it indicates that you fear this one would be similar to the previous one. If you’ve had a bad breakup, you’ll be afraid to get into a relationship again. You need to figure out ways to work on your new relationship.
The dream could even mean that your previous relationship did not conclude well. It ended abruptly, and you were clueless why such a thing happened. You fear you might face the same thing one more time.
Common Scenarios of Seeing Your Ex In Dreams and Its Interpretation
You’ll be amazed to know how different dreams about your ex can have different implications. When you see yourself fighting with your ex, it would have a different meaning than when you see your ex apologizing. Read on to know more.
1. You Are Missing Your Ex
It could mean that there is a void in your life. You are lonely and sad. You are lacking companionship from your friends and family. This emotional crisis surfaces through your dreams.
2. You Are at Loggerheads With Your Ex
Such a dream could mean that your life at present is going through conflicts. If you are in a relationship when you have this dream, it would mean you need to work out the same. Maybe you lied to your new partner about something. That guilt in you is being portrayed through the fight. It’s the battle of your conscience.
3. Your Ex is Giving Your Complements
Your ex is a part of you that you have trouble acknowledging and appreciating. You may be too harsh on yourself; the dream indicates the same. Such a dream conveys the message to be kind to yourself and show some self-love through this dream.
4. You Are Reconciling With Your Ex
If you have moved on, and do not have your ex in your mind, then the dream is a sign that your past relationship ended well and you are ready to move on. You might miss your ex and the good times together, especially if you bid farewell on a good note. It may even mean that you wished your present partner acquired some of your ex’s qualities which you appreciated.
5. Your Ex Apologizes to You
Ahh! What a relief! Maybe you wished the same in the deepest core of your heart. Your feelings are being portrayed through your dreams. If it’s the other way around, i.e., you are apologizing to your ex. Then you are regretful of something that you had done or said.
6. You See Your Ex’s New Partner
Such dreams may not always be negative. You have moved on, and so has your ex. The feeling shows through your dreams. Another possibility is that you still haven’t gotten over your past and may feel sad about your ex’s new development.
7. Your Ex is in Danger
If you do everything needed to save your ex, it would mean that the relationship made you confident and strong. If you haven’t done anything to save your partner, it would mean you’re done with the relationship and have peacefully moved on. Your subconscious mind is urging you to be that way.
8. Your Ex is Dead
Death here doesn’t mean dying in the literal sense of the term. Here to see your ex is dead means you have finally managed to let go of your past and have conveniently moved on.
9. Your Ex Kills You
If this is the case, you have to question yourself. What did the relationship kill in you? Your trust? Your confidence? Your spirit? It may have taken a lot away from you. It would help if you thought of ways to revive what the relationship took away from you.
10. You Kill Your Ex
You held on to your feelings for a long time. You may have ended your relationship on a bitter note. Seeing yourself kill your ex in your dreams means you must shed bitter feelings. It’s a good sign. It will help you accept your next relationship with a free mind.
FAQ’s
It isn’t a good sign when you dream about your ex quite often, like once or twice every week. Another red flag regarding dreams about an ex is going through a feeling of distress the next morning. In such cases, it’s high time you talk to a relationship counselor and seek help.
Proper communication in a relationship is key to its success. Yet, doing the same may only sometimes be good for your relationship. It might result in misunderstandings. So, the best way would be to shed all insecurities and move on. You can even talk to someone who would view everything from a neutral perspective.
Conclusion
To sum it up, dreams about your ex don’t always mean you miss him and want to return to him. It has both positive and negative significance. You’ve moved on and started everything afresh. It may even highlight the insecurities gripping you, making it difficult for you to move on.
Here’s wishing you Happy Healing! (from your past scars). May your new relationship be a fulfilling one.
An enthusiastic dream journaler who has connected sleep-time visions with real-life occurrences in the past and present, Karandeep believes in tapping into the subconscious and demystifying strengths, insecurities, and deep-rooted desires. Besides identifying the interconnectedness of dreams in his personalized dream journal, he continues to study the significance of celestial objects and their relation to mythological tales that keep modern society intrigued about past civilizations.