What does it mean to dream of Ex

Keywords
Ex-wifeEx-husband
To dream of an ex is a frequent dream, especially if the breakup is recent. It means that you are still processing this event, and adapting to the new situation. Because the strongest emotional memories are the most likely to resurface in dreams, it’s also not surprising if you’re dreaming of an ex you haven’t seen in a while. Maybe a recent event reminded you of those emotions or situations. If you have good feelings about your ex in the dream, it may suggest a yearning to relive the excitement and vitality you may have experienced in that relationship. Perhaps it symbolizes traits that you are missing in your present relationship. On the contrary, if you have bad feelings about your ex in the dream, it may be a reflection of the emotions you felt during your previous relationship or the breakup process. It could also mean that you’re over that relationship and are ready to use the lessons you learned with it. What you can take away from that dream highly depends on the emotions you felt during it, and how you’re feeling when you’re awake. The more salient the emotions when you wake up, the more space that previous relationship is taking in your mind. If you have frequent dreams about your ex, take note of the evolution of those feelings. It may help you keep track of how your brain is healing after the breakup.

Interpretation is relative

This interpretation is just a suggestion based on general cultural and psychological significance. Don’t take this as absolute truth. Your dreams are linked to your experiences and memories, so we can’t tell you what your dreams mean exactly. Instead, use this as a base to start a reflection and find your own interpretations.

Dream trends

This graph shows how often people have dreamed of that particular topic in the past year.

Questions to ask yourself

To interpret your dreams properly, you should ask yourself the following questions.

Memory

When was the last time this element appeared in your waking life? In which context?

Dreams often incorporate recent elements of our waking life. If you’ve seen this element in a movie recently, for instance, it may explain the presence of this element in your dream.

Symbolism

What does this element represent for you? Could it be a metaphor for something else?

During dreams, your mind makes a lot of associations between concepts. An animal may represent a person, a person may represent a period of your life, etc... Think outside the box; what could this element represent?

Emotions

What emotions does this make you feel? Did you feel those emotions in your dream?

Were you surprised to feel unexpected love or anger towards this element? Think about why you may have felt those emotions.

Related elements

What else was inside your dream?

Think about the other elements of your dream and their relation with this specific element. Then, you can start this process again with these other elements.