How to spot dream figures

The characters you meet in your dreams can speak volumes about your waking life...

‘There we were, dancing together, when suddenly the music stopped, and we were naked!’ How often have you found yourself recounting a vivid dream like this that featured another person? They might have been a friend, family member, colleague, or even a famous artist you’ve never met. You might reasonably assume that this person – let’s call them a dream character – did, in fact, represent the real-life friend, colleague, or celebrity from the external world. But perhaps there could be more to it than you imagine? Could this dream character represent someone closer to home, maybe even a part of you?

Some people would answer in the affirmative. For them, dream characters represent part of the dreamer’s personality or psyche, be that their assertiveness, creativity, or sense of adventure. However, it’s a popular misconception to assume that all dream characters are part of your psyche, just as it is to believe that they represent the external only.

Have you ever considered, for example, that a dream about an actor or artist you admire might relate to an aspect of your personality? This could be an underused talent, such as a way with words, an ability to put people at ease, or a personal style.

Different perspectives

The idea that dream characters are symbols or metaphors that represent a part of the dreamer was developed by the renowned psychiatrist Carl Jung. His theory, also known as subjective interpretation, is considered by many to be one of the more reliable approaches to unravelling dreams. From this perspective, paying attention to dream characters is important, as they might offer powerful messages to the waking self.

Viewing dreams through a subjective lens invites personal interpretation. This concept, based on the principle that all elements of a dream are aspects of the psyche, is also held by Gestalt therapists. Sometimes, however, dreams can have an objective function. For example, a dream about another person could be relaying a message that you’d missed or overlooked – perhaps to do with the relationship between you and them in your waking life.

So, if both subjective and objective dream characters can occur in dreams, how is it possible to tell the difference? And is there a way to decide if they’re pointing to the dreamer’s personality and psyche or if they’re relaying direct information about other people in their life? To answer, it’s helpful to gain an understanding of the differences between subjective and objective dream character types.

Regardless of whether the dream figure is someone you know personally, subjective dream characters represent different aspects of your personality within your conscious or unconscious mind. They also represent your traits, deepest feelings, and beliefs. Bearing in mind that their meanings are likely to vary between individuals, here are three examples of subjective dream characters, followed by what part of you they might represent:

A detective
A part of you looking for answers
Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern
The inner leader within you
Your school art teacher
Your creativity

Objective dream characters, on the other hand, relate directly to an external person (not a part of you). An objective dream character is usually someone close to you in your waking life, such as a partner, friend, or colleague. Sometimes, the objective dream character might be replaying a past event or predicting a future possibility. For example, if you have a difference of opinion with a colleague in your waking life and then have a dream about an argument with this person, it’s possible that this is an objective dream character.

Subjective versus objective lens

When the dreaming mind wants you to know something important about the external world, it might present you with an objective dream about people or situations from your waking life. If you have a dream that in some way repeats your previous day, for example, you might assume it’s better to use an objective lens – because it’s a dream that points to things you already know and that have taken place.

It’s important, however, not to assume that the dream is purely objective, and it’s always useful to look through both the subjective and objective lenses to weigh up the possibilities. So, if you do dream about a disagreement with a colleague that’s also occurring in your real life, it’s still valuable to reflect on what part of you that person represents and explore what other information is possibly being presented.

Where to start

But, back to the question – whoever appears in your dream, be it a partner, friend, sibling, or parent, how can you decide whether it’s about the external (that is, people in your waking life) or a part of your own psyche and interior life? It isn’t always clear-cut, but Jung believed that most dream images represented aspects of a person’s inner world, suggesting that the subjective lens, where you assume characters represent a part of your personality, is a good starting point. It can also sometimes be more revealing than beginning with an objective lens.

And the meaning is…

If you’d like to examine your dreams more closely, there are various aspects to consider. Firstly, make a note of your dream characters – all the people who showed up in your dream. Then begin to explore the qualities you associate with them. Do you think of them as self-confident, outspoken, creative, resilient? What vibe or clue do you receive from these people in your dream? Are they behaving in a certain way? How are they dressed?

Are they showing or telling you something? Is there a character arc – do they begin the dream behaving in one way and end it quite differently? Most importantly, what emotions do you associate with them? For example, if you have a dream about a teacher, this might represent ground rules for you. A dream about a kind older woman, however, might stand for inner wisdom. Take a close look at what each character is doing, saying, and feeling, as this might reveal important information about you.

It’s all in the detail

Secondly, consider the lens through which you’re examining your dream. It can be a good idea to adopt an objective lens if the dream character represents someone important and close to you. Often, dreams with a significant constant figure are literally about these people. Other clues might be found in looking at the detail and clarity of the dream figure. If they’re super-realistic –
almost photographic – it can suggest a more objective stance in your psyche. However, if the character is strange and incongruous – they might, for example, be wearing unusual clothing or have a marked difference from reality – it can point to a subjective interpretation.

Finally, try checking for strong emotions attached to the figure. If there’s a sense of intense emotion, it could be more useful to explore subjectively, regardless of the familiarity of the dream character.

Ultimately, to understand dreams, it’s important to have a good relationship with your dreaming mind. One way to do this is to set an intention to remember your dreams and record them every day, ideally upon waking. It might take time and effort, but fostering this connection is a vital part of any dream work. And it establishes a connection so deep that, in time, your eyes will be more likely to adjust to your dreams’ language and you won’t need either lens to interpret their true meaning.

Subjective character

This is often someone from your past, who you haven’t seen for a while, or someone you’re not close to in daily life (although this isn’t true in every case).
Consider whether this character appears vague, fuzzy, or subtle in your dream. Are they strange or is there something incongruous about their behaviour, compared with what they’re like in waking life? Is there a relatively strong emotion attached to this person? If the answers are mostly “yes”, it’s probably a subjective dream character – part of your personality.
What associations do you have about this known or unknown person? Make a list – it could include confidence, job-fulfilment, kindness, anger, inner strength, wisdom, indecision…
Think about what new or helpful information your dreaming mind might be telling you about this part of yourself. But don’t forget the other aspects of the dream, such as dialogue and narrative.