Did you recently dream about an ex you don’t talk to anymore? If so, you aren’t alone.
It’s not unusual to dream about an ex-boyfriend, ex-girlfriend, ex-husband, or ex-wife. But I bet you’re wondering, “what does it mean to dream about my ex?”
Why do exes show up in our dreams? There are many reasons for these types of dreams. Let’s explore them.
Why Do I Keep Dreaming About an Ex I Don’t Talk to Anymore?
You could have unresolved feelings towards your ex, feel bad about your breakup, want to reconnect, feel unfulfilled in your new relationship, feel angry, regretful, or guilty for how your relationship ended, or have hard feelings about them.
To understand what it means to dream about an ex, you must think about the context of your relationship and your dream. There are many reasons to see an ex while you sleep.
Let’s dig into them, but remember, seeing an ex doesn’t necessarily mean you want to get back together.
1. You Still Have Unresolved Feelings Toward Your Ex
We often dream of an ex we don’t talk to when we have unresolved feelings towards them. These dreams might mean you still have feelings for an ex, but it doesn’t have to mean you’re still in love with them.
It could mean you harbor anger about things they said or how they acted throughout your relationship. Do you feel guilty about the way you broke up? We dream of unresolved issues so our subconscious minds can resolve them.
2. You’re Afraid of Getting Hurt
Sometimes we dream of an ex when our current relationship is going through a rough patch. If you recently fought with your partner or felt betrayed by their actions, you can dream of an ex.
Why? Because your ex represents the pain of your past. Seeing your ex reminds you of the deep hurt you felt breaking up. This dream is a reminder that love isn’t easy and that you’re scared of being hurt again.
In this case, your dreams are urging you to heal past trauma. Your subconscious tells you it’s okay to feel the pain of loss. Try to face your hurt feelings so you can move past them.
3. You Crave Change in Your Relationship or Your Life
Dreaming of an ex can signify that you need a change in your life. Maybe you need to feel happier with your current partner. You are going through the motions of a relationship, but you don’t feel the sparks and butterflies you want to feel.
Seeing an ex might remind you of brighter passions from your past. It could be the way your ex could light up a room or the way you felt when his arm was around you.
If you dream of an ex, it could signify the need for a change in your life. Changes could happen to your location, career, or your love life.
4. Your Dream Expresses Your Deepest Desires
If you dream of an ex you no longer talk to, it could mean you are still in love with them. Sometimes our subconscious minds bring out truths that our waking minds are unwilling to see.
5. Feeling Bad About the Breakup
Dreaming about an ex could signal that you still feel bad about how you broke up. Maybe you feel guilty for walking away from a relationship before giving it a chance. Or perhaps you feel bad about the way your partner left you.
You might’ve gotten into a big fight, stopped paying attention to each other, or started cheating with someone else. If your partner hurts you or you hurt your partner, it’s not unusual to return to the dream to create a better ending to your story.
6. Your Current Relationship Isn’t Going Well
You might dream of an ex if your current relationship isn’t going well. Maybe your ex brought you flowers and candy or celebrated your relationship in extraordinary ways.
You may measure your current relationship against your past relationship with your ex. You are searching for all the things you loved about your ex, even though you know deep down they weren’t the right for you.
Is your current relationship missing something? A spark or light that you felt in the past? Do you feel unfulfilled with your partner? Do you feel like your ex held special keys to your heart that your new partner can’t seem to locate? You could also miss who you were in the relationship.
Are you happy in your current relationship? If not, you might yearn for the happiness you once felt with your ex.
7. You Want to Get Back Together with Your Ex
Dreaming of an ex could signify that you want to get back together with them. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should or even can get back together, but sometimes we dream of scenarios we know aren’t possible in real life.
If you are still in love with your ex, it’s perfectly reasonable to imagine you will dream about them and want them back. This is especially true if you still love them or want to reconnect with your ex.
8. Your Ex Was Your First Love
You may dream of an ex who was your first love. You may hold a special place in your heart for your first love. Any time you do something for the first time, it creates new neural pathways in your brain.
The first time you fell in love, your brain made new connections that created permanent memories you may revisit in your dreams.
9. You’re Going Through a Difficult Time
It’s not unusual to dream of an ex while going through a tough time in your life. Our partners support us through good and bad times. They provide a shoulder to cry on when we feel sad and a smile when we share good news.
If you’re going through a rough patch, it’s normal to see a friendly, supportive face and dream about them coming back into your life.
10. You Miss Certain Qualities of Your Ex
When we fall in love, we often fall in love with some part of our partner’s personality. Your partner might make you laugh or help you feel supported when you want to weep.
Your partner may be brilliant, kind, successful, compassionate, or empathetic. If you dream about an ex, you might miss the qualities and characteristics you came to love.
Your new partner might be great, but they might be more serious than your ex. Or they could be brilliant but not so empathetic. If you dream of an ex, you might dream of the qualities you miss about them.
11. Your Ex is Dreaming of You
Many dream interpreters believe that when you dream about someone, they also dream about you. Through a cosmic connection, your dream about your ex might mean he went to sleep and dreamt about you. This is particularly true if you dream about your ex repeatedly as powerful energy draws you to them.
12. You Recently Heard Their Name or Saw Them in Real Life
Trying to make sense of a dream where you saw your ex could be as easy as knowing that you recently heard their name or saw them in real life.
Did your friend mention your ex in passing? Did you see a comment on Facebook or bump into them on the street? All of these encounters could cause you to dream of your ex.
13. You Feel Bad About Your Breakup
What does it mean when you dream about an ex? It could mean you feel bad about your breakup. Maybe your ex didn’t explain why he wanted to leave or left in a fit of rage.
Maybe you feel bad about the last thing you said as your ex walked out the door for the last time. Letting go of people we love is hard. If you have negative feelings about your breakup, you may keep thinking about your ex.
14. You Feel Anger Toward Them
Why do you keep dreaming about your ex? It could be because you feel anger toward them.
Did your ex do something that caused you significant hurt or pain? Are you having trouble forgiving them for the way they acted? If you feel like you’re reliving the same dream with your ex, it might be because you need to learn to forgive them.
It might not be easy to let go of your pain or that part of your life, but it’s time to find peace and happiness in new relationships. If you haven’t forgiven them, it may be time to find it in your heart to let go.
15. You Feel Guilty
You are likely to dream about an ex when you feel guilty about something you said or did in your relationship. If you feel guilt or regret you might relive the negative moments of your past or dredge up your ex so you can think of ways to make amends.
How to Stop Dreaming About Your Ex
Suppose you had a particularly troublesome relationship or a nasty breakup. In that case, it’s perfectly normal to keep dreaming about your ex. If you’re dreaming about your ex night after night, there are ways to stop,
- First, clear your head before going to bed. Meditate, relax, and find ways to fill your mind with pleasant thoughts.
- Keep a dream journal near your bed and write down everything you remember when you wake from a dream.
- Analyze your dreams. Read through the reasons above and decipher why you keep having these dreams.
- Do you need to reach out to your ex to say you’re sorry, find ways to forgive your ex, or seek advice or guidance from a therapist who can help you through the pain and trauma of a bad relationship?
Could Dreaming of Your Ex Be a Sign?
Could dreaming of your ex be a sign that you’re meant to be together? Probably not. Dreaming about your ex can mean many things that have nothing to do with getting back together.
Look through the fifteen reasons you’re dreaming about an ex above.