Dreaming of someone who doesn’t like you: 9 hidden meanings

Do you find yourself dreaming about someone who doesn’t like you? A toxic colleague, a former partner, an old teacher from way back, or even someone you don’t know?

It’s a recurrent dream and you just don’t understand why you’d keep dreaming about someone from your past who doesn’t even like you.

In this article, we’ll explore the 10 hidden meanings behind your dream.

Let’s get started:

1) You don’t understand why they don’t like you

Picture this:

You’ve been dreaming about a certain person over and over again.

And every time you dream about them, their dislike of you is quite clear. They’re yelling at you. They’re spitting out insults at you. Or they’re just plain ignoring your presence altogether.

The disapproval you feel is so strong that you can feel it when you wake up.

The person in your dream is someone who you know doesn’t like you. They could be someone you’re still in touch with or someone you parted ways with a long time ago.

The thing is, you never really understood why they don’t like you. You never did anything bad to them. If anything, you’ve always been respectful, friendly, and generally nice to them. Despite your best efforts, you’ve never managed to get them to like you.

Now, you don’t expect everyone to like you, but the fact that they have no apparent reason for not liking you bugs you so much that you dream about them.

2) You’re processing past experiences and friendships

A great way to understand the root of your dream is to think about the past experiences and relationships that you haven’t quite processed yet.

You see, when you dream about someone who doesn’t like you, it’s possible that you’re not really dreaming about them, but rather, that your repressed feelings and thoughts manifest themselves in your dream.

Think about your past experiences and relationships.

If you could pick one or two past relationships that really impacted your life, it’s likely that they influenced the way you treat people in general. This is what psychologists call our implicit attitudes and values. They’re attitudes and values we’ve picked up over time, but might not be aware of.

Not all past experiences and relationships were positive, however. If you did happen to have a bad experience with someone, your dream could be helping you process it.

In short, the fact that you’re dreaming about someone that doesn’t like you symbolizes a past event or relationship that you’re ignoring and trying to forget but that you need to process in order to move forward.

3) They represent a conflict or difficulty in your life

Another reason why you’re dreaming about someone who doesn’t like you is that they represent challenges or difficulties in your waking life.

Here’s the thing: If you want to get peace of mind and a good night’s rest, you’re going to have to figure out what the person in this dream represents so that you can take some action and get over this conflict or difficulty.

But what if you can’t figure it out? What if you’ve no idea what the dream is trying to tell you? Are you gonna keep having this dream forever?

Don’t worry! You’re not going to keep dreaming about someone who doesn’t like you forever.

4) You are mourning the loss of the relationship

Perhaps the person who doesn’t like you is someone you used to be close with, perhaps an ex or a former friend.

Picture this:

You’ve been dreaming about your ex over and over again.

In your dream, you’re trying to get back together but they’re not interested. They keep pushing you away and rejecting you. You’re trying so hard to fight for their love, but they just won’t have it.

When you wake up from this dream, the pain is excruciating and you feel like a part of you is gone forever. It’s a painful experience because what’s happening in your dream actually happened in real life; it’s just that this time it’s happening in your mind.

You see, you are dreaming about them because you’re mourning the loss of that relationship.

5) You are working through a past trauma

ability3 Dreaming of someone who doesn't like you: 9 hidden meanings

You see, dreams are also great at helping you process difficult past experiences and events that caused you severe emotional and psychological pain.

These events have left mental wounds that still linger and keep you from moving on. In some cases, the wound is so deep that it eventually leads to emotional numbness. These are people who no longer feel anything after experiencing something truly traumatic.

The dream about someone who doesn’t like you is a way for your past trauma to show itself and remind you that you have to deal with it in order to heal and move on.

6) They symbolize unresolved feelings

Our emotions are complex and have many layers. Sometimes, it’s hard to understand the root of the issue at hand.

Let’s take a closer look.

Let’s say that you’ve been dreaming of your mother and father.

All you know is that they don’t like you in your dream, but every time you wake up, it still feels like a bad feeling from your childhood. You just don’t know why they would hate you so much since you’ve treated them well all these years.

The dream about someone who doesn’t like you is telling you that there are unresolved feelings from when you were very young, which led to the present situation where people don’t like or appreciate you.

7) You’re afraid of something

Here’s another possibility. Your dream about someone who doesn’t like you could actually be a warning of danger.

The person in your dream clearly doesn’t like you. What’s more, they want to hurt or even kill you.

Now, think about your life.

Is there something that you have to do that could potentially be dangerous or harmful in any way?

Maybe you’re making a big business decision such as merging your company with someone you have doubts about.

Or maybe you’re going on an adventure – you’re taking a trip to the Amazon. The dream could be your subconscious trying to warn you about something, or trying to come to terms with a “scary” situation.

Dreams are weird like this. They are often filled with symbolism and exaggerated events meant to give us a message or warn us of some hidden danger.

8) You want to mend the relationship

Perhaps the reason you’re dreaming about someone who doesn’t like you is that there’s a part of you that wants to mend things with that person.

I’m sure you can relate.

Maybe you had a big fight and they think it’s your fault. Maybe they’ve been holding a grudge ever since. Maybe you were in a relationship with them and betrayed their trust.

Regardless of the situation, there’s a part of you that wants to fix things and mend that relationship, that’s why you keep seeing them in your dreams.

9) You need closure

Finally, maybe the reason for your dream is the need for closure. Maybe you left things unresolved with this person you keep dreaming about.

If they’re someone you had a close relationship with and you parted ways without you getting a chance to explain your side of things – if things were left unsaid – then you really need closure.

The bottom line is that the dream keeps nagging at you because your subconscious is trying to tell you that you need to talk to them in real life and talk things out.

Dreaming of someone who likes you

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Now that we’ve had a look at the hidden meanings behind dreaming about someone who doesn’t like you, let’s take a look at what it means to dream about someone who does like you:

They’re someone you like in real life

When you dream that someone likes you, it could be because you like that person when you’re awake. Your dream is a reflection of reality.

Now, this may be a friend or a colleague that you’re really into, but you don’t know how to tell them and you have no idea how they feel.

A dream like this is your subconscious trying to tell you that it’s time to let them know how you feel.

You’re missing something from your life

Maybe you’re in a relationship with a great person, but you find yourself dreaming about someone else being in love with you.

Every night you go to sleep you dream about that same person – someone you’ve never met – that makes you feel like you’re on cloud nine.

Each night they fall in love with you and you fall in love with them and it’s the greatest feeling in the world. Then you wake up and realize it was just a dream, and you’re left feeling empty and sad.

What does this mean?

It means that there’s something missing from your relationship. There’s obviously something that you’re longing for that your partner isn’t providing. It could be passion or affection or maybe more attention.

The bottom line is that something’s missing in your life and you keep dreaming about meeting someone who can give it to you.

You’re lonely

Dreaming of someone who likes you could mean that you’re lonely.

You see, a lot of lonely people tend to dream about finding someone to love and care for them. They dream about being with their soulmate or the one they’ll spend the rest of their lives with.

But in reality, deep down they keep dreaming because they fear that what they want doesn’t exist or isn’t possible. In order to cope with this harsh reality, they create dreams where they find this soulmate and live happily ever after.

In other words, your dream is your subconscious trying to tell you that you’re missing the relationship you always wanted.

You’re feeling insecure or have low self-esteem

You might dream about someone liking you because you feel insecure or have low self-esteem when it comes to relationships.

When you feel like this you tend to dream about those people who would never reject or hurt you. You want them to approve of your actions and love you unconditionally. This is why your dreams are filled with positive figures or characters.

Dreaming about someone liking you is also a way for your subconscious to help make up for the negative thoughts you have about yourself in real life. In other words, it’s a coping mechanism for your psyche.

You need validation from someone else

Trust me, I know how terrible it can feel not to get the validation from others that you so desperately want.

Maybe a friend or family member doesn’t take you seriously no matter how hard you seek their approval.

Or maybe your boss fails to see how much effort you put into your work – the extra hours, the weekends spent at the office – and never gives you any credit.

The fact that you keep on dreaming about someone who likes you could be because you just want someone to like you and tell you that you’re great, that they appreciate you, and that you’re doing a good job.

My advice is to stop looking for other people’s approval so much. You know your worth and the people who really matter will see it. Don’t worry so much about everyone else.

You dream that a celebrity likes you

This is actually a very common dream.

Perhaps the celebrity in your dream is your icon, someone who represents something great that you want for yourself – success, wealth, fame… Maybe they started as a nobody and made their way to the top.

Are you pursuing a profession or lifestyle that only your favorite celebrity has achieved? Or is there something about them that inspires you to be a better version of yourself?

You see, dreaming about celebrity liking you could be just the motivation you need to pursue your goals.

7 most common dreams people have

Now that we’ve looked at what it means to dream about someone who doesn’t like you as well as to dream about someone who does like you, let’s take a look at the 7 most common dreams that people have:

1) Flying

I used to dream about flying quite often as a kid. I’d stand on the edge of the sofa and take a step forward.

Now, instead of falling to the ground, I’d stay up in the air. I’d spread my arms and fly around the room. It always seemed so real – like, it was possible that I had somehow willed myself to fly.

A flying dream is a common dream that symbolizes a sense of freedom. It could be because you’re in a good mood or because you feel like things are going your way.

It could also mean that there’s something in your life you’re ready to let go of or move on from.

Flying can also symbolize a need for change – that you want to make a big transition in your life.

2) Being chased

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One of the most common dreams – or technically nightmares – that people have are where they’re being chased by someone who wants to hurt them physically, emotionally, or spiritually.

If you dream about being chased, it’s your subconscious telling you that something in your life isn’t right. The reason you are running away is that you don’t want to face something in real life – such as something you did, something that happened to you, or your feelings about a certain situation.

Chasing dreams are usually not pleasant as they are related to fear and anxiety and are a way for your subconscious to come to terms with whatever it is you’re running away from.

3) Talking to someone who died

This is a common dream to have when someone you love has passed away. You may dream that they’ve come back – that they’re doing better, they’ve healed, that they’re no longer dead.

Perhaps it’s a grandparent you dream of. In your dream you’ll find yourself in their home, spending time with them like you used to. Everything will go back to normal.

This is because you’re still grieving and wish that this person was still around so you could be together. It’s quite natural to dream about someone you miss. By dreaming about them you’re not only processing what happened, but getting to spend some more time with them – if only in your imagination.

4) Falling

Dreams about falling reflect insecurities you feel when you are awake.

For example, falling in your dreams could be that in your waking life, you feel like you don’t have control over something or someone.

You feel overwhelmed and powerless. You don’t think that you can change this situation which is why you feel like you’re falling.

5) Teeth falling out

Ok, I have to admit that I have this one a lot and it freaks me out every time.

Dreaming that your teeth are falling out is a pretty common nightmare for a lot of people, especially women.

Most often, people dream about their teeth falling out because they feel insecure and powerless. There’s some aspect of their lives that makes them feel vulnerable or weak.

To me, it’s always been a terrifying dream because I feel like I’m losing a part of myself with each falling tooth.

6) Being naked in public

Another common dream people have is to be naked in public. Being naked in a dream is usually because you feel vulnerable and want to be protected.

You might also be dreaming that you’re naked in public because something you did or said is causing embarrassment and shame.

7) Taking a test

Do you ever dream that you’re back in school and have to take a test? You may try to protest and say, “But I’ve already done all this, I’ve already got a career, I’m grown-up”.

The stress that you feel in your dream is a reflection of the stress you feel in your waking life. Perhaps there’s something that you have to do that scares you because you don’t think you’ll be able to pull it off.

In short: If you dream about taking a test, it could symbolize something you feel unprepared for or challenged by in your real life.

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Picture of Tina Fey

Tina Fey

I've ridden the rails, gone off track and lost my train of thought. I'm writing for Ideapod to try and find it again. Hope you enjoy the journey with me.

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