What does it mean when you dream about someone you don't know?

Answer 1

I assume that you mean dream figures who are not real people that you've ever met in waking life (as opposed to people you've seen in real life, but you are not acquainted with them). Many people ask this question, showing that it's very common to dream about dream figures that we don't know. These characters in our dreams tend to symbolize certain personality traits, or qualities of our own that we are unconscious of; or else they are archetypes (such as the "eternal boy," the wise old woman, or the divine child). By contrast, dreaming about people we know tends to have more to do with that particular person and our relationship with them, or with the role that that person plays in life and therefore symbolizes (mother, father, teacher, police officer, etc.).

Sometimes, after reflecting on the dream for a while, we may find that the unknown character actually reminds us of someone we know, or is maybe a composite of two or more known people.

Often people wonder if the unknown dream figure could be someone they will meet in the future (and thus the dream is precognitive). That's always possible, but obviously we can't know until it happens later that we meet them in real life. I can remember only one instance of apparently dreaming about someone whom I later met.

It has also been speculated by believers in reincarnation that the unknown figure could be someone known in a past or future life. Again, this can't be proved, though it's an intriguing idea, stimulating the imagination.

Because of the uncertainties involved, it's best to interpret an unknown dream character symbolically or as an unconscious or shadow quality of the dreamer him- or herself.

Answer 2

Dreaming about someone you don't know can symbolize aspects of yourself or qualities you are exploring. It may also represent unknown opportunities or emotions in your subconscious mind.