Being Someone Else in a Dream
Dreamers from all over the world seek me out to interpret their dreams. One dream I’ve seen over and over is being someone else in a dream. Walking in someone else’s shoes can be confusing, especially when the dreamer is a different gender.
When you’re not you in a dream it simply means you’ve been given the opportunity to have a different and unique perspective. You’re experiencing the dream from another’s point of view. Dreamers often gain the understanding that they have more in common with who they are in the dream than they realize.
If you approach your dream with this knowledge, the meaning and the reason you were not you in the dream naturally reveals itself.
Deeper Understanding of Someone Else
Life is a unique and varied experience. Each of us develops our taste for food, out likes and dislikes for literally everything based on where we grew up and who we grew up with. We humans have but one perspective on life and its difficult to see someone else’s point of view.
Only in a dream are we able to set aside our worldviews and walk out life in someone else’s shoes. Here’s an example of a dream where that exact thing happened.
I had a dream where I started my day by lighting up a cigarette and going into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. This was odd because I don’t like coffee and I’ve never smoked. I didn’t recognize any of my surroundings and I stepped out of my small apartment and walked to a nearby fish market. I made my living selling fish.
My work space was small, but I was apparently very good at handling a knife. I cut up fish and put them on display. When customers showed up I spoke a language to them that I didn’t recognize. The dream ended after I finished my work for the day and went back home. I smoked one more cigarette before going to bed exhausted from the day’s work. The End
An Important Principle
An important principle of ancient dream interpretation is asking the question why did the dream present this certain thing and not something else? This one question can lead to asking the one right question that will unlock the dream’s meaning.
It’s important to understand the role the dreamer plays in this process. If you’re the dreamer you’re no doubt asking yourself why was I this guy and not myself? As a dream interpreter I would ask the dreamer what do you think you could learn from the fellow who sells fish?
Do you need the perspective of someone who is a heavy smoker?
Perhaps you need the perspective of how someone in a different culture lives out their day.
The dreamer is the only one who can answer questions like this. And they may not be able to answer them right away. It’s very possible the dreamer is about to meet a person from the culture they dreamed about and the dream was given to them to prepare them for an encounter. When you’re not you in a dream there is definitely a purpose behind it.
Being Someone Else
I’ve found that Reddit is a great place to catch a glimpse of what it looks like when you have a dream where you’re being someone else. I was there recently and stumbled upon the most interesting dream.
I’d say in about 1/3 of the dreams I remember I’m somebody else in the dream. Like, I’m in their body, I know who they are and it feels totally normal…and it’s not me. For reference, I’m a woman in my 20s.
In my dreams I’ve been men and women of all different ages, races, etc. This is just a normal thing for me. I don’t generally remember their names and the dreams are pretty standard stuff. Sometimes I’ll be in a fun “Wow, I can fly, lets glide over to this lake!” dream, sometimes it’s an awkward “I really have to pee and the only toilet is in the middle of this crowded cafeteria for some reason.” type thing. Sometimes it’s mundane, sometimes it’s wild, or scary or funny. You know, normal dream stuff.
Dropping In
The only weird thing about it is that the person I am in the dream is not who I am in waking life. It’s never anyone I recognize, and I don’t think it’s ever been the same person twice. Oh, and when I’m someone else, nobody from my life appears in the dream — only other strangers. When I’m myself, the dream will frequently include people I know.
I always figured this was something that happened in everyone’s dreams, until I was talking about it with my boyfriend and he said he’d never had a dream where he was not himself. He seems to think I could be “dropping in” on other people’s dreams.
I think this dreamer’s boyfriend had a valid observation. When you are someone else in a dream are you dropping in on their dream? The answer is no. Here’s why.
The very nature of dreams is to connect with the dreamer in a deeply personal way. If you’re someone else, chances are it’s your dream and you’re being shown another person’s perspective for a reason. The dreamer who had all these dream experiences of walking in the shoes of other people is being shown a great deal about the lives and experiences of others.
I kind of wish she shared if she noticed any specific culture repeating through these dreams. It could have been a clue as to why she was having so many of these dreams.
Being Someone Else More Than Once
Here’s another dream that I discovered while walking around downtown Denver and asking random strangers about their dreams.
I walked into an alley and met a guy with a hood over his head. He was paying me to assassinate the president. He said he’d give me half the money up front and half the money later. After I left him the majority of the dream was like an action movie. I went to the White House, broke in and fought my way to the Oval Office.
The president was sitting in a chair with his back to me. He said “I’ve been waiting for you”. the president turned around and he’s me. I very casually pull the gun out and kill him. I go back to the alley and the guy pays me the rest of the money. He takes of his mask and its me again. I am paying myself to kill myself. Strange dream.
This Dream Made An Impression The Dreamer Never Forgot
Equitis Bic
The basic interpretation of this dream follows. The dreamer is destroying himself in a covert way. He is the person putting out the hit, the hitman and the victim. But what does it mean for the dreamer to be each of these people?
Breaking Down the Symbols
| As the hitman — A metaphor that the dreamer is the instigator of their own death. He’s dying by his own hand. | ||
| As themselves, the person hiring the hit man — A metaphor depicting the dreamer is the one who sets everything into motion. | ||
| As the victim — The dreamer is the one being destroyed and has no one to blame but himself. |
I find it very interesting the “president” said “I’ve been expecting you.” This means the dreamer knew the hit was going down on some level. The metaphor the dream uses of the dreamer being the the president can be a bit confusing. Why go through all that trouble? Why doesn’t the dreamer just have a dream that they’re killing themselves?
The Interpretation
The answer to that is twofold. First, the dreamer is the president because he is the ultimate authority in his own life. Second, it speaks of the fight that is ahead. It takes a lot of planning and work to pull this assassination off.
As bizarre as this dream is, the dreamer must understand its message. The day the dreamer told me this dream I spoke with him about what the dream meant and the warning it delivered. He thought it was interesting but dismissed what I said.
EB