Background

What are detective dreams about?

The DreamWell Dream Dictionary is based upon insights from 1,200 dream symbols in over 200,000 dreams. Let’s see what the data has to say about detective dreams.

The word cloud above shows the words that are specifically associated with detective dreams. These are the words that make detective dreams unique compared to all other dream symbols. Just examining the graph and reading the words of detective dreams can be illuminating about show detectives affect our dreams. Be sure to check out the example detective dreams at the bottom of the page.

The circular bar chart above shows how detectives in a dream will affect dream content as compared to other dream symbols. Higher bars indicate that detective is more related to the specific symbol in the graph. Lower bars indicate that detective is less related to the specific symbol in the graph. Specifically, detective dreams have more unnamed people than 96.3% of dream symbols, more death than 95.7% of dream symbols, and more work than 92.0% of dream symbols. On the other hand, detective dreams have less eating and drinking than 83.7% of dream symbols, less grief and sorrow than 80.0% of dream symbols, and less love than 75.7% of dream symbols. Notably, dreams of detectives are aggressive! Detective dreams have more aggressive interactions than 80% of all of the other dream symbols. Aggressive interactions involve attacks, arguments, yelling, pushing, killing, and so on. These dreams can be scary, stressful, or confusing. But, as with all dreams, it is best to explore what is there. Why was there aggression? Was it really aggression? Additionally, detective dreams are about death. Better stated, detective dreams contain more death and dying than 90% of all other dream symbols. Dreams help us process our emotions, understand our fears, and grieve. Death in a dream is not necessarily a bad thing. Dreaming of death can help us overcome fears or say good bye to loved ones. But, then again, dreams of death might simple just be dreams. Finally, detective dreams are about work! Working is a part of life, so it makes sense that we dream about it. Work dreams can be stressful. They can be good. Every dream is unique. These are general patterns observed in an analysis of over 200,000 dreams. This analysis is a tool to help you make sense of your dreams. It is best to look at the differences. See how your dream of detectives is different than dreams of detectives in general.

0.2%

of dreams have detectives

How common are detective dreams?

0.2% of dreams have the detectives symbol within the dream. That's about 1 out of every 550 dreams. Considering all the dream symbols, it is very rare.

Identification

How are detective dreams identified?

This symbol is identified by words like detective. This symbol is part of summary dream symbols characters and unnamed people.

Most related

What is most related to dreams of detectives?

Detectives dreams are notable because they have substantially more homicides, Morocco, fingerprints, magnifying glasses, crime, criminals and outlaws, fugitives, centaurs, Croatia, avalanches, mystery than 95% of other dream symbols.

Least related

What symbols least related to dreams of detectives?

Detectives do not especially suppress any other dream symbols.

Deep dive into detective dreams

Get an overview of characters, emotions, places, events, dream events, and senses in detective dreams.

Who is in dreams of detectives?

Who is in dreams of detectives?

Dreams of detectives are much more related to unnamed people and more related to strangers than dreams in general. They are less related to peers.

the same as usual
the same as usual
much more than usual
the same as usual
more than usual
less than usual
the same as usual
the same as usual
What are the emotions in dreams of detectives?

What are the emotions in dreams of detectives?

Detective dreams are more related to embarrassment than dreams in general. They are less related to happiness, less related to sadness, and less related to grief and sorrow.

less than usual
less than usual
less than usual
more than usual
the same as usual
the same as usual
less than usual
the same as usual
the same as usual
less than usual
Where do dreams of detectives take place?

Where do dreams of detectives take place?

Detective dreams are much more related to work, more related to human-made places, and more related to transportation than dreams in general. They are less related to natural places and less related to magical places.

the same as usual
much more than usual
more than usual
more than usual
less than usual
less than usual
more than usual
What happens in dreams of detectives?

What happens in dreams of detectives?

Dreams of detectives are more related to aggressive acts, more related to sex, and much more related to death than dreams in general. They are less related to eating and drinking.

more than usual
the same as usual
more than usual
the same as usual
less than usual
much more than usual
more than usual
How do dreams of detectives related to the type of dream it is?

How do dreams of detectives related to the type of dream it is?

Detective dreams are more related to weird dreams and more related to good dreams than dreams in general. They are less related to lucid dreams and less related to recurring dreams.

less than usual
the same as usual
less than usual
the same as usual
the same as usual
more than usual
the same as usual
more than usual
the same as usual
How do dreams of detectives related the senses?

How do dreams of detectives related the senses?

Dreams of detectives are more related to taste, more related to vision, and more related to touch than dreams in general.

the same as usual
the same as usual
more than usual
more than usual
more than usual

How can you make sense of detectives in dreams?

Detective dreams are very rare. Among other things detective dreams are aggressive, about death, and work dreams. Do you think this is true for your dream of detectives? How might your dream of detectives be different?

All dreams have meaning

All dreams have meaning

You can gain insight from thinking about any dream, no matter how strange. Only you, as the dreamer, have final say on what your dream may or may not mean. Each dream is unique.

Look for the differences

Look for the differences

The DreamWell dictionary provides information on how each dream symbol appears in dreams in general. Finding how experience detectives in dreams can be a key to understanding its meaning.

Return to the feelings

Return to the feelings

Our emotions in dreams can help us understand its meaning. Pay attention to how you felt in the dream. Pay attention to how you feel about detectives in dreams. See how you feel about detectives now, in your waking life.

An interpretation of detective dreams

An interpretation of detective dreams

This interpretation is from ""The Dream Interpretation Dictionary: Symbols, Signs, and Meanings" and is provided by J.M. DeBord aka "RadOwl". He is the author of several acclaimed books about dreaming, the host of The Dreams That Shape Us podcast, and is a moderator of r/Dreams, one of the largest dream sharing communities on the internet. A detective character in your dream can connect with investigating something or seeking the truth. Detectives investigate crimes and wrongdoings. They seek information and truth. That idea translates to your life when you have questions you want answered. For example, you realize your marriage is on the rocks and wonder how it happened. You dream about a detective watching a person as she works long hours, and realize your marriage is falling apart because you or your spouse spend too much time at work. Detectives pry into personal lives and uncover hidden information and motives. In dreams, that idea translates to feeling that your personal life is pried open, that someone is snooping around where you don’t want them, or that something you want hidden will be exposed. It can connect with a guilty conscience, bad intentions, and secrecy—strong possibilities to consider if you dream about being followed by a detective. Detectives establish the facts, so dreaming about a detective can connect with separating fact from conjecture, opinion, fiction, or lies. You can feel like you are a detective when you have been entrusted with secrets or private information. Detectives investigate crimes, and the idea of what is a figurative crime can stretch far. Such as, it’s a crime that you dropped a good habit or idea, or gave up what you want to do with your life. You feel robbed, victimized, denied. See: Crime When you play the role of detective in a dream, maybe it means you are the one prying into personal lives or discovering secrets. Or you are investigating a possibility, or why something happened. It can mean that you’re trying to uncover something about yourself that’s hidden, such as talents or abilities. Or you repressed memories and they need to be uncovered. However, any personal association with detectives can be used to create symbolism. For example, a man has recurring dreams about being a homicide detective in a city where he used to live. He never actually investigates crimes; instead, the dreams largely revolve around thinking about the implications of having a steady job. He associates the job of homicide detective with making major sacrifices to personal life in return for salary and benefits, and that theme is prevalent in his life as he pursues his dream job and sacrifices having a salary and benefits. The city he used to live in is where he first started pursuing his dream, so it’s used as the setting. Excitement about investigating something can mean you are excited about a prospect or opportunity such as buying a home or starting a new career. Being bored or frustrated while investigating can mean you’re bored of the same old routine and need a new adventure. Connect the feelings brought up by the dream with what’s happening in your life. See also: Infidelity, Infidelity, Crime, Fugitives, Jails, Police, Prisoners, Spying

Examples of dreams of detectives

Reading dreams is one of the best ways to understand dream symbols. Even though the DreamWell Dream Dictionary is based upon data, it is grounded in the experience of reading thousands upon thousands of dreams. We invite you to read examples of detective dreams for yourself. These dreams are actual dreams people have had. As result, they may contain racist, sexist, violent, or otherwise offense language and imagery. This can be true even for detective dreams. Read at your own risk.

DreamWell logo

Explore your own dreams.

Download the free DreamWell app to start journaling your dreams.

Download now