Background

What are parent 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 parent dreams.

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

The circular bar chart above shows how parents in a dream will affect dream content as compared to other dream symbols. Higher bars indicate that parent is more related to the specific symbol in the graph. Lower bars indicate that parent is less related to the specific symbol in the graph. Specifically, parent dreams have more family than 99.9% of dream symbols, more home than 96.9% of dream symbols, and more sad dreams than 86.9% of dream symbols. On the other hand, parent dreams have less natural places than 80.3% of dream symbols, less lucid dreams than 77.0% of dream symbols, and less smelling than 69.9% of dream symbols. Notably, dreams of parents are very social! Parent dreams contain more characters tan 90% of all other dream symbols. Dreams, in general, are very social. There are people or characters in almost every dream, so it is notable that parent dreams have are so social. Finally, dreams of parents are family oriented. They are more related to family than 90% of all other symbols. In other words, dreaming of parents will increase your chances of dreaming of a family member. Dreams help us to process our emotions and social relationships. In a certain lens, you can think of dreams as simulations of the world. This can be especially helpful for our relationships with family. 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 parents is different than dreams of parents in general.

22%

of dreams have parents

How common are parent dreams?

22% of dreams have the parents symbol within the dream. That's about 1 out of every 5 dreams. Considering all the dream symbols, it is frequent.

Identification

How are parent dreams identified?

This symbol is identified by words like dad, mom, father, etc. This symbol is part of summary dream symbols characters and family.

Most related

What is most related to dreams of parents?

Parents dreams are notable because they have substantially more verbs, seeing a dead father, Algeria, seeing a dead mother, general family, seeing a dead relative, incest, movement, Bahamas, communicating, sisters than 95% of other dream symbols.

Least related

What symbols least related to dreams of parents?

Parents dreams are notable because they have substantially less Cameroon, pheasants, Princess Leia, Cyprus, jackals, C-3PO, twin flames, Han Solo, ovations, mudslides, higher selves than 95% of other dream symbols.

Deep dive into parent dreams

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

Who is in dreams of parents?

Who is in dreams of parents?

Dreams of parents are much more related to family and more related to romantic partners than dreams in general. They are less related to animals, less related to insects, and less related to unnamed people.

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

What are the emotions in dreams of parents?

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

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

Where do dreams of parents take place?

Dreams of parents are much more related to home and more related to transportation than dreams in general. They are less related to natural places and less related to magical places.

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

What happens in dreams of parents?

Dreams of parents are more related to death and more related to health events than dreams in general. They are less related to disasters.

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

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

Dreams of parents are more related to nightmares, more related to bad dreams, and more related to sad dreams than dreams in general. They are less related to lucid dreams and less related to good dreams.

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

How do dreams of parents related the senses?

Parent dreams are less related to smelling and less related to taste.

the same as usual
less than usual
less than usual
the same as usual
the same as usual

How can you make sense of parents in dreams?

Parent dreams are frequent. Among other things parent dreams are very social and family oriented. Do you think this is true for your dream of parents? How might your dream of parents 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 parents 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 parents in dreams. See how you feel about parents now, in your waking life.

An interpretation of parent dreams

An interpretation of parent 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. The dynamics of your relationship with your parents and what they mean to you open up many possibilities for symbolism. People commonly assume that their parents in their dreams represent their actual parents, when they’re actually characters in a story based on the dreamer’s associations and common associations with parents. The first clue is in the fact that they appear together in a dream, instead of separately. It’s a clue that the symbolism might be tied to what parents represent: authority, protection, restriction, expectations, guidance. Parents together can symbolize anything they’re in agreement or “of the same mind” about. Of course, the symbolism depends on your experience and perceptions. If your parents are not protective or restrictive, for example, then they’re unlikely to symbolize protection or restriction—unless they are used to symbolize lack of it, or need for it. A lot depends on whether your parents are actively part of your life and whether they’ve been on your mind. If yes, you have to consider that their presence in your dream reflects your recent activity or thoughts. The dream is about a recent event in your life and your parents’ involvement. Otherwise, it’s safe to assume that your parents are in the dream because of what they represent to you. Things get interesting when your parents act out of character. Discrepancies with reality scream, “This is symbolism!” They’re characters following a script in a story. For example, you dream that your hands-off parents tell you that you absolutely cannot marry your boyfriend. It’s something they’d never actually do, so you look at it as symbolism. Perhaps you’re trying to tell yourself something and the dream uses your parents to deliver the message because you’re more likely to listen. Your parents are your primary example of parenthood, probably. If you’re a parent, you will draw on your examples to guide you in what to do and what not to do. In which case, your dreams can use parent-characters to tell a story about your own experience as a parent. Again, though, it depends on your experience and perceptions. Maybe your parents are a better example of how not to be a parent. Stretch the idea further and your parents can be used in your dreams to tell stories about growing into adulthood and beyond. They are your example, and they shape your ideas about the adult you want to be, even long after you’re an adult yourself. Parents dictate behavior for their children. They set rules and expectations. As a child, how did you respond? Did you behave as expected? Did you follow the rules, or defy them? Did you try your hardest to meet expectations, or not give a care? Did you act like an angel when they were watching, and let the little devil in you come out when their backs were turned? These patterns that start in childhood can carry into adulthood. For example, if you find yourself defying a supervisor or undermining authority figures, does it remind you of your relationship with your parents? Do you work hard while being watched, and slack off when you think no one is watching? How do your parents view you at this point in your life—are they, or would they be, proud? Are you living your life in a way that reflects them, the example they set, and what they taught you? Did something come up the day before the dream that reminded you of them? Are you being treated like a child? These are the questions that can help you understand their role in a dream-story. Grandparents in your dreams can be surrogate characters for your parents. When grandparents are used as surrogate characters, the dream could be related to your parents as role models. Grandparents act as role models for your parents, so it is an easy association for dreams to make. Dreaming about parent-characters that are not your parents is a clue that the dream could be about the general symbolism of parents and parenting. Also consider the possibility that the unfamiliar parent-characters can symbolize people in your life who are in some way like parents to you. See also: Bosses, Children, Childhood homes, Family, Family homes, Fathers, Grandfathers, Grandmothers, Guiding, Mothers, Orphans

Examples of dreams of parents

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 parent 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 parent dreams. Read at your own risk.

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