Below is an article all about dreams within dreams. Above is an episode of The Dream Detective podcast where a listener shares a story about a dream within a dream that Mimi weighs in on. To receive notifications of new episodes, you can follow the show in your favorite podcast platform.
Many of us have experienced the phenomenon of having a dream within a dream. But what does it mean, and why does it happen? There are many theories and different ways the experience can play out. Some involve false awakenings, some also include lucid dreaming, and sometimes we even remember a dream from a previous time while in a current dream (a common one for this dreamer!) Let’s explore some of these variations and the theories behind their possible meanings.
FALSE AWAKENINGS
A false awakening is when we think we wake up from a dream, and we go about doing what we would normally do when we get up, such as brushing our teeth or walking to the kitchen to get breakfast. Sometimes things seem perfectly normal, other times something seems a little ‘off’ due to the dream-like alterations to our waking reality. Especially when things are a little ‘off’, the dreamer may be triggered into lucidity and become aware of the fact that they are dreaming. Other times, a person believes they are waking up, but they really going into yet another false awaking! This can happen multiple times in a row for some people.
If you find yourself unsure of whether you are experiencing a false awakening, or are really awake, try recalling something of a linear nature such as your address. The dreaming mind is non-linear so it will be harder to recall things like numbers. Also check out your surroundings and do some ‘reality checks’ as to the nature of your environment, whether it is the same as in waking or not. Some say if you get out of bed and are not sure if you are in a false awakening, explore your environment and soon you will be able to tell if you are in a dreamscape. Walking into another room can be a good way to test out the landscape for which reality you are in.
While some will categorize a false awakening as a dream within a dream, to me there is a difference. A false awakening is marked by the sense waking up and doing what we would normally do when we get out of bed. A ‘dream within a dream’ can be more complex in terms of potential depth of meaning, as we will explore next.
To learn more about your dreams, check out The Dream Detective podcast!
A DREAM WITHIN A DREAM
There are a number of theories postulated as to why we experience a dream within a dream, and what it might mean. Freud thought that the material in the embedded dream was of a nature that we were not yet ready to face, and so we subconsciously buried, or encapsulated, it within another dream in order to be even less aware of it consciously. To me this does not necessarily make sense as we usually remember both the first and second dream equally. If the content was so disturbing that our mind was trying to ‘hide’ it from us, we would likely not remember it at all.
Though some theorists have agreed with Freud, other have not. His theory has been criticized for dismissing the encapsulating dream and focusing only on the dream within the dream. He also did not take into consideration how the two dreams might be related.
To me this is a much more likely and useful theory that offers more depth of exploration regarding the relationship between the two dreams. It is a much more fascinating approach as well.
HOW THE TWO DREAMS RELATE TO EACH OTHER
This is where it gets interesting. While there is no one set way to look at the relationship between the two dreams, here are some interesting perspectives to take into consideration. If you have a dream within a dream, see if any of these fit for you.
– One dream may outline a problem, and the other may provide a solution.
– One dream may show an ‘if this…’, the other may show a ‘then that…’ scenario. This is actually a hypothesis of why our other dreams seem to suddenly jump scenes in a way that seems totally unrelated. Maybe it can apply to dreams within dreams as well.
– The two dreams may provide different potential solutions or outcomes to a given situation.
– The two dreams may show one issue from two different perspectives.
– Notice the transition point where the first dream ends. What is the dreamer feeling or experiencing, and where in the story does the person ‘wake up’ to the next dream? Is the feeling or story break of significance to how the dreams relate to each other, or to the person’s life?
– Are the two dreams very similar in nature, or do they hold contrasting energies?
– Whether the dreams are similar or contrasting, how might this be significant or of relevance to the dreamer?
– Is one dream a continuation of the other, or a commentary on it?
– Could either of the dreams serve to prepare us for a potential outcome in waking life?
ANXIETY DREAM WITHIN A DREAM
One possible manifestation of the dream within the dream is to take the form of an anxiety dream. Some people dream they wake up and believe they are late for work or school, only to realize they are still dreaming, and then have the whole process repeat itself. Other times the person thinks they wake up and go to write the dream down, only to realize they are also still dreaming when the words drift off the page or some other variation of waking reality occurs. The latter may be more of a false awakening, depending on the emotions experienced by the dreamer during the dream.
WAKING UP TO SOMETHING IN OUR LIFE
Sometimes waking up within a dream can be symbolic of ‘waking up’ to something in our life. When we reach a new level of conscious awareness that we previously did not have, it may show up in this type of dream experience. Whether we are attaining this insight in the dream only, or we have become aware of it in waking life, our consciousness has realized – or ‘woken up’ to – something in regards of which we previously were ‘asleep’.
FALLING ASLEEP IN OUR CONSCIOUSNESS
On the opposite side of this coin, sometimes we dream that we are falling asleep! This can be symbolic of something that we are ‘closing our eyes’ to, or going unconscious of, in our waking life. Take note, as this kind of un-awareness is what gets us into trouble when we don’t realize we are doing it. And we don’t usually realize it because we are unconscious of it! However a dream can point out the fact that we are doing this, so by taking note we can remedy the situation by bringing our conscious awareness back into the picture.
NESTED LOOPS
The dream within a dream reminds me of a concept in hypnosis called ‘nested loops’. In this technique, the hypnotherapist uses metaphor (also used by dreams, of course) to create stories relevant to the client’s problem. The hypnotherapist decides how many layers of stories she wants to use (for example 3, 5, or more), and then begins by telling the first story, only to drop off part way through and begin the second story. This process is continued until the deepest layer of story is reached and this story is completed to resolution. Now the hypnotherapist goes back to the second to last story and finishes it, providing positive resolution and ‘closing the loop’ so to speak. She continues this on back up the chain all the way until the first story is finished and resolved in a way that metaphorically provides a resolution to the problem the client wanted to address. I can’t help but wonder if the dream within a dream might be using a similar approach, though we usually don’t go back to the previous dream to resolve it, the concept is an interesting one.
And I can’t help but end this article with the famous poem by Edgar Allen Poe:
A DREAM WITHIN A DREAM – POEM BY EDGAR ALLEN POE
Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow-
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.
I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand-
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep- while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?
I was walking home from work yesterday and as I crossed a road in one direction, someone I used to work with crossed the other way; we didnt acknowledge eachother.
that night I was dreaming and I saw it happen again; I then woke in the dream and was speaking to the ex-colleague and said “I had a dream we were crossing the road at the same time”
so my dream-self thought my waking memory was a dream…. this is complicated and I hope it makes sense.. is this common? To have memories appear as dreams within dreams?
Hi KJD,
While there are no rules in the dream world, anything is possible. I have also had dreams where I reference something in waking life, but as if what was happening in my waking life were a future life and I was in a past life! Trippy for sure. I just consider it another aspect of our consciousness, so it makes sense that the mind remembers…and who knows which reality is the dream?
For more info on dreams check out The Dream Detective podcast Take care and Happy Dreaming,
Mimi
I have had multiple times where I sleep, then know I’m asleep, then go a level deeper, then one more. By that time I know I’m dreaming, but ita usually from a past dream where I know I just wanna wake up, but I have to wake up 3 more times to get to reality. It’s weird. This happens a lot with the same dream
Hi Ryan, You might want to listen to episode #40 of The Dream Detective podcast; in it I talk about the difference between lucid dreams, false awakenings, and a dream withing a dream: https://thedreamdetective.com/episode-40-listener-stories-of-intuition-divine-guidance-and-messages-from-departed-loved-ones-part-2-of-2/ I hope this helps and thanks for posting!
Mimi
I had a dream a lady tried to walk into my parents house. Their garage door was open and the door into the house was also open and the light was on. I saw the lady and i was in my car i honked the horn to tell my mom she was in danger and she came around the corner with a gun already pulled on her. My mom wasn’t scared at all. the lady came for my car and pointed the gun inside my car (not at me). my mom was telling me not to leave but i was so scared i started backing out of the driveway and i woke up in my apartment at my table with my mom beside me. I was terrified. i couldn’t even breathe but i asked my mom to hold my hand to ground me. i took a lot of deep breathes to begin to tell her what happened in the dream and right when i started, the same lady came in through my front door. i immediately got up and ran to my room. i never made it and i finally woke up. I have never been so scared. i couldn’t go back to sleep for about an hour
Thanks for writing, This one might require some q&a between us so I am going to send you a private email. Hang in there!
Mimi
what could this mean?
I dream that I was in a mini-mart store with a lot of Migrant workers in the store. But I was very sleepy, so I pay for the stuffs and left the store. When I got outside, there was no cars , no houses, only people walking to work, then I told myself to wake up but I didn’t, I went into another part of the world of ancient history with people were swords fighting and then I thought that I was awake, I was in a banquet room with my daughter and her friends and My daughter told me that I forgot my boots in the taxi car. I said to my daughter how did I forget my boots in the taxi when I don’t remember taking any taxi there. Then I was walking and walking but I can’t find my way out
If you’d like to explore the meaning of this dream, you can book a private consultation. Here is the link: https://www.thedreamdetective.com/consult/ Happy dreams!
I had a dream I was laying in my childhood bed with a man I’m in love with but not in contact with currently. He was telling me how beautiful I am and I was scratching his back. Then I fell asleep in the dream. When I woke up I was still dreaming and now I’m in my current bed and I was thinking about the dream. I got up to get ready for work and I was thinking maybe the dream was meant to show me I should reach out “Dip a toe in the water” was a phrase I was thinking. Both dreams were extremely vivid. From your descriptions it seems this was a false awakening. But I didn’t “think” I was actually awake in the second dream. It seems like my second dream was just to reflect on my first. Thought?
Hi TS,
In a false awakening, while the ‘dream’ is happening, we are not aware that it is a dream…regardless of whether you thought you were awake in the second dream, the story content was that you got up and started your day which does tend to fit the category of a false awakening. That said, if you don’t think it fits, and it’s a continuation or reflection of the first dream, that could be the case, too! There are no hard and fast, black and white rules when it comes to the dream realm. We can observe, notice, and categorize with the waking mind, but each experience is unique and whatever rings most true to you is the answer I would go with. Happy dreams,
Mimi
I dreamt last night that I was partaking in a seance in order to view a spirit that had been troubling me in the dream. As the leader asked the group to look around to see her I woke in my bed and looked down at my partner lying next to me. I remember being afraid the spirit would be lying there instead but was releived when it was my partner. Next I woke in reality and looked over to find that my partner had already left for work, that is when I realized the first waking was a dream as well. It was a very odd feeling.
Hi Kat,
wow, I love it, a dream about a seance! I’m glad you ‘awoke’ to find it was your partner next to you, even if that could have been a ‘false awakening’ it sounds very comforting. The dreaming mind is a trippy thing, huh?
Happy dreams,
Mimi
Hi,
So I’ve just woken up and the first thing i am doing is to find an interpretation to my dream that I just had because I’m so scared.
So i dont remember the beginning of the dream, but i was sleeping in bed with friends and woke up, looked around, there was a puppy (my friends dont have a puppy), felt odd and figured im still dreaming and told myself to wake up. So i woke up, thinking it was an odd dream, saw my friends still next to me, environment of room looked normal, so i got out of bed, came out of the room, and there it was another puppy and realised it was another dream, forced myself to wake up again. This kept going on in loop another two times until, i saw a man in bed with us and a little girl holding the puppy. Guy was looking sick/dying but there were no wounds on his body, kept saying, “they took huri’s colours please get them back”, in this loop my friends were also awake and we all apologised saying, sorry we cant help you. And again i forced myself out of the dream to see my friends next to me.. And I started narrating the weird dream to them and we all suddenly notice there were weird mathematical equations written all over the wall, and i realised i have just started another dream, and i forced myself up and this time i could get up for real because my alarm was beeping and i saw my friends next to me,exactly like in the dream and i immediately found my phone and started looking it up… It was so oddand also not the first time i have had these loopy dreams, what can it mean?
Hi NM,
Have you listened to the latest 3 episodes of The Dream Detective podcast? We talked about dreams that are happening during the pandemic, so I don’t know if you are in quarantine, but since you were with your friends in the dream it makes me wonder if missing them could have something to do with why they showed up in the dream. And who is this sick/dying guy, and the little girl with the puppy? This is where dreams are so highly unique, we would have to do a consultation to find out what these symbols mean uniquely to you. You can look for dream dictionaries online, but they won’t tell you what your own subconscious mind already knows. If you want to schedule a consultation, here is more info: https://www.thedreamdetective.com/consult/ and to listen to the podcast: https://www.thedreamdetective.com/podcast/ Thank you so much for posting, and happy dreaming to you.
I was dreaming of being at a friends house and I went there to party a bit, there were
Two other characters with us both of them were MMA fighters one of which I remember from TV the other a stranger, while we were talking drinking and taking photos for Instagram my other friend called me and said he was in trouble so I invited him over to join us. Before he joined there was a lady in the house (my mother possibly) can’t really remember everything she was doing but it didn’t make much sense, as the night progressed more people arrived (two girls) whom I assumed were with the two MMA guys. Eventually the party became a bit noisy and it was late (2am) we had to break up the party things got a bit strange here I can’t recall much I do remember “waking up” and then going back to sleep and the dream starting again at the same party with the same people – later on I started realizing that I was still dreaming and so I went to each character and told them that this is not real and I don’t know what’s going on, I briefly woke up again and then straight back to the dream where all the characters were in a room and I told them that they don’t exist and that they are actually just me dreaming and they all understood this and we proceeded to try figure things out. I asked them if Marco (me) was in bed and ok and they replied that I was fine. I woke up again and then back into the dream where we were still at this house and every time I interacted with someone I told them you are not real this is not real and they would disappear and the surroundings would shift then a woman arrived and grabbed me and dragged me
Outside saying she was taking me out of this dream (I assume this was my mother) I woke up again this time looking at my room and my window but it turns out I was still dreaming because I couldn’t move or do anything – I forcefully shook my head to wake up (in the dream) and then I finally arrived in my awaken state. I have had a dream within a dream only once before this but no where near this intense the moment when all these characters looked at each other knowing this is all in my mind was indescribable. The only thing I remember from the dream that could of shown me I was dreaming initially was checking my Instagram when one of the famous MMA guys posted a funny video of us – the content on my Instagram was from when I was a teenager and I had never taken photos with a phone back then. I woke up about 30min ago and I’m very freaked out.
Hi Marco,
It sounds like you had a continuation of a dream, rather than a dream within a dream in this case, since you actually woke up in between (if I follow you correctly). Also being aware that you are dreaming while doing so is called being lucid. I have some articles about lucid dreaming on my website, if you want to learn more you can go here: https://www.thedreamdetective.com/2016/06/20/lucid-dreaming-insights/
Also if you want to learn more about dreaming in general, you can check out my podcast here: https://www.thedreamdetective.com/podcast/
Thank you for posting, and Happy Dreaming!
Mimi
I dreamed that I was at a mall and there was a man and a woman asking for my credentials. I did not have all the credentials but gave them what I had. I then got on a merry-go-like thing with purple railing. It was like a maze of gates that I stood on and switched the gates around to move about. I then “woke up” and told my boyfriend about the dream. It seems we were still in the mall. I finally really woke up and realized the whole thing was a dream! What does this mean? It was very strange!
Hi Kim, Thanks for sharing your dream experience, it fits perfectly with the criteria of a dream within a dream. To receive personal feedback on your dreams you can join my dream forum, it’s is a free perk with The Dream Detective Patreon membership. For more info visit: https://www.patreon.com/thedreamdetective Thank you and Happy New Year!