What Does It Mean When You Dream About Your Ex-Boyfriend?

Last Updated on January 16, 2021 by Sloane Marie

The average person dreams four to six times per night.  Out of all the different dream types, a dream about your ex-boyfriend can be one of the most disconcerting. You thought that you had finally moved on, but then you kept having these dreams over and over again.

No matter what you do, you keep waking up with a racing heartbeat. You can't understand why you continue to dream about your ex-boyfriend. Now, you want to know: what does it mean when you dream about your ex-boyfriend?

If you want to learn more, check out this article on how to interpret your dreams about relationships.

What Does It Mean When You Dream About Your Ex-Boyfriend?

Don't worry. You aren't alone. Most people dream about their ex-boyfriend at some point. Dreams are created by your subconscious mind, so they naturally include a blend of your memories, thoughts, feelings and desires.

Sometimes, a dream about your ex-boyfriend shows a deeper meaning that reflects how you currently feel about your ex-boyfriend or your last relationship. In other cases, these dreams are just memories pulled up at random from your subconscious. When this happens, they are basically just replaying your past.

To figure out what your dream about your ex-boyfriend means, you have to look at what happens in the dream. You have to consider how you feel, how other people respond to you and the situation. By analyzing these details, you can figure out the broader meaning behind your dreams about your ex-boyfriend.

What Does It Mean When You Dream About Your Ex-Boyfriend Every Night?

1. It Was Completely Random

Your dreams don't always have an underlying meaning. Sometimes, they happen completely randomly. Your subconscious pulls memories from the past to populate your dreams. It is entirely possible that this was just a completely random dream.

Your dreams about your ex-boyfriend may have also been caused by a trigger in your daily life. If you smelled a cologne that he used to wear or saw his new girlfriend, then your subconscious mind may bring up these thoughts within your dreams that night.

It is also especially common to have dreams about an ex-boyfriend if you thought about him recently. If you still think about him sometimes, it makes sense that your subconscious mind would bring him up in your dreams at night.

2. You Need Closure

With some breakups, you understand why the relationship ended and know that it is time to move on. Unfortunately, many breakups don't give you the closure that you need. Even if you feel like you've moved on, you may still have underlying feelings about the breakup and the relationship.

These feelings may reappear in your subconscious mind as your mind tries to work through the feelings. You may argue with the ex-boyfriend in your dreams or finally get to talk through the breakup. The situation and conversations in your dreams depend entirely on how you feel about the way the relationship ended and your need for closure about it. A dream about your ex-boyfriend may just mean you want closure, and your subconscious was trying to help you reach this goal.

3. You Miss Your Ex on Some Level

Although you think that you have moved on, this might not be entirely true. After a relationship ends, you can't force yourself to stop loving him. You loved him at one point in time, so a small part of you may still care.

Even if you hate just about everything about him, there could be a quality or personality trait that he has that you still miss. You may even wish that you could have someone to snuggle with or love yet again.

4. You Miss Him and Still Care

You could be having these dreams because you miss a certain quality that he has, but you could also just miss being with him. If you broke up recently and still haven't gotten over him, you may just miss being with him. You loved him deeply, and you can't make those feelings stop right away.

If you continue to dream about your ex-boyfriend every night, then it may just be due to the deep feelings that still remain. All you can do is try to stop thinking about him, move on and stop checking his social media pages. Over time, these dreams will gradually start to go away.

5. You Have Moved on and Forgotten About Him

It sounds counterintuitive. After all, why would you dream about your ex-boyfriend if you no longer care about him? While it may seem strange, it can and does happen.

You've moved on, and your mind has finally reached a point of closure. You no longer care for him as a partner, so you can dream about your ex-boyfriend safely without feeling bad. Often, this type of dream will have your ex-boyfriend, you and his new girlfriend in it. If everyone is talking and getting along pleasantly in the dream, it shows that you feel like you have both moved on and you accept that situation.

6. You Want a Relationship Again

Your dreams about your ex-boyfriend may not even be about him. You may just want to have a relationship with someone. Sometimes, your subconscious mind pulls memories of past boyfriends to be a placeholder for the type of love and relationship that you would like to have.

If this is the case, then the dream may show you arm-in-arm with your ex and enjoying your relationship. This dream doesn't mean that you want to be with him again. It only shows that you want to have a relationship with someone, and your subconscious decided to use the memory of him instead.

What Does It Mean When You Dream About Your Ex-Boyfriend Dying?

This is one of the more common dreams. While it may be terrifying to go through, this is a frequent dream type for someone to experience after a breakup. In life, death is one of the greatest sorrows you can go through. With dreams, death has a different meaning.

Death is often a sign of transformation in dreams, so it shows that you want to move on in life and start anew. You may feel like the breakup was your moment of transformation, so you dream that your ex-boyfriend died.

On a figurative level, you may have also dreamed that your ex-boyfriend died because he is figuratively dead to you. That part of your life has closed, so he is now just a memory in your past. The good news? This type of dream generally means that you're successfully moving on in life and have attained some level of closure.

What Does It Mean When You Dream About Your Ex-Boyfriend With His New Girlfriend?

This is another type of ex-boyfriend dream that may show that you are moving on. It all depends on the circumstances in the dream. If everyone seems happy and upbeat, then it shows that you recognize that he has moved on. You've made your peace with the breakup and are ready to move on as well.

If the dream is negative, then it may mean the opposite. You're afraid that he will find someone else and move on before you have a chance to get closure and really figure out how you feel.

What Does It Mean When You Dream About Your Ex-Boyfriend Giving You Advice?

When you dream about your ex-boyfriend giving you advice about a current relationship, it shows that you realize that there were mistakes in your last relationship. Your subconscious is trying to tell you to watch out for these mistakes in your new relationships to keep them from happening again.

Do Dreams About My Ex-Boyfriend Mean That I Am Still in Love With My Ex?

Dreaming about your ex-boyfriend doesn't necessarily mean that you're still in love with him, although this is one possible interpretation. It all depends on what happens in the dream. The dream may have occurred because you love a certain quality that he has. You may just love being in a relationship.

The only way to know for sure about what the dream means is to look at the situation in the dream, the people involved and what exactly happens during the dream. If you can analyze the dream, you can start to discern what your subconscious mind is trying to say.

Be very careful when interpreting a dream though. It is extremely easy to confuse dream feelings with real feelings, so make sure that you sort out your real feelings before you try to take any action that is based on what happens in a dream.

What Does It Mean When I Dream About an Ex-Boyfriend While I Am in a Relationship?

Now, we have arrived at one of the most common questions of all. What does it mean when you dream about your ex-boyfriend and you are in a current relationship?

The good news is that you aren't alone. Many, many people have dreams about ex-boyfriends and old crushes when they are in a relationship. This doesn't mean that you love your current partner any less or want to cheat on them.

Often, this type of dream just shows memories of your past or a desire to gain certain qualities in your current relationship. In some cases, your subconscious mind sends you dreams of an old flame to spice things up for you romantically. If this is the case, the only thing that you have to do is spice up your current relationship through a romantic getaway, new lingerie or a little excitement.

There are a few other possible reasons why you might dream about an ex-boyfriend while you are in a relationship.

Option 1: Your dream about your ex-boyfriend could mean that you're in an unsatisfying relationship. You don't feel happy with all aspects of your relationship, so you're left wanting more. If you have relationship problems or are just unhappy, your subconscious may be looking for examples of a happier relationship in the past.

Option 2: You are already in a happy relationship, so you feel guilty for having dreams about your ex-boyfriend. Don't worry! Your subconscious may just be clearing out old memories or working through the last emotions you had from your previous relationship. That way, you can be fully ready to embrace your new relationship.

Option 3: Now that you are starting a new relationship, there are still loose ends that your subconscious has to figure out. Your subconscious is trying to switch from focusing on your ex-boyfriend to focusing on your new boyfriend. The dreams may just show the conflicting feelings that you experience as you make this switch.

Ex-Boyfriend Dreams Help You Handle Past Emotions

What does it mean when you dream about an ex-boyfriend? Depending on your unique situation and what happens in the dream, your dream interpretation can vary significantly. There is no single answer that works for everyone, so take some time to analyze your dream about your ex-boyfriend.

After a breakup, there are many things that are left unsaid. One of the main ways that you can work through these feelings naturally is in your dreams. Your subconscious mind may be giving you these dreams to help you work through your emotions and find a solution. You may have lacked closure from your last relationship, so your subconscious is trying to provide you with an opportunity to express your feelings and get the closure that you need. Otherwise, it may be impossible to truly move on in life.