We all have strange dreams sometimes, but ones involving inappropriate situations with people we’re related to can be especially disturbing. Here are some of the most common scenarios and the hidden meanings and messages your subconscious is trying to send.
General Meaning
Dreams about family members may signify complicated feelings you have towards certain family members that you’re not fully aware of or comfortable with. Our subconscious mind may express taboo thoughts or desires through dreams that we would never act on in real life.
Unresolved Issues
Your dreams can sometimes give you insight into things that are bothering you when you’re awake. If you’re having inappropriate dreams a lot, it could be a sign that something is unresolved or not quite right in your family dynamics. Maybe you need to set clearer boundaries with people, tell someone how you really feel, or work on trusting and being close with certain people.
I had a friend who used to dream about her father acting inappropriately – touching her or just standing by her bed staring. In real life, she never got along great with her father. When she was young, he was really hard on her and only paid attention when she succeeded, otherwise he acted like she didn’t matter. I think her mind was working through those feelings in her dreams, even if the dreams themselves were super creepy. In a way, the dreams let her “show” her father how good a daughter she could be, even if the dream was just plain gross.
Fear of Loss
Sometimes, inappropriate and weird dreams about family can mean you’re worried about losing them or losing touch. It might show that fear through something symbolic, like a sexual dream about a family member where the lines get blurred between being close and losing someone.
Unmet Needs
In 70% of all cases, dreams are your brain’s way of working through something while you sleep. If you’re dreaming about family in inappropriate ways, it could mean your subconscious is trying to fill some emotional need.
For example, let’s say your parents weren’t very affectionate when you were a kid. Even if you’re not aware of it, your brain might still crave that intimacy on some level. So it comes up with dreams as a way of getting those feelings of love and approval, even if it’s disturbing and inappropriate.
When we don’t get what we need in real life, dreams can serve as a sort of escape or way to fulfill those unmet needs. So don’t feel too weird about strange family dreams – chances are it just means there’s something deeper there your subconscious is trying to work through.
Taboo Curiosity
Freud thought that dreams give us a look into our secret wants and instincts, even ones that society says are taboo and we don’t think about when we’re awake. Your dream about being sexually assaulted by a family member may be a way for these taboo curiosities or attractions to find expression in a “safe” outlet that bypasses our conscious defenses. Of course, just because you dream it doesn’t mean you condone or would act on it but this is a possibility, too.
The Person In Your Dream
Your dreams about family members can provide insight into your psyche. For example, dreaming of your mother acting inapproprietly may mean you need to embrace your nurturing side. A father figure could symbolize your rule-making, critical side. These dreams could suggest being kinder to yourself. If your mother acts in an odd way, it may mean giving yourself more compassion. And dreaming of your father incorrectly may indicate lessening your demands on yourself.
For example, dreaming of your mother could highlight your nurturing, caring nature. A father figure may represent your more rule-setting, critical side. These dreams may indicate needing more self-compassion or to go easy on yourself. If your mother acts inapproprietly, it could mean you should be gentler to yourself. And if it is your father, you should have less demands on yourself.
If the dreams involve inappropriate behavior, that could symbolize wanting to develop traits like assertiveness in an healthy way. Our subconscious often uses family as a way to work through our own personal growth and what aspects of ourselves we need to focus on improving. The messages may not always be obvious, so it’s important to reflect on how the family members in your dreams connect to your own journey of self-discovery.
A Sibling Could Represent Competition
Dreaming of a sister or brother may signify the relationship you have with your own ambition, talents, or life journey. It could indicate a desire to reconnect with your inner child or past experiences you associate with your siblings.
Romantic Partners Reflect Intimacy And Sexuality
If you dream about your spouse or lover acting inappropriately, it usually means something about your close relationships or sexuality. Those kinds of dreams can mean you’re feeling insecure or wanting more commitment, trust, or affection in your relationship. It could also be saying you need to accept and embrace your sexuality. Dreams like that tend to reveal worries or desires we have when it comes to intimacy.
Children Represent Vulnerability, Potential, or New Beginnings
Dreaming about your children, especially little ones, usually means you’re feeling vulnerable, innocent or like things are starting anew in some way. It could mean you’ve got room to grow as a person, chances to try something different are coming up, or you need to tap back into your sense of wonder and being open to anything.
My Final Words
Don’t feel guilty, these are just dreams. But if you keep dreaming about a certain relative that acts inappropriately, it could be highlighting characteristics you have in common with that person. Or maybe you’re still dealing with things from your past that involved them.
However, if you went through something traumatic with that family member back in the day, the dreams are probably dredging up those bad memories in symbolic form. But in that case, the symbols themselves don’t actually mean anything. It’s more that your mind is processing the psychological effects of what happened emotionally.
