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Dreams About Crying – What They Mean

Dreams about crying can be unsettling and may leave you feeling confused or concerned. However, these dreams can also provide insight into your emotional state and can help you to understand and address any unresolved feelings or issues in your waking life.

In this article, we’ll explore the possible meanings of dreams about crying and offer some tips for interpreting these dreams.

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Dreaming about Crying – General Interpretation

what it means to dream about crying

Contrary to popular belief, crying in a dream doesn’t have a negative meaning. Dreaming about crying can have a variety of meanings, as the interpretation of dreams is often highly personal and can be influenced by the dreamer’s own experiences, feelings, and thoughts.

According to a study on dreams by American Sleep Association (ASA), many people believe that dreams are a manifestation of the unconscious mind. This implements that crying dreams could indicate the state of one’s unconscious self.

In general, however, crying in a dream may symbolize a range of emotions, including sadness, grief, frustration, or disappointment. It may also be a manifestation of unresolved emotional issues that the dreamer is dealing with in their waking life.

For example, crying in a dream may represent the dreamer’s sadness over a loss or disappointment in their waking life. It may also represent a desire to express emotions that the dreamer has been suppressing or hiding in waking life. Alternatively, crying in a dream may be a sign of the dreamer’s vulnerability or sensitivity to the feelings and experiences of others.

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It’s important to keep in mind that the interpretation of dreams is often highly personal and can be influenced by a wide range of factors. If you’re concerned about the meaning of a dream, it may be helpful to consider your own feelings and experiences and how they may be related to the dream.

What Do Dreams about Crying Mean?

crying girl

As As mentioned earlier, dreams about crying can have various interpretations, both positive and negative.

A Demonstration of the Dreamer’s Personality

Crying in dreams can sometimes simply mean that the dreamer is emotional in nature and cries easily over things that others may find trivial. Since dreams can be linked to memories, thoughts, beliefs, and everyday experiences of the dreamer, they can be an impression of real-life situations.

Expressing a Prolonged Real-Life Trauma

Dreamers who see themselves or others crying in a dream could be experiencing such a dream because of a traumatic incident that they may or may not be able to process properly. Individuals who are distressed emotionally, physically or spiritually are likely to dream about crying often as their unconscious self is trying to heal.

Indication of Getting Over an Old Grief

Shedding tears in a dream points to the emotional stage of an individual who’s processing a traumatic event and is about to overcome it soon. The brain visualizes emotional cleansing in the form of crying to soothe the soul that’s seeking tranquillity at the moment.

A Manifestation of a Suppressed Negative Emotion 

Oftentimes, crying dreams can denote suppressed negative emotions that an individual is not able to express while awake. People tend to suppress emotions like fear, anger, frustration and any other emotion that can lead to behaviours deemed inappropriate in the social setup around them.

Dreams about Crying – Common Scenarios

a woman crying

Dreaming of Crying for a Deceased Loved One

Dreaming of crying for a deceased loved one may symbolize the dreamer’s feelings of grief and loss over their death. It may also represent a desire to connect with the loved one or express unresolved emotions.

Dreaming of Your Father Crying

Dreaming of your father crying may symbolize a range of emotions and experiences, as the interpretation of dreams is often highly personal and can be influenced by a wide range of factors.

In general, dreaming of a loved one crying may represent the dreamer’s own feelings of sadness or grief, or it may be a manifestation of unresolved emotional issues that the dreamer is dealing with in their waking life. It may also be a sign of the dreamer’s vulnerability or sensitivity to the feelings and experiences of others.

Dreaming of Your Mother Crying

Dreaming of your mother crying could represent your own emotional state or unresolved issues with your mother. It could also indicate a need for emotional support or a desire to reconnect with your mother. Alternatively, the dream could be reflecting feelings of sadness or distress that you are currently experiencing.

Dreaming of Crying Out of Joy

To dream of crying out of joy could symbolize a release of positive emotions that you have been suppressing in your waking life. It could also indicate that you’re experiencing happiness and contentment in your life. This dream could also be reflecting feelings of joy and celebration that you are currently experiencing.

Dreaming of an Animal Crying

Dream interpreters link crying animals in dreams to rivalry and struggle. It’s said that the dreamer who sees an animal crying in pain is most likely to run into tough competition or complicated legal issues. However, if the animal in the dream is a pet, it could mean that the dreamer will get out of trouble soon and win against their rivals.

Dreaming of Crying Loudly

a baby crying

To dream of crying loudly could symbolize a release of emotions that you have been suppressing in your waking life. It could also indicate a need for emotional healing or a desire to express your feelings more openly. It could also represent the feelings of sadness or distress that you’re currently experiencing.

Dreaming of Crying Because You Miss Someone

Dreaming about crying because you miss someone could symbolize feelings of loss or longing that you’re currently experiencing in your waking life. It also indicates a desire to reconnect with the person you are missing. This dream scenario could be reflecting unresolved emotions or issues with the person you are missing.

Dreaming of a Friend Crying

In gipsy dream dictionaries, seeing a friend crying in a dream can be a sign of good luck. In addition, it could also be a signal that said friend is a trustworthy mate who may need your help and support. You should work on maintaining a stronger bond with them. If you also see that you’re counselling the friend while they are crying, it can be your inner self emphasizing being kinder towards others.

Dreaming of a Crying Baby

Dreaming about a crying baby could symbolize a need for nurturing or a desire to take care of others. It could also represent your own inner child or an aspect of yourself that is in need of attention or care.

Alternatively, the dream could be reflecting feelings of vulnerability or insecurity. This dream scenario can also mean that you’re healing from past traumas and moving on to a new beginning in life.

Recurring Dreams about Crying

crying woman in dream

Recurring dreams can be a normal part of the dream process and are often related to unresolved feelings or issues in your waking life. It’s not necessarily bad to have recurring dreams about crying, but it could be a sign that you’re experiencing emotional distress or feeling overwhelmed in some aspect of your life.

It might be helpful to try to identify any underlying issues or stressors that may be causing these dreams and to find ways to address them. This could involve seeking support from a therapist or other mental health professional, finding healthy coping mechanisms to manage your emotions, or finding ways to better manage stress and other challenges in your life.

Interpreting Your Dream about Crying

woman crying

Interpreting a dream can be a subjective process, as the meaning of a dream is often personal and can be influenced by the individual’s unique experiences, feelings, and beliefs. However, there are some general steps you can take to try to interpret a dream as accurately as possible:

  • Write down the dream: As soon as you wake up, try to write down as much as you can remember about the dream. This will help you to capture all of the details and may help you to identify patterns or themes in the dream.
  • Consider the context and specific details of the dream: Pay attention to the location, characters, and actions in the dream, as these can all provide clues to the meaning of the dream.
  • Reflect on your feelings and emotions: Pay attention to how you felt during the dream and how you feel upon waking. This can help you to understand the emotional significance of the dream.
  • Look for symbols and themes: Many dreams contain symbols or themes that can help to reveal the underlying meaning of the dream. For example, a dream about water might symbolize emotions or a need for cleansing, while a dream about flying might symbolize a sense of freedom or release.
  • Consider the dream in relation to your waking life: Think about how the dream might relate to your current life and any issues or challenges you may be facing. This can help you to identify any unresolved feelings or concerns that may be expressed through the dream.

Wrapping Up

Dreams about crying may symbolize a release of emotions or a need to process and let go of unresolved feelings. They may be related to challenges or stressors in your waking life and may indicate a need for emotional support or self-care.

Understanding the meaning of these dreams can help you to identify and address any underlying issues and find healthy ways to cope with your emotions.

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Dani Rhys
Dani Rhys

Dani Rhys has worked as a writer and editor for over 15 years. She holds a Masters degree in Linguistics and Education, and has also studied Political Science, Ancient History and Literature. She has a wide range of interests ranging from ancient cultures and mythology to Harry Potter and gardening. She works as the chief editor of Symbol Sage but also takes the time to write on topics that interest her.