Featured Image Credit: Russell Hart / Aleksandr Davydov / Alamy Stock Photo
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Weird
Rhiannon Ingle
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Weird
From waking up mad after dreaming of your partner cheating on you to the anxiety-riddling dreams of being the one cheating - it's fair to say that we've all been there.
Dreams have always been a bit of mystery with many seeking to draw out symbolism from certain recurring themes that could reflect parts of your subconscious.
However, depending on the dreamt-up scenario - there are a few different meanings behind what such dreams could explain.
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Too much caffeine, loud noise, a lumpy mattress - it's clear that there are a whole bunch of things that can lead us to having a bad night's sleep and waking up on the wrong side of the bed.
One of which includes disturbing or unsettling dreams.
It's no secret that dreams can be pretty bizarre.
Usually a haphazard combination of random people, odd settings and weird context - dreams are mostly a whole lot of weird.
However, while nightmares of monsters under the bed may now be a thing just reserved for childhood - there are definitely some anxieties that have made their way into adulthood.
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A huge one being the phenomenon of cheating.
Bed retailer, Dreams, has dove into exactly what is behind dreams about cheating and what the significance of them are.
Putting stressed-out partners at ease, the website explains that dreaming about cheating doesn't necessarily mean what it may seem.
It explains: "While extremely uncomfortable and worrisome, dreams about cheating don't typically mean you are doubting your relationship."
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"Instead," Dreams continues, "they are usually a signal that you are missing something else in your life."
Now, to get into the symbolism, we need to break the 'cheating dream' down into its several variations.
The first revolves around the scenario of the dreamer cheating with a total stranger.
According to the company, dreams of cheating with a stranger can indicate one's own feeling of guilt.
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"Dreams of cheating with a stranger are often indicative of a feeling of neglect or of guilt about neglecting," the retailer explains.
Getting out of the dream world and into reality, the company also tells people to look for 'context clues' in their relationship.
These might include whether their partner has been working more or if one of you has a new hobby that means you're seeing less of each other than usual.
The second variation is dreaming of cheating with an ex.
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"Here," Dreams explains, "the ex may represent something you feel that you or your relationship lacks."
Instead of freaking out about whether you're still in love with your ex, the company asks dreamers to 'reflect' on what things your ex may have that you also want.
For example; success in their career, starting a family or a positive physical improvement - AKA a glow up.
The third variation centres around cheating with someone from your real life - think that barista in the coffee shop you always go to, a work colleague or just someone you occasionally see on your commute.
That person usually represents something other than themselves and is 'likely' to be about something they represent to you, Dreams notes.
The final scenario - seemingly the most common - is dreaming of cheating with a celebrity.
According to Dreams, this celebrity in question could represent a part of the dreamer that is being 'under-used or under-recognised'.
For example, if you're dreaming of cheating with singer-stroke-philanthropist, Rihanna, it may just be because you feel you should be doing more for charity.
In short, different people come to different conclusions when analysing their own dreams but if recurring cheating dreams lead to feeling of stress or discomfort, Dreams advised that people should communicate with their partners to overcome the anxiety it has caused.