What It Really Means When You Dream About Cheating With Your Ex
We all know that our dreams can offer us a window into our psyche. Sometimes upon opening said window, we wonder why our psyche could possibly be saying what it is. Dreaming about cheating with your ex can definitely evoke these feelings. That said, it's not that uncommon to dream about, and it may not mean what you think it does.
Many people look to their dreams to better understand their feelings in their waking life. Being able to parse what it seems like your dream may be about from what it's actually about can make a difference in your understanding. Dream analyst Lauri Loewenberg told Healthline, "It's something you should be curious about because every single thing in our dreams means something. Likely, your subconscious is telling you — or trying to work through — something." What is it that your subconscious is trying to tell you with that cheating dream? It might be very different from what you think.
What's causing your dreams?
Dreams where you cheat on your partner can make people feel guilty and confused. Many wonder, "If I'm happy in my relationship, why is my mind wandering to being with others?" This is an understandable question, but the reality is a bit more complex than it seems.
Dreaming about cheating doesn't mean that you're going to cheat or that you want to (via Healthline). There are a few reasons why this dream may have popped up. Sometimes cheating dreams occur because of something you feel that you're lacking in your current relationship. If you're feeling emotionally or sexually deprived or distant from your partner, it may manifest this way in your dreams. If you have cheated in the past, this may indicate that you have residual guilt. On the flip side, if you have been cheated on in the past, a dream that you're cheating may mean that you're afraid it will happen again.
It's also highly plausible that this dream has nothing to do with your partner or your love life, at all (via Bustle). It's common for dreams to actually be metaphors instead of directly relating to your life. (You know, like how the teeth-falling-out dream isn't actually a warning about your oral hygiene.) Dreams about cheating with your ex may have nothing to do with your ex or your current partner. Rather, they might denote that you're having feelings of guilt or that you are betraying yourself.
Why dreams about your ex may actually be a good thing
Evidently, a dream that you're cheating with your ex does not mean that you have any desire to cheat with your ex. Knowing what it does mean for you can have serious benefits. If your dream does relate to your current relationship, it's likely that your dream is there to help your relationship get better, not worse (via Elite Daily). According to Lauri Loewenberg,"think about what you're still healing from that past relationship that you might be bringing into this relationship" (via Healthline).
If reflecting on your dream makes you realize that there is something that you're lacking in your current relationship that your dream was trying to draw attention to, you can bring the need up with your partner and work on places where your relationship needs a bit of help. In the end, the dream that felt like it was a threat to your relationship can actually help it. This does not mean that we're advocating for telling your partner about the dream, though. You'll have to use your own discretion for that one.