Lauri in Bustle: Why People From Your Past Show Up in Your Dreams

In our words

What Lauri told Bustle

Bustle asked Lauri why an old roommate, a former boss or a summer-camp crush can suddenly appear in a dream years later. Her answer is to read those dreams as metaphors rather than literal visits. The mind pulls a person or memory from the past when something in the present calls for a lesson you learned back then.

Lauri said dreams are especially good at warning us when we slip into old patterns or into the same kind of relationship again. Her practical exercise: pick the three adjectives that best describe the person from your past, then ask whether any of them fits you right now, or fits someone you are currently involved with, and whether that is a good thing or a bad thing. She also suggests recalling what stands out most about that old relationship and checking whether any current relationship feels similar.

In her view, a person from the past often shows up as a friendly reminder not to repeat something. The article pairs her advice with input from a psychologist and a therapist.

This is our own summary. Read the original at Bustle for the full article.