What Does It Mean to Have Precognitive Dreams?

Ever had a vivid dream about a future evening happening and then it … happens? Having a dream that seems to predict the future can be exciting but also scary and distressing. People often wonder if their dreams can actually predict the future or whether it’s just some uncanny coincidence.

Dreams that seem to predict future events are called precognitive dreams. “A precognitive dream has been defined as one that seemingly includes knowledge about the future that cannot be inferred from actual available information,” says Helen Marlo, PhD, clinical psychologist and dean of the School of Psychology at Notre Dame de Namur University.

“Precognitive dreaming occurs frequently in the general population,” Dr. Marlo notes. Although there aren’t many updated statistics on precognitive dreams, a study from 2009 found that as many as 60% of people have experienced precognitive dreams.

Want to learn more about the strange phenomenon of precognitive dreams? Here, experts answer your burning questions about dreams that appear to predict the future, including why this happens, what it means from a psychological perspective, how to interpret these dreams, and myths and misconceptions surrounding precognitive dreams.

Understanding Precognitive Dreams

So, what exactly are precognitive dreams and what are they like?

“Precognitive dreams represent a fascinating area where individuals report dreams that appear to foresee future events before they happen,” explains Sanam Hafeez, PsyD, neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind.

According to Dr. Hafeez, some common themes and characteristics of precognitive dreams are:

• The dreams often have remarkable detail and clarity
• These dreams frequently depict specific people, scenes, or actions that later unfold in real life
• The dreams are notable for their emotional impact
• Precognitive dreams usually leave a lasting impression on the dreamer due to their vivid nature and the significance of the events that unfold

As Dr. Marlo notes, research has found that precognitive dreams are common in the general population. Moreover, different groups of people may have precognitive dreams at greater or lesser frequency than others. For example, 2015 research found that women are more likely to report having precognitive dreams than men. Additionally, the research found that we are less likely to have precognitive dreams the older we get. 

Why Do I Dream of Things Before They Happen?

Many people wonder why exactly we have precognitive dreams. First of all, it’s important to clarify that precognitive dreams don’t happen because of something supernatural. They aren’t actually predicting the future, even though it may feel like they are. Instead, psychologists believe that strong emotions—often in our subconscious—trigger these dreams. Events in our lives may also contribute.

“Although not rooted in any scientific fact, what makes precognitive dreams happen can differ a lot from person to person,” says Shelby Harris, PsyD, clinical psychologist and director of Sleep Health at Sleepopolis. Some folks find that big life changes or life stressors can elicit them. “External factors like upcoming events or current events in the news can also play a part in sparking these kinds of dreams,” Dr. Harris says.

Dr. Hafeez says that there are a multitude of factors that may influence precognitive dreams. “One significant influence is the innate sensitivity of a person to subtle environmental cues or patterns that may subconsciously inform their dreams,” she says. “This sensitivity can be influenced by personal experiences, cultural backgrounds, and even genetic predispositions towards intuitive or psychic abilities.”

Additionally, Dr. Hafeez says, the psychological state of an individual plays a vital role in whether or not they will have a precognitive dream and what it might be like. “Heightened emotional stress or openness to intuitive experiences can heighten the likelihood of experiencing precognitive dreams,” she explains.

How Do Precognitive Dreams Work?

The idea that dreams have some sort of hidden meaning goes back to the time of Hippocrates, a Greek physician who believed that dreams could tell us if we were suffering from a disease before it was completely evident. At the turn of the 20th century, Sigmund Freud began to propagate the idea that our dreams were chock full of symbolism and unconscious thoughts or influences. Carl Jung believed that dreams were a way to solve some of our life’s problems, and offered clues as to how to do so.

What about precognitive dreams? What can they tell us?

First and foremost, Dr. Harris emphasizes that your dreams can’t actually tell you what will happen in the future. Instead, you can view these dreams as zeroing in on something important in your life, or in the world around you. “Through your dreams, your brain is creating a file on past experiences in case you have similar experiences in the future, but they do not necessarily predict events before they occur,” she says.

When interpreting your dreams, it can be helpful to put them in a broader context, says Dr. Hafeez. “Reflecting on current life circumstances, emotional states, and recent experiences helps situate the dream within a meaningful framework, revealing potential reasons for its occurrence at that particular time,” she describes. “Exploring societal or global influences may also unveil connections between personal dreams and larger-scale events, enriching the interpretation process.”

To gain greater insight into the meaning of your precognitive dreams, Dr. Harris recommends keeping a dream journal, where you record your dreams right after waking up. To do this, she suggests:

• Taking note of any recurring emotions or symbols
• Looking for themes and patterns to see if they end up aligning with real-life events in the future
• Considering discussing your dreams with a close friend or therapist

Dr. Hafeez says that practicing mindfulness and meditation can also offer you further insight. Meditation or mindfulness “can further enhance intuitive insights into dream symbolism and their potential implications,” she explains.

Real-Life Examples of Precognitive Dreams

There are quite a few historical examples of precognitive dreams. Probably the most famous one concerns the late U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. A few days before his actual assassination, Lincoln told several people that he dreamed he’d walked into a room in the White House to find that a group of mourners were grieving over the body of an assassinated president.

Psychologist Carl Jung, who was highly focused in his work on the interpretations of dreams, is also said to have had several precognitive dreams. For example, he believed that he had a dream that foretold his mother’s death. He also had a handful of dreams about the demise of Europe that he thought predicted World War I.

Dr. Hafeez shared that she herself frequently has precognitive dreams. “I have had precognitive dreams my whole life,” she says. “As a child, they were disturbing—too vivid, and emotionally intense.” Now these dreams are easier for her to manage, she shared, as she is better able to get a handle on them.  

Dr. Hafeez shared the details of one of her most vivid precognitive dreams:

“I once saw my uncle walk up to me in a dark movie theater with red velvet seats, and I couldn’t stop focusing on his legs. He hadn’t walked in years due to a tragic disease. He told me he was leaving, that ‘he’ had come to get him, and he pointed to a man far away at the end of my aisle. I zoomed in like a movie and saw my father standing there. When I awoke, my cousin called to say my uncle had passed.”

Debunking Myths and Misconceptions

Dr. Hafeez says that in general, precognitive dreams are surrounded by misconceptions that tend to obscure their true nature.

Of course, probably the number one myth is that precognitive dreams can accurately foretell future events. Even though that isn’t true, these dreams are meaningful and significant, Dr. Hafeez explains. “They do not consistently predict future events with precise accuracy but rather present symbolic or metaphorical messages that require interpretation,” she says.

Case in point: if you have a dream that you got a job you wanted to get, this might make you more confident during a job interview and help you get the job. Or, if you have a vivid dream where you had the courage to ask someone out on a date, you might be able to summon that courage and confidence in real life and go through with it.

Practical Applications and Implications

Precognitive dreams can be both thrilling and unsettling to experience. Beyond that, though, they are a way to see into your subconscious and understand some of your deepest impulses and intuitions.

In a nutshell, precognitive dreams can be valuable to you as a person, and help you gain greater understanding of your psyche. Dr. Marlo shared that precognitive dreams can have the following practical applications:

• They can help us focus our attention on both the present and the future
• They can raise our consciousness and cause us to reflect on important issues
• They can encourage action and stimulate personal growth
• They can provide an experience of awe and wonder and further develop our appreciation for mystery
• They can affirm the power of intuition and the importance of non-rational understandings of life
• They may be able to offer insights on medical issues and mental health and decline

Bottom Line

Precognitive dreams can offer us captivating insights into our subconscious thoughts and intuitions. Though they don’t actually predict the future, they may alter the thoughts and actions we take regarding future events and impact them in that way.

Sometimes having frequent precognitive dreams can be disturbing or affect your day-to-day life, so it’s important to seek help if this is the case for you. “If your dreams are preventing you from getting a good night’s rest, speak with your doctor or a sleep specialist who can give you a deeper scientific understanding of your sleep habits and analyze what you can do to stop these dreams to improve your sleep quality,” Dr. Harris recommends.