Whether you wake up startled or teary-eyed, you’ve probably had at least one or two dreams leave a deep impression.
They are capable of bringing fantastical ideas to life after all. Even so, why must you endure such a dream?
Just like the nighttime, the unconscious mind holds many mysteries. When accessed through your dreams, it makes you wonder where these visions come from.
In this article, the secrets that lie beneath the surface of your dreams will be revealed and why are they feeling so real lately.
For now, it’s important to understand the reason for dreaming in the first place.
Why Have My Dreams Felt So Real Lately?
Often referred to as vivid dreams, surprisingly realistic dreams are not uncommon. Any dream that engages your senses and emotions on a deep level can be considered vivid.
Psychologically, these dreams are often caused by one of two things: deep sleep or stress.
The deepest part of your sleep cycle, known as the REM stage, is when most dreams take place. This part of your sleep cycle brings the most brain activity, often leading to more dreams.
As the last stage of a good night’s sleep, this is also why dreams tend to occur right before you get up. So, vivid dreams could be a sign that you’re sleeping well.
On the other hand, vivid dreams can also alert you to an opposing meaning: high stress. Day-to-day stress and anxiety can increase the frequency and clarity of your dreams.
Similarly, medications, hormonal changes, and mood disorders are other common culprits.
If your dreams have been particularly disturbing, it wouldn’t hurt to take these factors into consideration so you can make the necessary adjustments.
Overarchingly, vivid dreams aren’t a cause for concern. Perhaps your unconscious mind simply wants to bring something to your attention.
I believe you should also take a look at the spiritual meaning of waking up crying from a dream.
What Does It Mean When Your Dream Feels Real?
Most of the time, a vivid dream is meant to open your eyes to a new perspective.
Whether your coworkers and loved ones appear at your home or you’re flying in the sky with strangers, there’s always a meaning you can derive from a dream.
The immersive ones put an emphasis on an underlying truth you need to hear.
Let’s explore more below the spiritual meaning of having such realistic dreams and what they say about your life.
Why Do My Dreams Feel So Real Lately? 5 Spiritual Meanings
1) Spiritual Awakening
Having more vivid dreams could be a sign that your third eye is open. Heightening your intuition and awareness, an opened third eye chakra will allow you to perceive things with more foresight.
If you’ve felt more in touch with your innermost feelings and the meaning behind them, you just might be on track to further your spiritual journey.
Stay mindful of the emotions and events you experience in the dream realm for more insight.
2) Time to Reconnect with Truth
When you go through the motions to complete short-term goals, it’s common to start lying to yourself.
From dead-end jobs to one-sided relationships, the needs and feelings you overlook will find any way to get through to you. Luckily, your unconscious mind isn’t afraid to speak these truths.
Whether the contents of your dream mirror your everyday reality or not, the underlying meaning will always circle back to your conscious reality.
Through the feelings and circumstances that you dream of, you will start to connect the dots.
Repressed dreams and fears become more apparent. In this way, vivid dreams allow you to reconnect with your deepest needs and emotions.
Once you start to see your innermost needs and desires more clearly, then you can take strides toward more authentic goals.
Also, learn the spiritual meaning of dreaming about loved ones coming back to life.
3) Old Wounds Need Healing
Diving deeper into the undercurrents of your mind, your brain keeps track of wounds to ensure your survival. Heartbreaks and traumatic events are no exception.
Even if these experiences occurred years back, the wounds still take their positions in your mind, and therefore, your dreams. Why? To acknowledge your deepest experiences and heal from them.
It doesn’t matter if a life-changing circumstance occurred 10 minutes or 10 years ago – your body will remember. In turn, you are left to deduce the meaning of vivid visions when you wake up.
Speaking to past fears and struggles, your dreams might recreate these emotional struggles to help with mindfulness.
- Do the remnants of these traumas affect your decision-making anymore?
- In what ways does your current lifestyle mirror the experiences you’re most familiar with?
Seeing a troublesome past experience in a dream doesn’t guarantee that you’re reverting to old habits.
More accurately, the emotional whirlwinds that you dream of are meant to remind you of your purpose. For better or worse, you have to be conscious of the hard parts of life in order to heal from them.
4) Message from the Universe
Whether you believe in God(s), spirit guides, or your higher self, the dream realm tends to bridge the gap between the human and the divine.
Considering this, some spiritually significant signs can make their way to you in the form of a dream.
Some have been able to reunite with passed loved ones through their dreams. Others have been able to meet a walking embodiment of one of their spirit guides.
No matter how literal a form these spiritual figures take, your dreams are capable of bringing otherworldly truths to your awareness.
Take note of the emotions you feel around the people you dream of to pinpoint their role or symbolism in your life.
5) Need for Creativity
Lastly, the fantastical imagery of vivid dreams can offer some intense realization.
If your day-to-day reality dulls in comparison to the dream you experienced, it just might be time to start using your imagination a little more.
You don’t have to be an artist to need more creativity or imagination in your life. An immersive and thought-provoking dream simply hopes to reunite you with your inner spark.
Only you can actualize your vision, so why not fantasize about all the ways you could do so?
Why Do My Dreams Feel So Real When I Wake Up?
With the REM stage of the sleep cycle towards the end of a good night’s rest, you’re more likely to wake up in the middle or after your dreams.
For this reason, a vivid dream is more likely to leave a lasting impression if the imagery is memorable enough.
The brain’s heightened activity through dreams allows you to experience the feelings and sensations to their fullest extent. When just waking up, it’s not uncommon to feel like a vivid dream set the tone of your day.
Whether you wake up confused, startled, or relieved, your body’s memory of a vivid dream reminds you not to take its contents at face value.
No matter how ridiculous the dream was, it’s always worth writing down and interpreting later.
You should also take a look at the spiritual meaning of colors in dreams.
Should I Be Concerned?
If your dreams are becoming vivid more frequently, the only cause for concern would be a disrupted sleeping schedule.
Regularly disturbing dreams that keep you from sleeping or heighten your stress levels are worth discussing with a doctor.
Otherwise, vivid dreams are simply meant to open your eyes to deeper truths and feelings that flow throughout your life.
Final Words
In this article, a number of spiritual meanings for vivid dreams are discussed.
Whether they’re caused by physiological factors or incoming spiritual messages, the consensus remains the same – there’s always a deeper meaning.
No matter how happy or stressed you are in your daily life, working to understand the reasoning behind your dreams will never disappoint.