Can Two People Have the Same Dream? A Family Vacation in Our Dreams

Quick answer: Many people report having the same dream as someone close to them, often a partner, a parent, a child or a close friend. These shared dreams, also called mutual dreams, can include the same place, the same events and even the same small details. The best way to notice them is to write your dreams down as soon as you wake and compare notes with the other person before you talk about the details.

What happened on our family’s dream vacation?

A few days before I first wrote this story, my mom went out to dinner with her dear friend Liz and Liz’s children, Rob and Alice. They were having a wonderful time together when Liz decided to tell everyone about a dream she’d had the night before.

“I had a dream that I was…”

“On a boat!” Rob interrupted, finishing her sentence.

Liz was startled, but she went on with her story. “I dreamt that I…”

“You were throwing up!” Rob interrupted again.

This time Liz couldn’t hide her disbelief. She asked Rob how he knew. By now the whole table was animated and excited.

Then Alice spoke up. “I dreamt that I was water skiing towards a boat you were on, and when I reached the boat you greeted me.”

“That is exactly what happened!” Liz exclaimed. “Do you remember how you were dressed?”

“I was dressed in blue and had no life vest on,” Alice replied.

Liz could hardly believe it. “That is how I saw you in my dream too! We must have been on a vacation in our dreams together!”

Can two people really have the same dream?

Stories like this one come up again and again. Many people report waking up and discovering that someone they love dreamt of the same place, the same scene or the same unusual detail on the same night. In Liz’s family, three people held pieces of one dream: the boat, the seasickness, Alice on water skis and even the color of her clothes.

When I wrote about the ancient gates of horn and ivory, I described the gate of horn as an opening to a wider field of consciousness. Shared dreams feel like meeting each other there.

Why do shared dreams seem to happen between people who are close?

Most shared dream stories involve people with a strong bond: family members, partners and lifelong friends. Some reasons people often give:

• Emotional connection. When we care deeply about someone, our attention is naturally turned toward them, awake and asleep.
• Shared lives. Families and couples share experiences, worries and hopes, so their dreams may draw on the same themes.
• Soul connections. Many of the people closest to us may have shared other lifetimes with us. I explore this in dreams connecting past and present lives.

Who guides us in these meetings is a question I find fascinating. You can read more in who is the messenger in my dreams.

How can you tell if you’ve had a shared dream?

The details are what make a shared dream stand out. Look for:

• the same setting, such as a boat, a house or a city
• the same people appearing in each dream
• matching small details, like Alice’s blue clothes and missing life vest
• events that fit together, with each person remembering a different part
• dreams on the same night or within a night or two of each other

How do you test a shared dream?

A little care keeps the comparison honest and fun.

1. Write it down first. Before you talk to anyone, record your dream with as many details as you can. My Dream Medicine: Dream Journal gives you a place for the dream itself plus the feelings, symbols and images that stood out.
2. Compare notes soon after waking. The fresher the memory, the more reliable the details.
3. Let the other person go first. Ask open questions such as “Where were you?” or “What were you wearing?” before you describe your own dream. That’s exactly what Liz did when she asked Alice how she was dressed.
4. Note the matches and the differences. Both tell you something.
5. Keep a record over time. One match might be chance. A pattern across weeks is worth paying attention to.

If you struggle to recall your dreams at all, start with my steps on how to remember your dreams.

How can you try shared dreaming with someone you love?

Choose a family member, partner or close friend who is curious too. Then try this for a week:

• Pick a meeting place. Agree on a simple setting, such as a beach, a garden or a favorite vacation spot.
• Set the intention together. Before sleep, each of you tells yourself, “Tonight I will meet [name] at the beach.”
• Record on waking. Each person writes their dream separately before talking.
• Share over breakfast or by message. Compare your notes and enjoy whatever shows up.

You can also add a question you’d both like guidance on, using the method from my dream advice guide. Dreams can be surprising teachers. One of mine even became a lesson in channeling, which I share in I learn how to channel in a dream.

Dream journal prompts for shared dreams

1. Who did I spend time with in my dream last night?
2. Where were we, and would the other person recognize this place?
3. What detail would only someone who was there know?
4. What did the other person say or do toward me?
5. How did being together in the dream feel?
6. What part of the dream might someone else be holding?
7. What did we compare today, and what matched?

Frequently asked questions

Can two people have the same dream?

Many people report it, especially between family members, partners and close friends. Shared dreams often include the same setting, people or small details.

What is mutual dreaming?

Mutual dreaming is when two or more people dream of the same place or events and find matching details when they compare notes.

Why do I dream the same thing as my partner?

People who are close share emotions, experiences and attention. Many also feel a soul connection that may span lifetimes.

How can I check whether a dream was shared?

Write your dream down first, then ask the other person open questions before describing your own. Note matching details.

Can you plan a shared dream?

You can try. Agree on a meeting place, set the intention before sleep and compare your journals in the morning.