Stranger

A stranger of the same sex (and perhaps age) as the dreamer typically represents the dreamer’s shadow, at least shadow qualities; that is, aspects of him or her that the individual is still unaware of or has repressed.

The more unknown and foreign the other person is, the more unconscious the symbol is for the dreamer. For example, if the dreamer meets a familiar person in the dream, that person likely represents a relatively conscious side of him or her, or a somewhat known complex that the dreamer is able to identify through associations. A completely unknown and perhaps strange or even somewhat monstrous stranger is further from the reach of consciousness. (See also Human and Company.)

Sometimes we see unknown people engaged in activities in a dream; this pertains to active but unconscious processes. For instance, dreaming that one discovers strangers repairing one’s house suggests an autonomous healing process or an inner renewal work. It may happen that what an unknown person does in a dream hints at something the dreamer may potentially do.

A foreign man in a woman’s dream may represent the animus, let's say élan vital, and the reverse may apply to men regarding anima.

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