How do we dream about people we dont know, and see them?

I've had several dreams where I see and talk to people I dont know. When I awake, I literally say "who the hell was that"

How can the mind create an image of a person who doesnt exist?, I often ask myself.

I've had one dream about a woman, whom, Im sure I dont know, but she has appeared in a few dreams. It feels like
when I awake, that she is local, i try to think who it might be, but it never registers. I wake up and for a few minutes afterwards, I believe
we were together, but I cant put my finger on the who how when and where. it's vague, but Id love to know who it is.

It's disapointing to awake and have to accept it was just a dream, the odd part is, I dont even know what she looks like or anything, I just
feel a closness for some odd reason. any clues?

I think that the reason that your mind can create what seems like strangers, but look kind of familiar is because they're mostly a composite of faces that you've seen and remembered. The closeness you feel could have to do with that too.

How can a dream make up anything? It's not just faces. Your waking imagination is not limited.

She is local to you, to your mind. Everyone in a dream you do not know is an aspect of you, to show the meaning they represent.
She reappears as the idea does in your waking life. It might be the general thought of a girl, or a feminine aspect of you.

So it's you! Or your idea.

Hi all, the forum to respond seems to be slowed so ill respond to both here. Indeed, i guess its true, it's how musicians make music, they make it from composites from
everything they've heard before. And artists I suppose do the same with drawings. Drawing from everything they've ever seen. But it;s amazing how a person can be standing in front of you
like if you wrote a poem about a girl you would describe her, but the person reading probably wouldnt get it fully, just an idea. But the dream is like standing next to her.

Superman, I "see" what you mean. I dont think it's my feminine side as you suggest, I honestly feel like Ive seen her before, like perhaps in a past life. And for me to be saying that,
is something, cause i dont believe in much. But it feels and looks like we have met before....but we havent, if that makes any sense.

Dreams can contain direct thoughts, feelings, memories, etc. - for instance "it's the end of the world", or "I need to find my friends now". Many of my dreams take place in someplace that just looks random but somehow I just know it's somewhere "far away from home". Or I'm in "another dimension" or it's "the distant future". The feeling "We were lovers in another life" is no different from these ideas, and is something it's very easy for the subconscious to come up with and interject into a dream.