Is It Normal To Hear Music In Your Dreams? (Mystery Solved!)

Have you ever fallen asleep and dreamed of a beautiful melody, only to wake up with the last notes fading from your mind? 

Some people are fortunate to hear music and sound vividly in their dreams, but surprisingly, it’s pretty rare. 

If you’ve been lucky enough to dream of music, you probably want to know a little more.

Because dreaming of music is so unusual, psychologists have looked into why so few people do. If you are a musician, you’re more likely to hear music in your dreams because your brain sees music as essential. 

Some musicians even dream of practicing music, like I sometimes dream of being at work :-/

Hearing Beautiful Music In Dreams

“Music should be an essential part of every analysis.” – Carl Jung.

Most of us have dreams that are more visual than auditory. We see strange and unusual things as our subconscious sorts through the things challenging us in our waking lives. 

Though we can also dream of conversations, dreaming of music is rarer.

Dreaming a particularly beautiful piece of music can leave us feeling serene and spiritual, even though the tune often fades when we wake. Some musicians have even tried purposefully to use lucid dreaming to help them write their music.

When we dream, our subconscious can be as creative as it likes without being fettered by fear of performance or failure. Perhaps this partly allows us to create or hear stunning, moving music while we sleep.

Sometimes the music is a message to us, indicating that we should spend more time on creative pursuits that bring us so much joy. You might even be anticipating the music of an artist you like and hearing songs they will never record.

Usually, these dreams of beautiful music point us towards creativity, whether a push to explore our own or simply the joy we have in experiencing the works of others.

Why Did I Hear Music In My Dream

Suppose the music you hear in your dreams is harmonious and beautiful. In that case, it could symbolize your own harmony and your potential for creativity. Musical people, especially those who work as musicians, are more likely to hear music in their dreams.

Sometimes songs are so ubiquitous they become part of our daily life – we hear them on the radio and when we go out. 

They are part of our cultural consciousness. 

In cases like that, these well-known songs seem to become embedded in our brains.

That’s why you may have a dream where you are performing a famous song. These famous, catchy tunes can not only give us a waking earworm but can find their way into our dreams.

However, suppose the music is discordant, with crashing sounds. In that case, you might look at this as your subconscious feeling that you are stifling your creativity. 

You’ve blocked yourself, and your mind throws a little musical tantrum 🙂

Playing music on an instrument brings in an element of visual symbolism, and the instrument may be essential for guiding you to the meaning.

Take note…

What Does It Mean To Hear Music In Your Dream?

Music will have a unique meaning to you, as we all have different things that are important in our mental landscape. Whether you’re dreaming of classical music, metal, pop, or celestial choirs, the critical aspect here is how the music makes you feel.

If the music, whatever the type, makes you feel good, then these dreams usually have positive associations. 

For example, soft, gentle music that makes you feel at peace could indicate that your life is going through an exceptionally calm, pleasant stage.

If the music makes you feel ill at ease or angry, perhaps this is the soundtrack warning you that you have chosen the wrong path.

Your audience’s reactions to your dream are important if you perform music. Suppose you perform a remarkable set, and the audience cheers. In that case, this could indicate you are confident in your abilities and your project will be well-received.

If your performance goes badly, and the audience dislikes it, it could be your brain telling you you’re not quite ready to do something. 

• Perhaps you need to study or work a little harder first. 
• Alternatively, you might be good enough but need to work on your self-esteem.

Is It Unusual To Hear Music In Dreams?

While hearing music is surprisingly rare for many people, there is also a phenomenon where you hear music as you drift into a dreaming state. These are called hypnagogic hallucinations, and you can see and hear things that aren’t there.

This kind of musical near-dreaming is not uncommon. In general, hypnagogic hallucinations are visual rather than auditory.

However, hearing music in dreams is less common, which is perhaps why we find it so stirring when it happens. Many people feel almost a spiritual sense of well-being when they wake from a dream with music.

Perhaps this is because music is such a powerful emotional force in our lives – it speaks for us when we have no words. The psychoanalyst Theodor Reik believed that:

“The sound of music was better than words at conveying emotion”.

Do Many People Hear Music In Their Dreams?

It’s believed that most people hear sound in their dreams, most of which is the sound of other people talking, followed by the dreamer talking. Hearing music makes up about 33% of sound in dreams, so it’s not common, but neither is it rare.

Less than half the people in a 2000-person survey reported having any musical dreams.

Several musicians report creating new music in their dreams, and some use lucid dreaming techniques to help them tap into their subconscious well of creativity.

Generally, music in dreams is associated with positive emotions and leads to a feeling of well-being.

Hearing Musical Instruments in a Dream

While music generally has a positive emotional reaction for us in dreams, the instrument played could give us more clues about the meaning of our dreams. Musical instruments can serve as symbols particular to our emotional mindscape.

People will have different connotations—negative and positive—to different instruments. 

For example, suppose you hated going to piano lessons as a child. In that case, you may not experience the same joy at hearing pianos in your dreams as someone else.

Consider your emotional state if you are playing an instrument in your dream.

• Were you happy to play it, or were you nervous and agitated?
• Was it an instrument that provokes strong associations with a particular person or event?
• Was the instrument broken?
• Was the music you made beautiful or disharmonious?

Conclusion

Dreams in which you hear music are not very common, but they usually have positive significations. Music could remind you to concentrate on the joy you find in creative acts.

Dream music often slips away as soon as we wake. A good idea is to keep a phone ready next to your bed. As soon as you wake, hum the tune and record it 🙂