Have You Seen This Man In Your Dreams? Unraveling A Global Mystery

Dr. Thalia Walter 26 Aug 2025

Have you ever woken up from a dream with a face stuck in your mind, a face you just can't place, yet it feels strangely familiar? Perhaps it's a face that seems to pop up in your subconscious world, a rather consistent visitor to your nighttime thoughts. Well, it's almost a certainty that many people around the world have experienced something quite similar, especially when we consider the intriguing tale of "This Man."

For quite some time now, there has been this curious story floating around, a kind of online myth, you know, about a specific individual appearing in people's dreams. It's a phenomenon that, in some respects, has captivated the imaginations of thousands. People from all sorts of places claim to have seen the same face, often described simply as "This Man," in their sleep.

It's a story that, as a matter of fact, really makes you wonder about the connections we share, or perhaps, the clever ways our minds can play tricks on us. This whole idea, you see, actually began as something much more than just a spooky tale. It started as a rather unique social experiment, a conceptual art project that truly got people talking and, in a way, thinking about their dreams differently.

The Intriguing Story Behind "This Man"
Is "This Man" a Real Dream Figure or Just a Clever Trick?
What Does It Mean If You've Dreamed of "This Man"?
Frequently Asked Questions About "This Man"

The Intriguing Story Behind "This Man"

The story of "This Man," or the "dream man" as some call him, is quite a fascinating one, really. It's a tale that has spread far and wide, touching on our collective unconscious and the strange things that can happen when information, you know, gets out there on the internet. It's a bit like those other popular online tales, the creepypastas, which tend to capture people's attention with their mysterious, slightly unsettling vibes.

Where Did It All Begin?

The whole thing, it turns out, actually has roots going back to January 2006. That's when a rather well-known psychiatrist in New York, apparently, had a client who kept seeing the same man in their dreams. This client, you see, repeatedly described this specific individual, a face that was quite distinct. After the psychiatrist released a composite sketch of this man, something truly remarkable happened. It became clear, pretty quickly, that this dream experience wasn't just unique to that one client. Other people started coming forward, saying they too had seen this very same face in their own dreams. It's almost as if a shared dream figure had suddenly, well, appeared.

Andrea Natella's Conceptual Art Project

Now, here's where the plot thickens a bit. While the initial incident in 2006 sparked the idea, the widespread phenomenon we know today, that, is actually a conceptual art project and a bit of a hoax. It was created by an Italian sociologist and marketer named Andrea Natella. In 2008, Natella, you know, launched a website called "Ever Dream?" This website, along with flyers that appeared, essentially asked people, "Have you seen this man in your dreams?" It subtly suggested that multiple people had already seen the same man in their dreams and, naturally, encouraged them to make contact. This project, you see, was very much an experiment, designed to see how many people would, in a way, trick themselves into believing they had seen this face in their dreams, or perhaps, recognize it from somewhere else.

So, basically, the "dream man" is an online myth, easily recognizable by those who are interested in creepypastas, like the "Hat Man" or "Momo." The myth revolves around a man only described as "this man," or just "him." It's a very simple premise, yet it has had a rather profound effect on many people, making them wonder about the boundaries of reality and imagination. It’s a pretty clever piece of social commentary, you could say.

A Global Phenomenon

Since the first reported appearance of "this man" in people's dreams back in 2006, the claims have just kept coming. To date, over 2,000 people from all over the world, you know, claim to have seen this specific man in their dreams. That's a rather significant number, isn't it? It suggests a widespread impact, even if the origin was, in fact, a conceptual project. The myth has really taken on a life of its own, spreading across different cultures and languages, becoming a true global phenomenon.

It’s almost like a modern urban legend, really, one that lives and breathes on the internet. People discuss it on forums, share their "experiences," and in some respects, add to the mystique of "This Man." It's a testament to how quickly stories, especially strange ones, can travel and resonate with a large audience in our connected world.

Is "This Man" a Real Dream Figure or Just a Clever Trick?

This is the million-dollar question, isn't it? Does anyone really dream of this man, or is it all just a product of suggestion? The provided information, you know, makes it pretty clear that the project itself was a hoax, an experiment. However, that doesn't mean people haven't actually seen him in a dream. It's a bit more nuanced than a simple yes or no.

The Psychology of Shared Dreams

Even though it was a hoax, that doesn't necessarily mean people haven't seen him in a dream, you know. For example, someone could have seen him in a dream after they saw the image, or perhaps, coincidentally saw someone similar. Our brains are incredibly good at making connections, even when those connections aren't, well, explicitly there. The power of suggestion is very strong, and once an image is planted, it can, in a way, resurface in unexpected places, like our dreams. It's a fascinating aspect of human psychology, really, how our minds process and store information.

It's actually quite difficult to remember the faces we see in our dreams, even in lucid dreams. Can you visualize the face of any man who appeared in your dreams in the last year? Most people find it a real challenge. So, when presented with a specific image and the question, "have you seen this man in your dreams?", our brains might, you know, try to fill in the gaps, or make a connection to a vague memory. This is, basically, how the power of suggestion works its magic.

The Power of Suggestion and Online Myths

The myth of "This Man" thrives on the power of suggestion. When you see the image and read the accompanying question, your mind is, in a way, primed to look for that face. It's similar to how other online myths and creepypastas gain traction. They create a shared narrative, a collective experience that people can, you know, feel a part of. The internet provides a perfect breeding ground for these kinds of stories, allowing them to spread rapidly and, in some respects, gain a sense of legitimacy through sheer repetition.

This man is an online myth easily recognizable by those interested in creepypastas like the "Hat Man" and "Momo." These stories, you see, tap into something primal, something a bit unsettling, and they often involve figures that appear in unexpected places or situations. The idea of a shared dream figure is, basically, a very compelling narrative, one that really captures the imagination and makes you wonder about the mysteries of the human mind.

Why We Might "See" Him

So, why might someone claim to have seen "This Man" in their dreams? Well, as we've discussed, the most straightforward answer is the power of suggestion. If you've seen the image, even briefly, your subconscious might, you know, incorporate it into a dream later. It's a pretty common phenomenon, actually, where things we encounter during the day show up in our sleep. Or, it could be a case of pareidolia, where our brains interpret a vague, generic face from a dream as "This Man" once we see the composite sketch.

Then there's the possibility of pure coincidence. Given the sheer number of people in the world and the vast number of faces we encounter, it's not entirely out of the question that someone might, you know, genuinely dream of a face that happens to bear a resemblance to the "This Man" sketch. It's a bit like seeing shapes in clouds; our minds are always trying to find patterns. So, while the project was a hoax, the individual dream experiences could be, you know, quite real for the people having them, even if the connection to the specific "This Man" image is, in some respects, a result of the project itself.

What Does It Mean If You've Dreamed of "This Man"?

If you've found yourself asking, "have you seen this man in your dreams?", and you feel like you actually have, it can be a rather strange and, you know, slightly unsettling experience. It's natural to wonder what it means, or if there's some deeper significance to it. For many, it's just another fascinating layer to the mystery.

Remembering Faces in Dreams

As we touched on earlier, remembering faces from dreams is, basically, quite a tricky business. Our dream world is often fluid and, you know, not always precise with details. Even in lucid dreams, where you're aware you're dreaming, recalling a specific, detailed face can be a real challenge. So, if you feel you've seen "This Man," it's often because the image provided by the hoax project has, in a way, solidified a vague dream memory for you. It gives a concrete form to something that might have been, you know, rather indistinct in your sleeping mind.

It’s a bit like trying to catch smoke, really. Our dream memories are very ephemeral. The website and flyers that appeared, saying "have you seen this man in your dreams?" insinuated multiple people had seen the same man within their dreams and needed to contact. This prompt, you see, provided a very specific anchor for people's otherwise fleeting dream recollections. It’s a powerful psychological tool, that.

Comforting or Befriending You?

Interestingly, some people who claim to have dreamed about "This Man" report rather specific interactions. Have you dreamed about this man comforting or befriending you over the past five years? If so, then you are one of thousands across the world who have dreamed "this man." This detail adds another layer to the myth, suggesting that his appearances aren't always, you know, scary or mysterious, but sometimes even positive. It makes you wonder, actually, about the different roles he plays in people's subconscious narratives.

The reported interactions, you know, vary quite a bit. Some might describe him as a silent observer, others as a helpful figure, and some even find him a bit unsettling. It’s almost as if each person’s subconscious mind, in a way, projects its own needs or fears onto this somewhat blank canvas of a face. This variety, basically, just adds to the intrigue of the whole phenomenon.

Personal Reflections and Interpretations

People have all sorts of personal reactions and interpretations to "This Man." One person, for instance, mentioned their epilepsy, saying one of its effects is called depersonalization, which manifests as seeing someone else when they look in the mirror. They had to laugh when the "have you seen this man" face showed up, suggesting a personal connection, you know, to the idea of an unfamiliar face. Another person, apparently, said he always reminds them of Gargamel from the live-action Smurf movies, which is a rather humorous comparison, isn't it?

I don’t doubt that people have seen this face in dreams because… well, the power of suggestion is very real. And, you know, sometimes our minds just make connections. There's also the element of humor, like the person who joked, "He always screaming at people calling them jabronis, then scurries back to his sewer hole." These kinds of personal, sometimes funny, interpretations really show how people engage with this online myth. It’s not always serious, you see, but it definitely sparks conversation. I have recurring dreams about a guy I have never met or seen in real life, I meet him in my dreams every few months for 5yrs… so, you know, the idea of a recurring dream figure isn't, in itself, that strange. It's the *shared* aspect that makes "This Man" so unique.

Frequently Asked Questions About "This Man"

People often have a lot of questions about this curious phenomenon. Here are some common ones that, you know, tend to pop up.

Is "This Man" a real person who appears in dreams?
Not really, no. "This Man" is, basically, a conceptual art project and a hoax created by Italian sociologist and marketer Andrea Natella in 2008. The project was designed to see how many people would, in a way, believe they had seen this face in their dreams due to the power of suggestion. While the project itself is a trick, people might genuinely believe they've seen him due to memory biases or coincidence.

How many people claim to have seen "This Man" in their dreams?
Since the first reported appearance of "this man" in people’s dreams in 2006, at least 2,000 people have reportedly claimed to have all seen the same man in their dreams. This number, you know, comes from the data collected through the project's website and related outreach efforts, showing the wide reach of the myth.

Who created the "This Man" phenomenon?
The widespread "This Man" phenomenon, you see, was created by Italian sociologist and marketer Andrea Natella. He launched the "Ever Dream?" website in 2008, which, basically, served as the central hub for this conceptual art project and social experiment. The project was inspired by an earlier incident in 2006 where a psychiatrist's client repeatedly saw the same man in their dreams, leading to a composite sketch.

This whole story, you know, really makes you think about the strange ways our minds work and how easily we can be influenced by what we see and hear. It's a powerful reminder of the blurry lines between reality and perception, especially in the age of the internet. So, the next time you wake up from a dream with a lingering face, you might just wonder, "have you seen this man in your dreams?" Perhaps you have, or perhaps, your mind is just playing a rather clever trick on you. To learn more about the original project, you can check out its history. Learn more about dream psychology on our site, and link to this page for more insights into dream meanings.

Have Your Say | You Stupid Boy

#have a nice death au – @corvus-tacet on Tumblr