Logically our cast of dream characters will consist of recognizable friends and family members. These can be those who are in our daily lives, people we might not have seen for quite some time, or even persons who have passed away. Some readers here have indicated that they don't recognize anyone in their dreams. I would think this would be unusual, but not out of the question.
For the most part I think that the majority dream about people they know. This would make more sense from the standpoint of dream meaning and interpretation since specific people in our lives represent particular emotions or circumstances in our daily life. For example we might dream about a boss who might evoke feelings of incompetence or nervousness within us. Or dreaming about a parent or grandparent might instill a sense of security of comfort.
Different people can represent different things in our dreams. Strangers more likely serve the capacity of threats to our well being or merely "extras" in a dream movie. People we know have meaning to us and would be the natural characters to accompany us in the dream stories that are extensions or interpretations of our waking life stories.
Do you usually recognize the characters in your dreams? Are your dreams populated mostly by friends or family? Do the people you know who are in your dreams typically evoke the same emotions each time you see them in your dreams?
