Theory:Peter's dreams

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The following fan theories are about Peter's dreams.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
Peter envisions himself as other people in his dreams rather than himself.	Peter dreamt of flying but the dreams seem to have had Peter seeing things through Nathan's eyes. (Genesis)	+ Peter has a dream of Nathan's accident and he reaches upward as he wakes up while Nathan was reaching downward at his car. (Six Months Ago) + This could also be the case with the bomb. He can be seeing himself as Ted or Sylar. - In his second version of the dream regarding the explosion, Nathan addresses him as Peter.
Peter's power revolves around empathy, and therefore allows him to put himself in the shoes of others during these prophetic visions.	Peter dreams he was flying when, in reality, Nathan flies. (Genesis)	- However, Peter has flown, including shortly after Nathan dropped him, so the dream did come true in a fashion. + His main power also seems to be empathetic, since no actual physical contact is required to absorb powers. With the bomb, he could easily be putting himself in the shoes of Ted or Sylar. • It could be that Nathan is supposed to eventually turn evil, since in Peter's jail cell dream he turned into a face which Peter associates with evil: Sylar. On the other hand, it may be that Peter's vision of Nathan turning into Sylar was a partial prophecy: as of Five Years Gone it is seen that in the Dark Future Sylar has killed Nathan, taken his power, and used the power of illusion to impersonate him.
Peter's dreams are a lingering effect of duplicating Isaac's power of precognition, making them truly prophetic.	Peter duplicated Isaac's precognition. (Don't Look Back, Hiros, Distractions) He can recall abilities he has duplicated in the past (Distractions)	- Peter's interpretation of his dreams is compatible with Isaac's prophecies and Hiro's experience in the future. - Peter began experiencing his dreams long before he met Isaac, although we have no way of knowing whether or not they passed near to each other before then, especially considering that both of them knew Simone. (Genesis, Six Months Ago) • In Distractions, Peter experienced Isaac's precognitive powers without needing to paint/draw an image. However, this could simply be a refinement of the same power - the painting may just have been the only way for Isaac to consciously interpret what he saw.
Peter's dreams are not a separate power nor the result of his copying another person's power. They are a manifestation of his empathy powers allowing him to tap into the collective unconscious of humanity.	None.	+ This would explain how Peter is seeing people who he has never met before but who are still connected to him in ways he can't yet perceive.
Peter's dreams are merely symbolic of future events, and not literal representations of the future.	None.	+ In his explosion dream, Isaac is pulling Simone away from him. This could symbolize Isaac's reunion with Simone which Peter witnesses. (Distractions), or perhaps Isaac taking Simone away from him, by causing her death. (Unexpected) + Also, Peter's blowing up could be a symbol for the stress his powers are causing him. + In an interview, Tim Kring states that Peter's exploding dream "obviously had all kinds of strange, surreal dream imagery in it."
Peter's dreams are not truly precognition, but a form of Astral projection, caused by his empathic abilities.	None.	+ Most of Peter's dreams only occur while he is unconscious, meaning it is possible that his spirit/soul is leaving the body and going somewhere else. • It is also possible that he absorbed this ability from Simone's father. (See Charles Deveaux theories)
Peter's dreams are the result of his copying Sanjog's power.	None.	- The dreams are too unlike empathic mimicry to be the same power. • It may be that the range with which Peter can copy a power depends on the power; he has copied different powers at different ranges, and Sanjog's power seems to have a larger range than any other thus far. - However, this cannot be proven. Peter has never met Sanjog. They are on opposite sides of the globe.
Sanjog is giving Peter the dreams in an attempt to help him	None.	+ There is no apparent range to Sanjog's power and he can accurately depict images of place people and events he has never seen. Peter mostly has these vision when he's unconscious, just as when Sanjog entered Mohinder's dreams before he'd ever met Mohinder. - However, Peter has also had visions while awake, and stylistically the dreams are very different. Mohinder's were of past events and exact, whereas Peter's are of future events and vague.
Peter's prophetic dreams are a power he absorbed from his mother.	None.	+ It is implied that Angela Petrelli has an undisclosed power (.07%). + Angela Petrelli would be the only person with powers that Peter has come in contact with for which we can not attribute any of his powers to. - There is no direct evidence that Angela Petrelli has such a power. + Angela said she knew Peter and Nathan had powers long before even they knew, which could imply that she saw it in a vision. + Peter's father does not appear to have any powers (Graphic Novel: War Buddies, Part 2). Enhanced abilities are genetic, so it is likely (though not required) that at least one of Peter's parents was enhanced as well. • Linderman tells Nathan that his father had "great power" (Landslide).