To experience an absence, or sense of nothingness, suggests the Void. This is more easily accessed in the dream state, since our waking brain receives too much input via our senses to be able totally to shut out any stimulation. We are in a situation where we may suffer loss or where we may reject something we need. The type of dream where we are in a familiar environment, but a much-loved article or person is missing, suggests we may have a feeling of impermanence. A dream about someone being absent, or of the absence of something one would expect to find, indicates that the unexpected may happen. We may be looking for something that we have already lost. Our feelings about the absence (e.g. fear or anger) may also be important. A child experiences a strong sense of loss when mother is first absent from his perceived environment and this can cause extreme distress. You might like to consult the entries for Abyss and Lose/Loss/Lost.