Dreams About Being Chased – Interpretation and Symbolism
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Dreaming about being chased by something or someone can be a frightening thing to experience. As if you’ve been transported into a thriller tale, you find yourself catching your breath, desperately trying to get away from whatever it was that is threatening to catch you.
However, these types of dreams aren’t usually omens of bad luck or approaching danger, but an indication of stressful events that have a tight grip on you in your waking life.
Why Do We Dream About Being Chased?
Dreams about being chased are often seen as nightmares, evoking stress, panic, and fear. It’s also one of the most common types of dreams that people tend to have. While adults also have dreams where something or someone is chasing them, this theme is more common among children.
Before getting too stressed about the possible meaning of your dream, it’s important to keep in mind that most dreams are inspired by our day-to-day events. Research shows that up to 65% of our dreams are composed of the bits and pieces that we experience during our day.
While you could have had this dream because of something you witnessed during your waking hours, there could be more going on that your subconscious mind is trying to alert you to.
What Does It Mean to Be Chased in a Dream?
Being chased in your dream is often a tell-tale sign of your desire to escape and avoid conflict. It is the need to get out of an upsetting situation that has been looming over you for some time now, and rather than confronting the issue at hand, you choose to turn a blind eye, hoping it goes away on its own. This avoidance then manifests into your fears that can follow you in your dreams.
In other instances, being chased in your dream may be a projection of your closed-minded approach to other’s opinions and how your environment is slowly evolving into a realm of things that you find yourself uncomfortable and indifferent with. The escapist in you closes off all possible suggestions of change and prefers to stay inside your comfort zone. The fear of change is pressuring you to accept it all too soon and it feels overwhelming to give in to things that you aren’t used to.
However, being chased in your dream does not always connote a negative emotion like fear or anxiety, it can also be seen as your drive to progress and go after the things you’ve always dreamed of. Instead of feeling afraid or restless, there is a sense of freedom, thrill, and excitement in running away from the things you’ve grown out of. You are slowly moving on and are ready to face whatever life is going to throw at you.
Types of Dreams About Being Chased
There are numerous interpretations of dreaming about being chased and it is important to note the hidden symbolism about the thing, person, or animal chasing you as they represent a repressed feeling, avoided issue or someone that you wish not to confront.
You’re Running from Yourself
When dreaming of being chased, it comes as a surprise to many when they find out their pursuer is the splitting image of themselves or their exact self-running to catch them.
When you dream of pursuing yourself, this comes as a message that you are chasing expectations, goals, and standards that have been put on you. Your old self wants to keep up with the new version of yourself, yet you are unable to catch up and close the gap in-between the two of you.
The hurdles that prevent you from catching up are the looming stress and weight of pressure when trying to live up to what people want in your life instead of what you want for yourself.
This dream calls you to pursue what you want in order for you to catch up with the person you want to be in the future.
It’s important to note that life is not a race and people take their time to accomplish their endeavors and plans in any way they can. Live up to your own expectations and not what people expect you to be so that you can face life head on.
Someone is Chasing You
Being chased by another person can be frightening. Dreams like these are common to women, often due to the present dangers they encounter in their waking life and the lack of security when going about their day.
By identifying who was chasing you in the dream, you can interpret your dream more accurately.
Being Chased by a Man
Dreaming of a man chasing you represents the problems that you try so hard to avoid. They now plague your dreams, seeking to be addressed or resolved. Your dream calls you to be responsible and to find courage in confronting your issues because they will not go away unless you do something about it.
For others, it may be a reliving of a traumatic incident that they have experienced in their waking life and that continues to haunt them to this day. You may have been stalked or pursued by a stranger in your waking life and it has become a recurring nightmare for you. In this instance, your dream calls you to talk to someone you can confide in or seek professional help to communicate your difficult emotions, your worries and what is bothering you.
There are also instances when the man chasing you seems to be deranged or hostile. This signifies the violent and intrusive feelings you possess. When you fail to address these feelings and let it overcome you, it will prevent you from making meaningful connections with others and even be at peace with yourself. The dream calls you to talk about your feelings and to create a safe space where you can express and communicate your thoughts and emotions without feeling destructive.
Being Chased by Someone Armed/With a Weapon
There are times when you dream of your pursuer armed or chasing you with a weapon. This dream’s message calls you to finally confront things that you have been putting off for so long in order to live a peaceful life.
Dreams like these that seem to be straight out of a horror film may represent resistance to dealing with emotions and issues. The more you avoid these, the more they will bring danger into your life.
Being Chased by Shadowy Figures
When dreaming of shadowy figures that are chasing you, it represents the oppression you face in your waking life. This typically spawns from experiences you’ve had when you were younger and inability to protect yourself during those times.
The dream’s message calls you to break old habits that sabotage your growth and healing. The figures in your dream are toxic people in your life that harm you in every aspect of your life.
It is time to gather your courage, speak up and defend yourself from the external factors that hinder your emotional and mental well-being.
An Animal is Chasing You
Often, people dream of being chased by an animal. These dreams may have the following meanings:
Being Chased by Dogs
When dreaming of being chased by a dog, it signifies the constant hurry you experience in your waking life or being rushed to do things all at once. The dream heeds you to take it easy on yourself.
Whether it’s for work, school, or daily activities that you plan for the day, it is important to take things one at a time so that you won’t be overwhelmed with the work that you need to do.
Being Chased by Bats
Being chased by a bat in your dream suggests arising complications in your love life. If you are single, it suggests an indifference with yourself and that you are unable to give yourself self-love.
Bats are an omen of negativity, and they represent disarray and things going wrong in life. The dream however does not raise disdain towards these creatures but asks you to be optimistic in every situation and challenge that you will come across.
Being Chased by a Snakes
In comparison to the dreams of bats that are negative omens, snakes are symbols of good luck and positive belief. Being chased by a snake means that someone in your waking life is grateful to have you as someone in their life and would like to continue to keep a fruitful connection between the two of you.
What Should You Do About These Dreams?
Understanding the hidden messages in your dream helps you to understand your feelings and yourself a lot better. Our repressed emotions and avoided issues become the monsters that hide under our bed and if not confronted, may lead to frightening dreams.
Confrontation may be a difficult task for many, but it is often the best thing to do when resolving conflict and issues that have been plaguing our minds for so long. Communicating what you feel towards something, someone, or just simply talking to yourself is beneficial to your growth in learning how to deal with your emotions, how to cope with overwhelming situations and how to resolve your problems in ways that are comfortable for you.
Dreams like these are also indications of being fearful of change. We must not pressure ourselves to accept changes all at once, but also not to be closed off to the inevitability of transformation. Embrace change and let yourself be transformed into a person that is a better, newer version of yourself.
