Drowning

Dreams About Drowning

Dreams About Drowning

The immersion in water can represent a rebirth, much like the fact we are back in our mother's womb which is an archetypical symbol in dream psychology.

Were you saved in the dream? Did you save another? Did you die in the dream? Did another person in your dream die? Was it worrying? Water is all about emotions. If you are trying to resist drowning in a dream can be rather frightening. It is associated with one's emotions. If the water is murky then this means troubles ahead. If you're drowning or battling to inhale, you might be going through feelings of stress and uncertainty in waking life. This type of dream also alerts you to definitely regions of your unconscious that should be faced.

Is the dream good or bad?

This dream is not positive but we can learn from the aspects in the dream. Dreams about drowning in older dream lore indicate that you are fearful of the future, maybe you are trying to stay on top but you can’t. In many dream psychology books, such as Sigmund Freud, drowning is seen as a collective conscious. I like to think that the actual “drowning” is substituted for something else in life, for example, a job or relationship which does not seem to be going as planned and spiritually drowning. To see yourself drowning often indicates that you are emotionally challenged.

This dream helps one understand their own feelings but often the drowning dream happens when we are feeling an overburdened or too involved in matters in waking life. Dreams about drowning can cover many scenarios. For example, sinking in water can indicate you are being pulled in a negative direction or dreaming of drowning in a car can mean that your own identity is being challenged at the moment. I’m Flo and I have been studying dreams for 20 years. I will provide you with the meaning of drowning in a dream in question and answer format so scroll down.

What does it mean to dream about drowning?

When we awake we question our dreams, the drowning dream can plague our daily thoughts because you may be dealing with problems or issues in waking life. Turning to dream psychology, drowning can suggest that there are underlying emotions that have resulted in the dream. When we are feeling overwhelmed these dreams can surface. This dream is a direct result of feeling the need to express yourself more clearly or that you hold a sense of being trapped, and being unable to make proper decisions. When you dream that you actually die of drowning in your dream it is connected to your own subconscious mind which indicates a new start or transformation. The possibility of actually drowning can be rather worrying. Water is a symbol of our inner emotions. To drown and die means that we will be reborn. Thus, to drown in one's dream means that our emotions may be all over the place. If panic was apparent in the dream it suggests an emotional change in life. The more panic, the greater the emotional change. Seeing yourself floating in water (being able to breath) is common. It means that emotions are often overwhelming. What hides underneath the water? If it is muddy or murky this means that life is going to be difficult. Should you see yourself struggling in the water means emotions are going to run high in your life, swimming or sailing around a lake suggests contentment if you're drowning, this indicates anxiety.

For the famous dream psychologist Carl Jung, to drown in water is symbolic of an archetype. To drown in a bath suggest’s hidden depths. If you notice other people drowning in your dream, it means that you're trying to work out something dark and hidden. To drown in the sea, or struggle to breathe means that something is stopping you from moving forward. If you notice that you are drowning in a swamp, this might mean there are anxieties that undermine your confidence in waking existence. To rescue someone from drowning is a positive dream it means others will rely on you. Seeing a child drowning represents your own inner child or that you are feeling unprotected. A child drowning in a swimming pool represents your emotions are running high, especially if you cannot find your son or daughter in the swimming pool water.

What is the biblical dream of drowning mean?

Dreams in biblical times were interpreted as messages from evil spirits. Many dreams were considered prophetic. Psalm in verses 4-6 details a paragraph on how one would feel when we drown on the inside. The verses themselves that relate to drowning and psalms are communicating how our inner life and how we navigate our own feelings of being worthless and rejected. If you have recently experienced in your life pressures from others then the dream of drowning biblically could indicate feeling that you need to stop drowning in your own negative thoughts. Psalm 18:4 also describes a life that is being taken by drowning in water, and that this is basically a metaphor that you are frightened or overwhelmed. 

What does a dream of saving someone from drowning mean?

If you are a drowning victim in the dream then the details are important. If you or someone else is “near death” after coming out of the water then this dream is about emotions. If you see people are carrying out resuscitation measures or that you are rescued a person from drowning the dream can imply that through a difficult period events will work out well. In ancient times people did all they could when they noticed someone drowning, such as turning the person upside down in order to remove the water. Today, in our modern world the legal aspects that surround helping someone when drowning mean that we are not legally obliged to save someone. Saving someone you know from drowning such as a child can imply that you are worrying over them. To dream of saving someone that you do not know can indicate that you are emotional about the future.

What does it mean to dream of a drowning child?

Sometimes things happen in dreams that are uneasy, shock us and make us worry, such as our son or daughter drowning. In real life, most drowning occurs when there are risks to the child such as small swimming pools or lapses of water. Normally, drowning occurs when the parent has lost supervision. In particular, when the parent is busy doing chores, it is very rare and this dream can be a reflection of your own anxieties. To dream of rescuing a child from drowning (son or daughter) can be connected back to the love you feel for them. I kept having a dream of my daughter drowning in a swimming pool and I was trying to find her but could not. This means that you are looking for something, for a reason why something "emotional" has happened and not yet figured it out.

What does it mean to dream about drowning in the ocean?

When you have a dream that you are drowning in the ocean, it implies that you are grasping on emotions in the waking world. This dream can imply that you able to move well in the flow and ebb of life. If you stay afloat in the ocean, it denotes that, you are pressured by the surroundings and it seems it is now weighing you down, unable to hold back. Pressures and stresses of life are too much for you right now. A scenario where you see yourself being left behind by someone or a vessel and you drown in the sea, it is symbolic of your fear of being abandoned. You may be reliving the abandonment felt from the past that caused you grief or loss. After a dream, you will need to approach those whom you have been separated from in real life so that you can clarify what is causing the hurt between the both of you. Of course, if you feel you should. You no longer have a “balance” in your life and in order to move forward, you will need to offload some of the things which are making you feel unable to stay afloat. Maybe you’re are in a relationship or a job which is not working for you, it is time you think about whether to continue progressing or find a solution to whatever is concerning you - or call quits.

What does it mean to dream about drowning in a wave?

If you are swept under a tide or wave which you cannot fight against and you drown, it is a sign that, there is something in your waking life which you are finding hard to emotionally handle or process. In the case that waves throw you into the rocks or you find yourself in turbulent water can subliminally imply that peoples feelings are bashing you using hurtful actions or words which end up leaving you emotionally worn out. The dream could be a warning as well. Try to be cautious in the coming days and avoid trusting everyone that comes your way.

What does it mean to keep dreaming about drowning?

If you have repeatedly had a dream of a specific person drowning or yourself this can indicate there are problems emotionally. But if this dream occurs for some years then it can imply that you may need to seek hypnotherapy or meditation, to uncover the root cause, this will help to heal your subconscious. Events such as death, divorce, or a sudden loss when you were young, can result in such dreams as they leave you with a certain uncertainty and a feeling of being at risk of loss or abandonment. If not controlled, such feelings can lead to you being jealous, or a need to be over possessive to avoid loneliness.

What do dreams about drowning in a swimming pool mean?

When you have a dream where you are drowning in a swimming pool, it will have a varied meaning compared to being drowned in an ocean. Remember an ocean is a natural water body while a pool is a man-made water body. A pool is designed to be created to one's specification. So when you have swimming pool dreams, you will need to think about what it is that you have designed for yourself that looks “real” from the outward, it is working but it is not natural. This could be a lifestyle that you are imposing on yourself, a spouse, or a career.

Drowning in a pool while alone:

Dreaming that you are drowning in a pool and there is nobody around to rescue you is an indicator that, whatever lifestyle you have built for yourself is no longer sustainable and it is a call to change and adjust. If no-one is there to help in the dream indicates you need to take responsibility for the change.

What does drowning in a pool where there are many people mean in your dream?

When you have a dream where you are drowning in a pool and it is crowded it means that it is a well-known fact that by everyone that, you need to change your lifestyle. People are watching and wondering how you will embrace the change. If the people around you are also drowning in the pool, then whatever is happening in your life involves a family or if it is at work, or an entire company. Due to the presence of water which representing emotions, it means whatever change it is emotional. It could be emotional sadness or a loss that has affected everyone in a company and there might be a need for retrenching and you are worried that, it will hit on you.

What does dreaming about drowning in a storm or natural disasters imply?

If we think of hurricane Katrina or storms that flood cities in a dream it can imply uncontrollable emotions that occur naturally. A dream where you see yourself drowning in turbulent water such as a tsunami, flood, or a storm or that the water is rising very fast and you are swept away could be touching on memories or precognition from the past experiences in life. It could be that, in the past, you actually drowned and your subconscious is not re-living it so that it can be resolved. You might be harboring unresolved traumas and fears which need to be sorted out before you can move on in life. They keep haunting you until you get a solution to them. Alternatively, a dream where you drown in a dam or deep storm could be what Sigmund Freud wrote that images are connected to your own conscious mind. Thus, something on television or in print media where people were affected by a tsunami or a storm and this is just a precognition.

If you have not seen a tsunami in print media or television, and you haven’t experienced one in your past, then the dream could denote that, you are about to experience a period of time that turns out emotionally draining. It could be in the form of emotions, finances, or death of a loved one. The dream could also be indicating how you are moving through an emotional part of your life in the recent past, especially if you were unable to cope with stress in your life. Seeing yourself in a natural disaster that results in drowning implies that, most of the emotional suffering that you are going through is part of life.

What are the circumstances around drowning in a dream?

When you have a dream about drowning, you will need to analyze the circumstances surrounding the dream in order to decode and determine the correct meaning. An example if you dream that an intoxicated person is drowning, it could symbolize them being in denial or using unethical methods to cope with the stress they are having in life. Another example is where you see someone driving a car and then plunges into a river it could be a sign that, you need to slow down in life. You might be taking big risks in life which could jeopardize your health and life in general.

If you drowned because your hands were tied and thus, movement compromised, the dream could mean that whatever circumstances, you are currently facing is due to outside forces. Whether it is the failure of a relationship or at work, those around you are the ones making it not to work. What it indicates is that, if you take charge and hold to your present situation you can alter the circumstances so that you no longer feel suffocated or victimized by things which appear outside of your control. Circumstances that result in drowning - do in fact alter the meaning of the dream about drowning.

The conclusion of dreams about drowning

A dream of drowning can carry varied messages, and you will need to understand the flow and ebb of the water in order to interpret it conclusively. The dream needs to be interpreted based on the events that occur. The dream normally depends on your individual circumstances. As dreams are there to tell you a lot of what is happening in your day to day life, your concerns, and fears. The dream of drowning needs to also be connected to the weightlessness of the water itself. This indicates a serene association symbolically, which I have answered above. If there is anything missing from this dream meaning please contact me through Facebook.

In this dream you may have:

Seen family, friends or loved ones drown. Struggled to breathe in water. Tried to climb up out of the water. Rescued others from drowning. Seen yourself in the sea drowning. Rescued someone before s/he drowned.

Positive changes are afoot if:

You rescued someone from drowning. You did not die in the dream. You experience joy and exhilaration in the dream (after the drowning instance).

Feelings that you may have encountered during a dream of drowning in one's dream:

Scared. Worried. Surprised. Content. Anxious. Thankful. Admiring. Thirsty.

By Flo Saul
Aug 22, 2013