
Animal Dream Meaning: From 10 Different Sources
(see also entries for particular animals; e.g. Bear, Cat)
(1) Parents may appear in dreams in the guise of animals. The animal will then usually be a focus for the dreamer’s ambivalent - love-hate - feelings towards the parent. For example, a spider or a cat may signify the threatening aspect of a mother from whose influence you need to liberate yourself.
Two of Freud’s most famous patients had animal phobias, as did a patient of Sandor Ferenczi (a member of Freud’s inner circle). One dreamed of white wolves in the branches of a walnut tree outside his bedroom window and the other had strong ambivalent feelings (fear and attraction) towards horses; the third was obsessed with poultry. Freud concluded that in all three cases the animals were father surrogates: in each case the person’s feelings for his father had been displaced on to animals.
(2) Animals may represent other people, besides parents. What you associate with the particular animal - slyness or aggressiveness or whatever — may be a characteristic of the particular person; the way you react to the animal in the dream may express your (perhaps unconscious) feelings towards the person.
(3) Animals in dreams may be symbolic of some primitive - ‘animal’, or even ‘beasdy5 - part of your psyche: some instinctive urge, for example. Thus, if in the dream your emotional response to the animal is one of fear, this would seem to indicate a fear of the instinctive urge (which, because of the fear, has been repressed).
If the animal has a threatening appearance, it may be a symbol of the danger that threatens the peace of the psyche when some part of it is neglected and confined to the ‘cellar’ - the depths of the unconscious - and not allowed proper expression at the conscious level. This situation may also be symbolized by the figure of a caged or wounded animal: we sometimes control our instincts too tightly or even maltreat them, and, just as animals are never more fierce or dangerous than when wounded, so it is with our Svounded’ instincts.
A view well worth considering is that we cannot - without detriment to ourselves - dispense with our animal nature, any more than with our ‘higher’ or ‘spiritual’ nature. The way to achieve peace and happiness is to allow both these sides of our nature to develop and find fulfilment in and through each other, in a symbiosis in which body and spirit, instead of going their separate ways, cooperate with mutual respect, each supplying means for the other’s fulfilment.
(4) A threatening or ferocious animal may represent aggression or anger buried in the unconscious.
If you think this may be so in your case (perhaps because you are prone to irrational, disproportionate outbursts of rage), look for the origins of the aggression. It may go back to early childhood: a child’s desire for a parent and its consequent jealousy and resentment towards the other parent may result in feelings of guilt, which in turn give rise to a desire to punish oneself. This aggressiveness directed against oneself (i.e. masochism) may then spill over into aggressiveness or rancour towards other people (i.e. sadism), especially loved ones or people closely related. Typically, an unresolved Oedipus complex (the ambivalent, love-hate feelings of an infant towards a parent) may display itself in later life in a similar ambivalence towards a spouse - an inability to love someone without simultaneously wanting to punish him or her.
Contradictory feelings towards others are a sign of inner conflict, usually a conflict between desire and conscience. And what we call conscience may be a morbid censoring and prohibiting mechanism set in motion by a childhood fear of punishment. This needs to be distinguished from a healthy conscience, which consists of all those moral guidelines we give ourselves by rational reflection. Some compromise between desires and the need to survive and succeed socially is almost inevitable; but a reasonably negotiated compromise is far preferable to the potentially dangerous inner tension that results from submitting to irrational phobias posing as the moral law.
(5) A tamed animal, or the act of taming an animal, may symbolize (the need for) that kind of controlled expression of instinct that is appropriate for living as a part of civilized society or for feeling that you are ‘king of the castle’ - that is, in control of your own actions.
(6) The wolf in the Little Red Riding Hood story exemplifies another piece of animal symbolism. The wolf here represents for a sexually inexperienced woman the terrifying aspect of the male, the fear of sexual contact. In its earliest versions the story possibly served as a warning to young girls against socially premature sexual relations with men. Animals in dreams may certainly have a sexual meaning and the wolf is an obvious example of this, if only because the word Volf is itself commonly applied to men whose sexual lust is unbounded and purely ‘animal’.
See also Frog, Wolf.
(7) If in your dream you arc being chased by an animal, the animal probably represents some (repressed) emotion or instinct. As long as you keep such things buried in your unconscious thev will continue to
plague and disturb you. Face up to whatever it is, and enter into receptive and patient dialogue with it.
(8) The killing of an animal may symbolize cither what has been described in (5) above (but now given exaggerated, dramatic expression) or the actual destruction of some essential, because natural, part of your psyche. The second alternative would indicate some fear of your own instinctive nature, some phobic undervaluing of the body, the senses, or sex. You would have to be very honest to work out which of these alternatives - an irrational slaughter (repression) of the natural self (a symbolic castration), or a rational taming of an instinct diat is threatening the balance of the psyche - is applicable in your own case.
Domestic animals: Comfort, familiarity, security, gentleness. Astrological parallel: Virgo
Wild animals: The lower nature, the unknown, fear, danger. Astrological parallel: Aries
The animal, compulsive nature of human beings. Instincts, according to Freud and most other dream interpreters, removed from awareness
(animus); or awareness removed from instinct
(anima) in human beings.
The image of the suppressed or of the shadow, suggesting a chance for integration.
The type of animal in the dream is important. Jung suggested that we find out more about the innate character of the animal we have dreamed about. According to Freud, small animals always symbolize children and siblings, while wild animals are a symbol for sexually excited or exciting people, evil urges, or passions.
1. If killing, the desire to eliminate a certain aspect of one’s personality as symbolized by the particular animal
(e.G., One might kill a lion to eliminate aggressiveness).
2. Aspects of one’s own or another’s personality as reflected in the characteristics of a certain animal.
3. Religious or spiritual representations.
Dreams of an animal symbolize that you are connecting with your wild side, basic instincts and survival needs. Consider the type of animal.
See Zoo.
Depends on your feelings for the particular animal
(for typical meaning see the specific type).
A helpful animal normally represents the instinctive self. Look at your feelings and beliefs about this animal.
An animal relates to your own natural and inborn instincts. Good omens of a base nature as long as they are not being violent.
If misbehaving, it is an indication of a party where people are lacking good manners and are demonstrating poor judgment. This is all a reflection of the patterns that need to be repatterened within you. Your belief system is drawing you to these situations and people. Animals represent your primitive, physical and sexual mannerisms and expressions.
A heard: prosperity. Animal instincts (or human nature), sex, aggression. Animals may also be healing agents (e.g.An alligator to a timid person) or entities. Black Dog Animals represent the dreamer’s animal instincts (or human nature), sex, aggression, paternal or maternal instincts, social status, etc.
The choice of animal, its color and location indicate how the instinct is regarded.
For example, a black dog in the bedroom means the dreamer’s attitude to sex is dominated by fear. Animals may also be healing agents (e.g.An alligator to a timid person) or entities **Animals: “Carl Jung said that all wild animals indicate latent effects (feelings and emotions that we do not readily deal with). They are also symbolic of dangers (hurtful and negative things) being “swallowed” by the unconscious.
The interpretation of the animal in your dream depends on your relationship with it in daily life. Animals represent the qualities in our character or specific aspects of our personalities. They could symbolize our more intuitive and instinctive parts, or they could serve as messengers for the unconscious. Please look up each animal individually by name.
A particular quality of that animal.
Something or someone you (at least subconsciously) associate with that type of animal in general.
Consider also the animal’s characteristics, actions, and what stood out about it during the dream.
For example, a cold and slimy frog might represent someone you think of as “cold and slimy.” If frogs remind you of Prince Charming in disguise, a frog could represent someone you consider a “hidden gem.” A frog making a big jump could represent the idea of quick progress in your life.
See also the specific animal.
See also: Baby; Animal Noise; Insect; Animals (the category)
Instinctive part of self attuned to nature and survival, associated with second and third chakras. Also, the characteristics a specific animal represents to you, such as speed, cunning, power or wisdom.
See individual animals.
Enjoying sex with an animal, such as being caressed by a bear, is the way that your dreams describe your basic sexual urges at their most basic and uncomplicated level. It doesn’t mean you are weird. In such dreams, you are simply dispensing with social conventions and experiencing lust.
The animal sound will reflect the symbolism of the animal with which it is associated. For example, the crow of a cock is an awakening, alerting us to new challenges; the bark of a dog suggests a loyal companion, the hiss of snake, sexuality and so on. Bear in mind that animals are thought to express the more primitive side of your nature and the raw urges related to sex and aggression— things that polite society often tries to curb.
See also ANIMALS; BIRDS.
69 dream interpretation about animal related.
Represent people, according to color and character; research accordingly... animals dream meaning
If the males thereof are seen in the dream with no desire to hunt them, they represent such people who have no Deen; they have alienated themselves from the Muslim community so as to follow their own whims and fancies.... wild animals dream meaning
The willingness and ability to track and trap a wild animal indicates one has great confidence and courage. ... game (wild animal) dream meaning
One’s needs being met daily, without accumulation... animal feeder dream meaning
(See Bones)... animal bones dream meaning
If a person sees himself as becoming the owner of will animals and these animals are under his full control so that he leads them to wherever he desires, it means he will become the leader of a people.... becoming the owner of wild animals dream meaning
To see someone speaking to the observer or giving him something suggests that the observer4 will socialize or deal with him or someone who bears a similar name or resembles him.... dreaming of men, women and animals dream meaning
It symbolises haraam wealth.... droppings of animals that are not eaten dream meaning
If a person sees himself as hunting a wild animal it means he will acquire wealth and booty-whether the hunted animal is a male for female.... hunting a wild animal dream meaning
they represent men, women and slave-girls.... hunting wild animals that are females dream meaning
he will become a recipient of a fortune from some woman.... killing a wild animal with no purpose of hunting dream meaning
Improper saddling of an animal for a ride in a dream means imposition upon oneselfor others, or it could mean unnecessary and inadequate going out of one’s way.... saddling an animal dream meaning
(Peel) In a dream, skinning an animal represents an unjust ruler, a tyrant, an oppressor, a policeman who takes people’s money and disappears, or a policeman who can be bribed.... skinning an animal dream meaning
This means he will oppress someone whom the Haraam animal represents.... slaughtering a haraam animal dream meaning
In a dream, the sound of a crowd means money beside other benefits.
The bleating of sheep in a dream means distress and fear.
The neigh of horses in a dream means might and honor.
The barking of a dog in a dream meansvain talk and meddling in others’ business.
The sound of a lynx in a dream means pampering oneself and wantonness.
The cooing of pigeons in a dream means crying, sorrows or marriage.
The chirp of swallows in a dream means 402 beneficial words.
The croaking offrogs in a dream means beatings or death.
The sound of bells and the hissing of snakes in a dream represents a fight, an argument, a warning, or a war.
The braying of donkeys in a dream means cursing in the darkness.
The braying of mules in a dream means vain talk, or it could mean indulging in suspicious acts.
The mooing of a cow in a dream means temptation.
The gurgling or braying of camels in a dream signifies travels and difficulties.
The roaring of a lion in a dream means threats.
The yowling of a tomcat in a dream means uproar, backbiting, defamation and insinuation.
The yapping of foxes in a dream means a warning for one to escape from danger, or to move from one field into another.
The howling of a wolf in a dream means robbery.
The squeak of a mouse in a dream means profits, reunion, love and peace.
The crying of a female gazelle in a dream means longing for one’s homeland.
The barking of a jackal in a dream means a mission of good intent, or a forthcoming evil.
(Also see Dog; Listening; Roaring; Speaking; Voice)... sound of animals dream meaning
The animal horn, in the past, was often connected with the devil. Today it is a sign (more or less) of a “healthy” ability to achieve. Also it may be related to the idea of giving somebody horns or cuckolding somebody.... horn (of an animal) dream meaning
Take chances—just once try not to be so proper.... llama (spitting animal) dream meaning
Happiness and long life.... carrion or carcase of an animal dream meaning
interpreted upon 4 [sides:] following & companions & wealth, comfort, life.... animal’s tail dream meaning
This represents motherly qualities and, therefore, the mothering instinct.... animal with a cub dream meaning
The childlike side of our personality, or possibly children known to us, can give us information about innocence and naivety.... baby animals dream meaning
The dreamer realizes that some of his impulses are out of kilter.... deformed animals dream meaning
When we dream of domesticated animals we are aware of those parts of ourselves with which we have already come to terms. There are passions which are being used in a controlled way, although there is the suggestion that those passions were never very formidable.... domesticated (tame) animals dream meaning
Such an image is often about the ‘demons’ we create which can only be overcome by assimilating them in a constructive way. Shamanic societies believe that one takes on certain aspects of the animal that are superior – in certain respects – to ordinary human attitudes.... eating the animal dream meaning
The figures of animals are an easy way for us to accept the help the subconscious and spiritual realms can offer. Your totem animal is traditionally your ‘guide’ through the unconscious realms.... helpful animals dream meaning
We are perceiving a difficulty in behaving maturely or confronting issues in waking life.... hurt young animals dream meaning
To find any animal threatening in a dream indicates the fears and doubts we have over our ability to cope with the stirrings of the unconscious. Such dreams are relatively common when starting out on personal spiritual development.... sinister animals dream meaning
In dreams, the metamorphosis of the dreamer or other people into animals and vice versa shows the potential for change within any situation. Coincidentally, magical techniques allow ‘shape-shifting’, permitting magicians and shamans to adopt animal form, and dreams give us an understanding of that process.... transformation of animals dream meaning
To dream of trying to find some refuge from animals, whether by building defences or perhaps by running away, is indicative of our struggle with our animal instincts and whether the action being taken is adequate. Such instincts may be threatening or damaging to aspects of our life.... trapped by animals dream meaning
This suggests that we have been wounded, either emotionally or spiritually, or perhaps that our natural instincts are not being allowed free expression and are, therefore, not functioning properly.... wounded and / or trapped animals dream meaning
Neither pets nor wild creatures, agricultural animals often represent personal traits that you may have tamed to a certain extent, although there is always the risk that they will escape conscious control and run wild. It’s important to reflect on the context of the dream involving a working or farmyard animal as it may reflect how you feel about the burdens and responsibilities of your daily life... agricultural animals dream meaning
Dreams about animals in water are symbols of our emotions. Water is a symbol of emotion because water, like emotion, constantly moves and flows. How the animal moves within the water reveals our emotional mood. For instance if the water is calm and beautiful then it shows our emotions are good.... animals in water dream meaning
To dream that you are rescuing, caring for or saving the life of an animal, suggests that you are successfully acknowledging certain emotions and characteristics represented by the animal. A wounded animal can mean a pain you need to come to terms with that has caused an instinctive reaction, such as reactive anger or terrible fear. To find yourself in the waiting room of an animal hospital suggests a desire to avoid a responsibility or commitment you have in your waking life. To see lab animals in your dream, suggests that an aspect of yourself is being repressed. Alternatively, it suggests that you need to experiment with your fears, choices, and beliefs. Try not to limit yourself.... animals in pain dream meaning
A common dream symbol that typically represents neglect of some aspect of your inner nature. For example, you may have been given an animal to look after, usually somebody else’s pet, while they were away on holiday and then completely forgot about the animal, only to discover it later starving, injured or even dead. This dream is reminding you that you have a responsibility to yourself and to see that your own sexual, nutritional and bodily needs are met.... neglect of animals dream meaning
To dream of wise animals suggests important information from your intuition or inner wisdom. This intuitive wisdom is within every one of us and the result of thousands of years of life experience. Many cultures all over the world represent great wisdom and holiness as animals or animal-headed beings. To dream that animals can talk represents a wisdom inside yourself that is innocent and simple. It could also represent your potential to be all that you can be.... wise or talking animals dream meaning
Attempting to kill the animal within (our lower brain functions) can cause tension, depression and illness; giving in entirely is no answer either as our higher brain functions need expression also. One of the challenges of maturing and growing is to meet and relate to our ‘animal instincts’, and if possible find ways to express them positively. To dream of eating an animal suggests that you need to draw upon your own inner wisdom and energy, but it can also suggest a desire for sensual pleasure.... killing or eating an animal dream meaning
Hiding from or being trapped by animals can suggest you are feeling controlled or threatened by your urges or the emotions or feelings of others.
If the animal is watching you, your unconscious is reminding you not to forget or neglect the instincts that it represents.
If the animal is attacking you, this could indicate that you are in the grip of a rage that you fear you may unleash. Your dream is urging you express or deal with your anger in a controlled way.
If an animal is chasing you in a dream, this may suggest that in real life you are in flight from some area of your personality that wants to be expressed.
If you are trying to find refuge from animals—either by building a defense or running away—this indicates a struggle with instincts that threaten your safety in waking life. In some cases dreams of being threatened or attacked by animals may be telling you that you are repressing your instincts—perhaps being too civilized— and you should try and loosen up more. Being bitten by an animal could indicate aggression from someone close to you or that our own aggressive instincts are not under control. Any threat from a sinister animal suggests fears and doubts you may have about your ability to manage your emotions.
See also SURREALISM AND FANTASY.
Animal noises
If you hear animals making sounds in your dream, you need to consider what these sounds mean to you in waking life and then to make a symbolic link. For example, if you hear an animal barking, wailing or whining for attention, these sounds could be calling your attention to the qualities that that particular animal represents to you.
If you hear ominous growling, roaring or cackling, it could reflect pent-up anger either within yourself or another person.
If you hear braying, it could indicate a need to overcome basic animal instincts.
If you hear bleating, you may be taking on new cares and responsibilities that could be positive or negative depending on your attitude towards them.
See also SENSES.... watched, attacked or chased by an animal dream meaning
To dream of animals mixed up with each other, for example, half animal-half man, could suggest confusion in finding the best approach to a situation in waking life. Perhaps the qualities of the animals in the dream need to be assimilated and integrated? The dream could also suggest that the dreamer is recognizing his or her potential for development.... composite or deformed animals dream meaning
Game animals—notably the deer, rabbit and hare—offer encouragement, and dreamers should view their presence optimistically. The rabbit’s renowned ability to breed offers the promise of fertility in women and virility in men. Hares are closely associated with the moon goddess and they suggest an ability to see the magical in everything. Deer are also viewed as animals of the spirit. Due to the branching nature of their antlers, stags have been linked with the ‘tree of life’, and are thought to impart intuitive wisdom to those who dream of them.... game animals dream meaning
When children begin school they often dream of wild animals attacking, such as lions, bulls, alligators and bears. Wild animals tend to reflect a person or situation that is upsetting the child. For example, a child may be worried about parents who are constantly fighting, and this fear can be symbolized as a bear fight. Or a child may be frightened by a strict head teacher, who subsequently appears in their dreams as a mean lion.... wild animal attack dream meaning
Animals in dreams are generally associated with behavioral patterns or your natural instincts, the beast within. Being bitten or attacked by an animal may suggest feeling hunted, vulnerable or doubting your own strength. Cats, dogs and horses are the most common dream images. Snakes are the most common dream reptile. They can be symbols of trouble or male sexuality but they can also represent the afterlife or the potential for transcending a difficult situation. Birds are a universal symbol of spirituality. Spiders are the most common dream creepy-crawly, and they can have a wide range of meanings ranging from being industrious or helpful, to provoking irrational or hidden fears and phobias.... animal / reptile / insect dream meaning
Humans have been dreaming about animals for ages. It has been speculated that some of the ancient cave paintings of animals may perhaps be dream images from cave dwellers whose lives were mostly spent chasing, hunting, and taming animals. In ancient Egypt, human-figured deities with animal heads suggest dreams images.
A study carried out by Robert L. Van de Castle found a larger number of animal dreams in children than in adults. Dreams of a group of 741 children (383 girls and 358 boys) aged four to six- teen were examined for the presence of animal figures. The frequency for each animal figure at each age level was tabulated for girls and boys. Animal figures were present in 39.4 percent of dreams from the four- and five-year-old children. The percentage steadily dropped for each subsequent age grouping (six- and seven-year-olds, 35.5 percent; eight- and nine-year-olds, 33.6 percent; ten- and eleven-year-olds, 29.8 percent; twelve- and thirteen-year-olds, 21.9 percent; and fourteen- through sixteen-year-olds, 13.7 percent).
Boys had higher animal percentage figures at ages four through six (44 percent, versus 34 per- cent for girls), while girls had higher animal dreams at ages nine through eleven (36 percent, versus 26 percent for boys). Overall, animal figures appeared in 29 percent of the combined girls’ dreams and 29.6 percent of the combined boys’ dreams. There were more than three times as many animal figures in the dreams of children as there were in the dreams of adults. The seven most frequent animal figures for children were dogs (30), horses (28), cats (15), snakes (15), bears (14), lions (13), and monsters (e.g., wolfman) (13).
If the frequencies for all animal figures are considered, it is clear that children dream more frequently of large and threatening wild animals, while college students dream more often of pets and domesticated animals. Bears, lions, tigers, gorillas, elephants, bulls, dinosaurs, dragons, and monsters accounted for twenty-seven percent of the animal figures in children’s dreams but only seven percent of the animal figures in adult dreams. This collection of wild animals appeared more frequently (forty-four times) in boys’ dreams than in girls’ dreams (twenty-seven times). Several theorists have suggested that these large, threatening animals may represent parental figures in the dreams of children.
An interesting gender difference was found in the types of animal figures. Women and girls reported significantly more mammals, while men and boys reported significantly more nonmammals. This may indicate females identify at some level with other forms of life that nurse their young with mammary glands, and this identification is reflected in the type of animals that appear in their dreams.
The meaning of animals in dream ... animal dreams dream meaning
The observation of animal sleep patterns has long been of interest, dating as far back as 44 B.C.E., when the Roman natural philosopher Lucretius described “the twitching movements of dogs sleeping upon the hearth” (Hobson, p. 151—see Sources). However, it was during the 1950s that research into the sleep patterns of animals really peaked: first with the discovery by William Dement, that cats exhibit the phase of sleep called rapid eye movement (REM), followed by the experiments of two Frenchmen, neurosurgeon Michel Jouvet and his co-worker, the neurologist Francois Michel. Jouvet and Michel observed that a sleeping cat, devoid of motor output or movement, still exhibits an activated EEG, which means that while an animal is asleep, its mind is awake. Jouvet’s discovery led to the general understanding that during REM sleep “the body’s muscles are actively inhibited.” In essence, “we would act out our dreams were it not for this inhibitory suppression of motor out- put” (Hobson, p. 150—see Sources). Further, because it has been found humans experience the most active dreaming during REM sleep, this research may indicate that animals do dream, although it is, of course, impossible to say for sure because of the communication barrier.
Animals such as cats and dogs apparently have dreams, too, just like people; animals are also a theme in many people’s dreams.
It has been suggested that when animals dream, they are focused on the types of things they usually do in their waking state. For example, animals that use their noses a lot, such as dogs, have dreams with a significant olfactory component.
There was one behavioral study that showed that monkeys have visual dreams. Some monkeys were taught to respond to visual stimuli by pressing a button. Later, when they were sleeping, they made hand motions as if they were pressing buttons, suggesting that they were seeing some- thing. To add further credence, in a separate study, a gorilla who had been taught sign language put together two signs to form the combined term sleep pictures, presumably a reference to the visual components of dreams.
Again, in an experiment on cats, portions of the brainstem responsible for muscle inhibition during REM sleep were damaged. These cats entered REM sleep, and rather than lying quietly with their eyes moving, they stood up, walked around, and chased imaginary creatures, as if they were acting out their dreams without waking up.
Such findings, as well as our everyday observations of household pets that growl and make movements in their sleep, make it almost certain that animals dream in much the same way that we dream. The implications of this conclusion, however, tend to undermine certain dream theories, such as Sigmund Freud’s notion that the sole purpose of dreams is to allow us to act out socially unacceptable urges—an idea clearly inapplicable to animals.... sleep in animals dream meaning
To see yourself caring for an animal in a dream denotes a compassionate personality. It is likely that in real life you’re being called to look after a person or situation, or perhaps there’s something that you need to nurture within yourself. If you’re caring for a pet, this suggests that you have a strong bond, and the emotional connection between you transcends any barriers to communication. It could be that you’re feeling overanxious about your pet, and this worry has seeped into your dream.... caring for animals dream meaning
If you find you’re enclosed in a space with a group of animals, or living among them, it is important to note what kind of animal they are and what they represent. If, for example, you’re trapped in a confined space with a pride of lions, but they leave you unharmed, this suggests that you will face your fear and realize that there was nothing to worry about. It also suggests an affinity with these big cats, and that you need to draw upon deep reserves of courage.... living with animals dream meaning
In ancient times, tribes throughout the world looked to the animal kingdom for inspiration, strength and power. Animals were chosen for their specific skills and used as totems. This practice involved taking on the form and behaviour of the animal, by wearing its skin, or moving in a certain way to look like the creature. If you dream of turning into an animal, it’s likely you feel an affinity with it, and even want to develop similar characteristics and traits. Consider what the animal represents and make a list of qualities, then see if any resonate with you.... turning into an animal dream meaning