Dreams are a wonderful mystery. Even more perplexing is the fact that people all around the world tend to have similar dream themes, ranging from spiders to being naked in public to, of course, being chased.
Dream interpretation helps us figure out what our dreams are trying to tell us and use those lessons in our waking lives. According to Kasamba therapist and dream analyst Eleanor Marshall, if you’ve been dreaming about being chased, here’s what it could be telling you.
What does being chased in a dream mean?
According to Marshall, “being chased is simply the most common dream subject,” so it “obviously must reflect something fairly universal.” She goes on to suggest that dreaming is part of our embodied condition, or “a reflection of the state of our nervous system.”
“Being chased is a picture for the ‘flight’ element of the fight-or-flight response—our body’s initial reaction to threat,” she explains. So, “it’s reasonable to assume that the dreamer is feeling activated and threatened,” she says. To cut a long tale short, you’re undoubtedly stressed!
The different types of chase dreams and their meanings
Specifics are important in dreams, and there are numerous variations on the traditional chase dream. What’s after you? Or are you the chaser? These particulars are critical.
Marshall says, “The thing that chases me in the pandemic dreams I’ve been having is usually something terrible and invisible, like a virus!” So, certainly, it is critical to pay attention to what or who is chasing, since this will aid in understanding the nature of what feels dangerous.” Here, she explains what a few different interpretations of this dream could be attempting to tell you:
1) You are being pursued by an unknown person:
According to Marshall, running away from someone you don’t know can indicate that you feel frightened but don’t completely know or grasp the source of the threat. This could even be a reflection of nervousness in your daily life, which can often appear for no apparent reason.
2) Running away from someone you love or a friend
Marshall suggests that if you dream about a person you know well dreaming you, you can ask yourself, “What are the most noteworthy features of this person?” Are they especially irritable or domineering? Do they have a disturbed personality or a mental illness? Are they simply unbearable in your opinion?
“These could be features that worry you about yourself,” she says, “since in dreams, like in waking life, we tend to project our own disavowed traits onto others.”
3) An animal is chasing you:
Another common chase dream involves being pursued by an animal. “It could be a dread of the natural environment,” Marshall explains in that scenario. “Alternatively, evaluate the exact character of that animal and what about it frightens you.”
She notes that a bear may represent the feeling that an issue is too huge for you or that it is overpowering you.
4) You’re being chased by something innocuous:
There may be times when you dream about being chased by something nonthreatening, such as a person or an animal. “This is hardly a frightening animal,” Marshall argues if you’re being chased by a deer.
“So it’s possible that the dream is telling you that you’re escaping something that isn’t actually frightening—or that you’re fleeing your own scared nature, the deerlike flightiness in you.”
5) Recurring chase fantasies:
Marshall adds that if you keep having this dream, your dreams are trying very hard to attract your attention—and it’s even more vital to pay attention to them. “In general, recurring dreams indicate that something is unresolved or trapped, and they are also linked to increased distress.”
6) If you are being pursued by an automobile…
Marshall proposes assessing the entire energy of the scenario by asking, “What does the car look like, what type is it, and who is driving it?” Take in the overall scene and “ask yourself: ‘Where in my life do I feel like I’m running from that?'”
“If it’s a really old breaking apart automobile chasing you, but it’s still doing a really fantastic job of scaring you,” Marshall explains, “it might be you escaping from your fear of becoming old and falling apart.”
“If you’re running from a very powerful, macho kind of car, you can be running from your fear of becoming very powerful in your life.” If it’s a car that’s completely top-of-the-line, worth millions of dollars, you may be running from your fear of having too much money.” (And then losing everything?)
7) You are the one who is pursuing:
Finally, if you are the one doing the pursuing in this dream (which Marshall observes is significantly less often), it is “helpful to enquire into the nature of what you are after,” as well as asking yourself if chasing and not receiving what you desire is a familiar experience. This dream suggests that you may feel as though something is out of reach.
How to get rid of this dream.
Marshall observes that those interpretations are merely that: interpretations. She claims that only the dreamer can be certain that an interpretation is correct. But once you’ve figured out the message behind your chase dream, you may begin to work on integrating the lessons so you finally cease having it.
“To stop experiencing these dreams and learn from them, simply turn and face what is chasing you,” Marshall says. If you can lucid dream, you can practice this within the dream, but for most people, it can be an exercise done while awake.
“Imagine yourself back in your dream, and immerse into the dreamscape with all of your senses,” she suggests. “This will enhance the sensory experience. Then come to a halt, cool down, and confront your pursuer. This will usually put a stop to them.”
You can then inquire as to what they require of you. “I can’t predict what the dream picture will do or say since it depends so much on the particular dreamer—but I can tell you that this action always shifts the dream,” she explains. It will never be the same again.”
In conclusion.
If you’re experiencing anxiety or tension in your day life, don’t be shocked if it manifests itself in your dreams as a fast-paced chase scene. If we try to figure out what our chase dreams mean and change the way they are told, we might be able to stop the bad ones from bothering us.
Your Scariest, Naughtiest and Freakiest Dreams Explained
Put your dreams in the best hands possible: get your interpretation from a certified dream analyst at Kasamba, member of the International Association of Dream Studies.
A global organization whose purpose, among other things, is to conduct and encourage research into the nature, function, and significance of dreaming.
