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What are drowning dreams about?

Drowning is the process of a life ending as a result of water obstructing respiration. Usually a person drowns in a large body of water, but drowning can happen on land if too much water enters the lungs. Additionally, drowning is often used in linguistic expressions. For example, 'I am drowning in work.' This symbol is identified by words like submerge, drowning, and drowned.

Drowning in dreams is a relatively uncommon dream symbol, occuring in about 1.1% of dreams. That's about 1 out of every 95 dreams.

What are the major highlights of drowning dreams?

Drowning is an interconnected dream symbol. Having drowning in a dream changes the dream more than most other dream symbols.

Dreams with drowning might be a nightmare

Dreams of drowning are frequently associated with nightmares. Of course dreams that contain drowning might not be a nightmare. Plenty of dreams with drowning are not nightmares. But, dreams of drowning are more related to nightmares than 80% of all other dream symbols. Other symbols that are like this include suffocation, opening, deformation, vomiting, killing, escaping, necks, faces, hunger, and mosquitoes.

How does the dream symbol of drowning affect the different aspects of a dream?

Explore different elements related to dreams of drowning

Who is in drowning dreams?

Overall, dreams with drowning are less related to characters in dreams. Specifically, dreams of drowning are less related to different roles, less related to fantastic beings, and less related to distant people.

Animals

the same as usual

Insects

the same as usual

Different roles

less than usual

Fantastic beings

less than usual

Distant people

less than usual

Close people

less than usual

Family

less than usual

Romantic partners

less than usual
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What are the emotions in drowning dreams?

Overall, dreams with drowning are aren't really related to emotions in dreams. Specifically, dreams of drowning are more related to fear than dreams in general. They are less related to happiness, less related to embarrassment, and less related to confusion.

Happiness

less than usual

Sadness

the same as usual

Grief and sorrow

the same as usual

Embarrassment

less than usual

Confusion

less than usual

Fear

more than usual

Pain

the same as usual

Hatred

less than usual

Fun

the same as usual

Love

the same as usual
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Who is in drowning dreams?

Overall, dreams with drowning are aren't really related to places in dreams. Specifically, dreams of drowning are less related to home, less related to work, and less related to human places.

Home

less than usual

Work

less than usual

Human places

less than usual

Transportation

the same as usual

Natural places

the same as usual

Magical places

the same as usual
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What happens in drowning dreams?

Overall, dreams with drowning are much more related to events in dreams. Specifically, dreams of drowning are more related to disasters than dreams in general. They are less related to friendly interactions and less related to sex.

Aggressive interactions

the same as usual

Friendly interactions

less than usual

Sex

less than usual

Disasters

more than usual
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How do drowning in dreams related to other dream phenomenon?

Overall, dreams with drowning are aren't really related to dream events in dreams. Specifically, dreams of drowning are more related to nightmares, much more related to recurring nightmares, and more related to sleep paralysis than dreams in general. They are less related to lucid dreams, less related to sleeping, and less related to waking life.

Lucid dreams

less than usual

Nightmares

more than usual

Recurring dreams

the same as usual

Recurring nightmares

much more than usual

Sleep paralysis

more than usual

Sleeping

less than usual

Waking life

less than usual
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How do drowning in dreams related the senses?

Overall, dreams with drowning are less related to senses in dreams. Specifically, dreams of drowning are less related to hearing, less related to smelling, and less related to vision.

Hearing

less than usual

Smelling

less than usual

Taste

the same as usual

Vision

less than usual

Touch

the same as usual
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How can you make sense of drowning in dreams?

Drowning dreams are relatively uncommon. Among other things drowning dreams are positively interconnected and nightmare.

Do you think this is true for your dream of drowning? How might your dream of drowning be different?

All dreams have meaning

You can gain insight from thinking about any dream, no matter how strange. Only you, as the dreamer, have final say on what your dream may or may not mean. Each dream is unique.

Look for the differences

The DreamWell dictionary provides information on how each dream symbol appears in dreams in general. Finding how experience drowning in dreams can be a key to understanding its meaning.

Return to the feelings

Our emotions in dreams can help us understand its meaning. Pay attention to how you felt in the dream. Pay attention to how you feel about drowning in dreams. See how you feel about drowning now, in your waking life.

What are possible meanings for dreams of drowning?

To drown in a dream can symbolize feeling overwhelmed—by work, circumstances, emotions, or illness, to name a few possibilities.

Because water can symbolize emotion, drowning is especially well suited to symbolize being overwhelmed by emotion, but the analogy carries over to any situation where you feel overwhelmed. For example, a man dreams about watching a horse drown, symbolizing that he’s overwhelmed by work. See: Horses

Drowning can mean you’re in a situation where you have no control, or are desperate. For example, you are low on money and rent is due.

Almost drowning can symbolize a situation you want to avoid or don’t want to repeat. Or a situation could have been really bad but you escaped at the last moment.

Saving someone from drowning can connect with trying to save someone figuratively, or helping the person through a rough time. Remember, though, that dreams can project you into a dream as a character that you save from drowning. Question is, if the character doesn’t represent someone in your life, what does it represent about you, how does drowning describe how you feel, or how is it used to tell the story?

Drowning in a dream can relate to a physical issue. For example, you have pneumonia and your lungs are full of fluid. Dreaming about drowning can be a reaction to breathing difficulties while asleep. It’s your dreaming mind’s way of visualizing the feeling that you aren’t getting enough air.

Drowning can symbolize something about yourself becoming unconscious. Everything that’s conscious about you arises from the deep waters of the unconscious mind, so when those parts of you return to the unconscious, that occurrence can be shown in dreams as a person submerging into water and disappearing. See: Water

See also: Body parts, Death, Emotions, Floods, Horses, Pools, Oceans, Rescuing, Rivers, Tsunamis, Unconscious minds, Water

This interpretation is from ""The Dream Interpretation Dictionary: Symbols, Signs, and Meanings" and is provided by J.M. DeBord aka "RadOwl". He is the author of several acclaimed books about dreaming, the host of The Dreams That Shape Us podcast, and is a moderator of r/Dreams, one of the largest dream sharing communities on the internet.

Examples of dreams of drowning

Read some real dream reports of drowning dreams.. These real life dream reports come from the moderated dream sharing communities of Reddit including r/Dreams, r/Nightmares, r/DreamInterpretation, or r/thisdreamihad. Please note that some of these may contain graphic, sexual, or violent images and text. Use the source link for each dream to view and join the discussion of each one.

Help with interpretation

I am going through a lot of big changes right now. Moving to a new state, starting a new job, starting a new life.

Yesterday I dreamt I was in San Francisco at a friends flat (10th floor) that was on the beach. We were hanging out on his deck, watching the ocean waves. This one wave rose up in front of us, higher than the building and crashed on the roof, but didn’t touch us.

This happened two more times. We were awed but not worried. The last wave was enormous. It was twice the size of the previous waves and this one hit us directly. I floated in the wave, not drowning, just floating and being amazed at what had just happened and that I wasn’t dead. Then I woke up.

The water was clear blue and I could see through the waves.

Thank you for your help!

I am going through a lot of big changes right now. Moving to a new state, starting a new job, starting a new life.

Yesterday I dreamt I was in San Francisco...

Source | Show dream

Floating water, a drowning infant and a giant golden hand; WTF help!

This by far the strangest and most vivid dream I have ever had:

The dream began where I observed myself inspecting this massive floating ball of water. There was an old rough looking bearded man there with me (his presence felt like a mentor or teacher). He never says a word but I act as if he's just given me a task or trial. In the water things start to pop into existence and float there. First there are inanimate things; a wooden chair, a bowl, and I think maybe some sort of fruit? I don't move. Then people begin to appear. They float inside and struggle to find a surface to swim to. I immediately dive in (up?) And pull them out to safety. This repeats with various kinds of people in increasing numbers and I manage to save them all but I get the sense that the teacher isn't satisfied. Then an single infant appears and flails around with no understanding of how to save itself but when I dive in (up?) I cannot orient myself in the water. In inanimate objects bump into me and block the infant from view. It's as though I'm swimming in place like the people I saved previously. It strikes me that if I keep trying e will both drown. As soon as I think this, I can move and I swim out to save myself. The infant drown and I am devastated but the old man seems satisfied. The ball of water falls and spreads out over the ground like a mirror (think the salt flats) and reflects the blue sky so the earth and sky seem like on thing with only a mountainous horizon separating them in all directions. The scene shifts again and the pair of us are flying at impossible speeds along this mirrored ground close enough that I can reach out a hand and skim the surface causing a ripple. I am elated and my teacher seems happy but reserved as he follows. As the mountains come closer, a golden twinkle at one of the tallest peaks catches my eye. It is a colossal golden hand open with its palm toward the sky (For anyone familiar with Disney's Aladdin and the King of Thieves, thing the floating golden hand that holds the hand of Midas). I have a sense that this is our destination and I get excited to have 'finally found it'. I woke up before I got there.

This by far the strangest and most vivid dream I have ever had:

The dream began where I observed myself inspecting this massive floating ball of water. There...

Source | Show dream

Dream that I Couldn't Escape

Last night, I had a dream that I was in a very small room with cement walls and no windows. My husband I were in there together. We were running out of oxygen. Someone entered and sat down. We were afraid that this person would reduce the amount of oxygen in the room even faster. We wanted to escape through the door, but a crowd of people was trying to enter and we couldn't get out.

Then, I dreamed that I was trapped under a canoe. My husband knew I was under there and could drown, but he didn't call for help or try to save me.

Last night, I had a dream that I was in a very small room with cement walls and no windows. My husband I were in there together. We were running out of...

Source | Show dream

Spooky dream I was told to share with this community~

In a playground, set at early dusk, a very tall man in dark clothing and a plastic skull mask mutters that he doesn’t like dogs that bite him. As he says this, a dog yanks free from a leash yards away and races to him. The man holds his hand out, hoping the dick isn’t an asshole who holds grudges, but it is and nips at his fingers. The tall man grumbles and points at the dog angrily. A moment passes and the dog begins to cough and stammer. The coughs intensify into gags and it vomits water. It keeps vomiting water more and more until its screaming and holding its jaws open to pour this water out, trying to whimper and back away from it. The tall man watches intently, waiting for the dog to drown, apparently. The dog finally collapses and convulses on the ground, with the puddle of water still growing from it. The tall man mutters again that he doesn’t like dogs that bite him. I woke up from a phone call at this moment.

In a playground, set at early dusk, a very tall man in dark clothing and a plastic skull mask mutters that he doesn’t like dogs that bite him. As he says this,...

Source | Show dream

Jungian interpretation please: dog turns to bear, then dog, then tiger then drowns in bathtub in between my legs

Can some one help with a jungian interpretation? Context of dream at the bottom. Here is dream:

My wife and kids were walking in an unfamiliar street. We came across a corner liqueur store owned by a Chinese couple. They had a medium sized dog that looked just like this emoji 🐕 My wife went in and I sensed she was asking if she could take him home. Suddenly dog gets out and my wife tells me to grab him so I grab him by collar.

I am annoyed she made me responsible for dog and I am worried he will bite me but he doesnt. We interact with dog outside. He looked bigger now. I tell her we can't take him home. Now he looks like a baby bear. I say we definitely can't take him home. He doesn't attack or bite me.

The Chinese store owners tell my wife to wash their pots and pans. I sensed she had striked some kind of deal with them. Suddenly I am washing pans for her with a hose and spounge. The bear looks like a medium sized dog again I get it wet. It's fur turns white and I see tiger prints. I point this out to my wife and wonder if it's a baby tiger. I feel positively curious about the dog. I am inside a bathtub outdoors suddenly. The dog gets in between my legs. Very friendly. But then it struggles to get out.it is stuck under me in between my legs. I get worried and try to stand up but I can't. Dog is drowning and I could feel it crying. I ask my wife to help but then I sense the dog is dead and I wake up.

Some background:
Male mid 30s. My wife and I have been contemplating a dog. I don't want a big dog that might hurt kids. I sense
That this dream is not about a pet but about ownership of something within me. I sense the dog getting in between my legs is significant metaphorically.

Can some one help with a jungian interpretation? Context of dream at the bottom. Here is dream:

My wife and kids were walking in an unfamiliar street. We came...

Source | Show dream
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