Dream: I have been having a reoccurring dream where I am being chased by a dog. I’ve been having this dream for roughly ten years. It changes over time but more or less the same. The dog is not vicious (although at one point it was), it just tends to chase after me. It’s sometimes barking, but mainly just starts chasing me.
Last night I had the dream again and this time it is like embedded into my thoughts today. This normally does not happen as I tend to just forget my dreams as the day progresses.
Last night’s dream… I was walking down what seemed to be a street. Next thing you know I see a dog staring at me. I begin to run away from it. The dog proceeds to chase me down the street. I end up jumping over a fence to get away. The dog jumps over it as well. I jump over other side of fence and so does the dog again. Finally I jumped over the fence as did the dog. We made eye contact and I woke up. I did not wake up in fear but i could not get back to sleep.
Please if you have any thoughts in regards to this I would truly appreciate it, as I am beginning to think my dreams have been trying to tell me something and I truly have no clue.
DreamsMaster: Yes, recurring dreams mean that your innermost self is trying to send you an important message. And the fact that this particular time the dream wouldn’t leave you adds extra emphasis to the urgency of the message. You mentioned that the dream first occurred 10 years ago. Can you recall what was going on in your life around the time you first had the dream? This would provide the first clue as to its meaning.
The dream’s recurring theme is rather straightforward: being chased by a dog. Let’s start by considering what a dog represents to you personally.
Since I don’t know you and can’t interview you in person, I will offer some general ideas of what a dog in a dream might mean. See if any of these seem to fit for you, and if not, see what other ideas are triggered that are more relevant.
A dog is often regarded as “man’s best friend” because of its unconditional trust and loyalty. A dog is also dependent on its master. In your dreams, the dog could represent someone in your life, or it could represent an aspect of yourself. It might even represent both. Here are some examples…
Perhaps the dream occurs when you are dealing with someone who is somewhat dependent on you. It might be a partner, a younger sibling, or even a child. At times this person’s dependency might become a bit overwhelming for you, and you may have an unconscious desire to run away from the responsibility. You may also be feeling some guilt about this, and trying to run from that feeling as well. This could be one possible interpretation of the dream metaphor of running away from the dog – trying to flee from the perceived burden of responsibility.
Being chased by “man’s best friend” could also by symbolic of betrayal. In other words, the dog could represent someone you’ve trusted and that has been loyal to you has suddenly turned on you.
Now let’s say there’s no one in your life that fits either of these descriptions. In this case, it’s possible that at times you unconsciously distrust and tend toward fleeing situations (such as potential relationships or jobs) that may require a certain level of personal responsibility.
Finally, take a look at these traits in yourself: dependent, loyal, trusting. Do you distrust or feel anxious about these aspects in yourself? Have they gotten you in trouble in the past? Do you experience any fear of commitment?
An important common factor in this repetitive dream is that at no time are you in actual danger. In fact, in the last dream you finally stop and make eye contact with the dog. This could represent that you’re ready to face your fear and stop running from this misconceived threat in your life.
Start keeping track of what was on your mind the night before you have the dream. You’ll see a pattern emerge, which will shed further light on the dream. Once you start acting on the dream’s message, the dream will either no longer occur or will change in nature… don’t be surprised to find yourself petting the dog instead of running away from it!
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