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We’ve all had those heart-pounding dreams where we’re being chased by something or someone and running as fast as we can, trying to escape them. We wake up in a cold sweat, only to realize that the dream isn’t real and we’re safe in our own beds. 

Nevertheless, the experience can still feel scary and disturbing, leaving us to wonder whether these dreams are normal and what they could mean.

“It’s VERY common to dream of being chased. In fact, it’s one of the most commonly recurring dreams,” says Lauri Loewenberg, a certified dream analyst.

We tapped into the experts to share some possible interpretations of these dreams as well as some coping strategies that can help us resolve the issues they represent.

Possible Interpretations of Dreams About Being Chased

Sigmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist who founded psychoanalysis and is often referred to as the father of psychology, theorized that our dreams are a window into our subconscious. According to Freud, our dreams feature a mixture of our external stimuli and internal experiences.

Literally speaking, we might think that dreaming about being chased means someone is out to get us. However, these dreams don’t generally represent physical danger, Loewenberg explains. 

Rather, they tend to be more metaphorical in their significance. “Dreaming about being chased can mean you’re in danger of making a current issue worse because you’re running away from something that needs your attention rather than facing it and dealing with it,” says Loewenberg.

For instance, you could be avoiding an issue that hasn’t been resolved or repressed emotions that you don’t want to face, says Elizabeth Hughes, LPCC, a therapist at ADHDAdvisor.

These are some of the potential interpretations of dreams about being chased:

• Difficult situations: If you’re running from someone or something in your dream, it might symbolize that you’re avoiding a problem or situation in your waking life. This could be an issue you find too overwhelming or stressful to face directly.
• Fear of conflict: Being chased might reflect a fear of conflict or confrontation. The pursuer in your dream could represent a person, responsibility, or emotion that is upsetting you, which you’re reluctant to confront, says Loewenberg.
• Unresolved emotions: Sometimes, these dreams indicate unresolved emotions or traumas. You may try to distance yourself from a difficult past, says Loewenberg; however, if there are issues you haven’t fully dealt with, they may “chase” you down in your subconscious. 
• Desire to escape: If you’re trying to escape something in your dream, it might suggest a desire to break free from something in your life, such as a relationship, job, or obligation that feels restrictive. You may not have admitted this desire to yourself in your waking life, so your subconscious may bring it to your attention in your dreams.
• Stressors: Loewenberg says the chase might represent pressures or stressors in your life, such as unpaid bills, looming deadlines, high expectations, or personal challenges that feel so overwhelming you would rather not think about them.
• Phobias: The dream could be a symbolic representation of something you’re scared of or feel threatened by, such as a phobia.
• Inner demons: The dream could signify that you’re running away from an aspect of yourself that you perceive as negative or harmful, such as a bad habit, negative thought, or destructive behavior. The dream could be highlighting a part of yourself you’re trying to escape from or change.

The Meaning of Dreams About Being Chased by a “Bad Guy” or Something Scary

Dreams about being chased by a “bad guy” or something scary often carry specific meanings tied to your feelings, relationships, and current life situations. What or whom you are being chased by are big clues as to the meaning of the dream, says Loewenberg.

These are some possible scenarios and their interpretations, according to Loewenberg:

• Being chased by someone with a knife: This dream may mean you are avoiding the act of cutting someone out of your life.
• Being chased by someone with a gun: This can mean you’re dealing with a lot of pressure and feeling “under the gun,” so to speak. However, the gun can also refer to criticism and wounding words someone has shot at you.
• Being chased by a dog: Dogs often represent our loved ones in our dreams. If you’re being chased by a dog, there is likely a difficult issue within a relationship or friendship that you are avoiding.
• Being chased by a snake: This dream often symbolizes that there is a low-key toxic person in your life whom you are avoiding.
• Being chased by a shark/alligator: If you are being chased by a creature that is known for the size of its mouth and teeth, such as a shark or alligator, it can mean you are avoiding someone in your life who has a big mouth and biting remarks. It can also be a message from your subconscious that not dealing with this person will “eat away at you” if you don’t do something about it.

While dream interpretation can help you explore your feelings about various situations in your life, it’s important to remember that it’s subjective, and the meaning of your dream is unique to you. It can be helpful to pay attention to your emotions and circumstances during the dream to gain more insights.

Recurring Dreams of Being Chased

Recurring dreams of being chased often indicate an unresolved underlying issue.  

This is such a commonly recurring dream for people because so many of us have the recurring behavior pattern of avoidance, says Loewenberg. “You will have the dream every time you exhibit the behavior of flight rather than fight.”

Here are some reasons why these dreams might keep coming back:

• Avoidance behavior: If you’re consistently avoiding a problem or situation—whether it’s a difficult conversation, a challenging task, or a big decision—the dream might persist as a reminder of the issue you’re trying to escape.
• Unresolved anxiety: If the root cause of your stress or anxiety hasn’t been addressed, the dream might continue to reappear as a way for your subconscious to bring it to your attention.
• Lack of progress: If you’re not making significant progress in addressing the underlying issue, the dream might recur as a sign that more needs to be done.
• Recurring issues: The dream could be symbolic of a recurring issue in your life—something that keeps happening in different forms, like a repeating pattern in relationships, work, or personal challenges. The dream’s recurrence mirrors the recurrence of the issue.

Coping With Dreams About Being Chased

Dreams about being chased can be disturbing. They often stir up intense emotions, like fear and panic. Additionally, they may also trigger physical reactions such as rapid heart rate, sweating, shortness of breath, or leg movements. These reactions can cause you to wake up feeling tired, unrefreshed, irritable, anxious, and unable to concentrate.

We asked the experts to share some coping strategies that may be helpful:

• Remember that it’s just a dream: Comfort yourself by reminding yourself that it was a dream, not reality, says Hughes.
• Talk to a loved one: Talk to a partner, friend, or family member about the dream. They can help you process any distress the dream may have caused, says Hughes.
• Practice deep breathing: If you’re feeling anxious and unsettled, deep breathing can help. Hughes recommends a breathing exercise like box breathing to calm your nervous system.
• Reflect on the dream: When you are being chased you are essentially “running away,” so whenever you get this dream, Loewenberg suggests asking yourself, “What am I running away from right now in my life?”
• Write your thoughts in a journal: It can be helpful to maintain a journal of your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This exercise can help you recognize patterns that trigger the dreams and work out any unresolved issues you’re dealing with.

Seeking Professional Help for Disturbing Dreams

If the dreams recur frequently or cause significant distress, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a mental health professional. Here’s how you can go about it:

• Recognize that you need help: If your dreams are causing anxiety, disrupting your sleep, or affecting your daily life, it’s important to recognize that you might need professional help.
• Identify a specialist: Depending on the nature of your dreams, you may need to look for a therapist with expertise in sleep disorders, anxiety, phobias, or trauma. Your primary care physician, friends, or family members may be able to offer recommendations.
• Be open and honest: When you seek professional help, be open and honest about the content of your dreams, your emotions, and how they affect your life. The more information you provide, the better your therapist or specialist can assist you in finding the right approach to address your disturbing dreams.
• Participate in group therapy: Sometimes, sharing your experiences in a group setting can be therapeutic. Group therapy or support groups focused on dreams or the specific issues you’re facing can provide you with insights from others who have similar experiences and offer a supportive environment to discuss your dreams.
• Consider medication: In some cases, medication may be recommended to help manage anxiety, depression, trauma, nightmares, or other conditions that could be contributing to your disturbing dreams. A psychiatrist or your primary care doctor can discuss treatment options if required.

Takeaways

Dreams about being chased can be unsettling, but they offer valuable insights into our subconscious mind. Whether they reflect unresolved fears, stressors, or a desire to escape from something in our waking life, these dreams give us a chance to explore what’s really bothering us beneath the surface.

By paying attention to the details and emotions within these dreams, we can uncover hidden fears and anxieties. So, the next time you wake up with your heart racing, remember that your dreams might be trying to tell you something important—perhaps it’s time to stop running and face whatever is chasing you. It may not be easy, but you might feel better as a result.