Two things in life are certain. Death and taxes.
But why is it millions of people a month search the web to find out why they are dying in their dreams?
Believe it or not dying in dreams actually has nothing to do with you dying, but rather relating to abrupt endings, transformations or rebirths in your life. Your unconscious speaks to you in a metaphoric language using the theme “dying” as something that used to be, that is no longer.
Find Out 5 Reasons Why Death Has It’s Benefits In Dreams
You might wonder why these dreams are so graphically yet vividly disturbing. Depending how you may react to the change, if the ego is unable to let go, or the mere fact that new beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.
Death Dream Meaning
Dreaming about yourself dying might actually be considered a positive thing relating to a major shift taking place in your life.
In fact your unsettling dying dream might be a symbolic goodbye to a relationship, a job, or a change of identity – the ego dies all the time only to be reborn again. Maybe on an unconscious level there might be a part of you that is dying or trying to remove yourself away from.
Positive Symbols of Death Dreams
- Reinventing yourself
- Traumatic experiences changes how we see life
- Emotional change
- Physical transformation, health or diet
- Changing old ways or negative habits
Negative Death Dreams
- Fears and anxieties
- Unable to proceed or advance
- Emotional disturbances
- Anger
- Unconscious shadow
Common Death Dreams
Dying In Plane Crash
Dying in a plane crash seems to be very popular on google searches. Airplanes are used as a metaphor that shows you failed stages or advancement in projects or personal matters. Planes are synonymous for new destinations or arrivals to a new venture and this has been stopped. This can also relate to your moods or finances that could be crashing down.
Dying In A Car Crash Dream
Dying in a car is brings your attention to your personal drive that has come to a halt. In dreams are car is considered a part of our path or journey, the road ahead of us; a symbol that determines how much control we have stemming from relationships, ideas or goals.
Dying Drowning In Water
Dying in water shows you a struggle with your emotional state. These are common dreams that make you aware of being consumed by your feelings during a difficult time in your life.
Dying Dream Symbolism
Oddly enough dying has some strange correlation with sleep paralysis – occurring when a person passes between stages of wakefulness and sleep. In this frozen state the dream might feel as if they are falling to their death.
Women often dream of dying during child birth. If you are pregnant these dreams are quite common to suggest unconscious fears of having a child. If you are not pregnant it suggest a death and rebirth, the old must die for the new to come.
Dreams of dead wife, ex boyfriend, ex husband or ex girlfriend are positive dreams that suggest you have come to terms with the past. This is time you are able to move on fully and not look back.
Dreaming of a dead body might be relating to dead weight in your life. Something that needs to be buried along time ago but still resurfaces.
Dreaming of dead ancestors might hold a very important message in the dream. They have appeared for a reason, possibly forgotten memories, news or forewarning.
Dreams of being buried alive suggest a resistance of not wanting to change.
Dead Animal Dream Meaning
- Cat – Connects to the feminine side of the dreamer
- Dog – Relates to the instinctual side
- Dolphin – They bring your attention to the unconscious emotional and communication
- Elephant – Stability, family and personal growth
- Snake – A deadly threat is not longer around; or possibly connecting to the spiritual
- Shark – Possibly connected to an emotional threat that has been stopped
Why Children May Die In Dreams
These horrific dreams would have any parent in a mess in the morning. Most of these dreams have a connection to the stage of life your kid is at. Children grow from toddlers, teenagers to full grown adults.
Possible in any of these stages you might see the death of the old them and now its on to a new stage for you. If you child is being murdered might suggest how you perceive outside threats in his or her life. Do you fear that your child will lose his innocence or go down the wrong path?
Fun Fact
Did you know Abraham Lincoln had a dream that predicted his own death. Abraham Lincoln was very fascinated with his own meaning of his dreams and knew it had some knowledge of the future, both good and bad. There is actual proof of his curiosity that lies in a 1863 letter to his wife.
The letter writes “put tad’s pistol away” as he recalled having a bad dream about him. Lincoln recalled in the dream about asking a soldier standing guard “Who is dead in the White House?” to which the soldier replied, “the President. He was killed by an assassin.”
The dream took place on April 11, he told Lamon that the dream had “strangely annoyed” him ever since. Ten days after having the dream, Lincoln was shot dead by an assassin while attending the theater.
I dreamt of my old apartment. My friend and I were going to go somewhere and my she bumped into my neighbor who in the dream, I was aware was a bad guy. An argument ensued and he pointed a 9mm at her. I got between them and begged her to stop that my family would get in trouble. She kept going and we ran to the car. Inside the car we went to this waiting area while her car charged. It wasn’t a Tesla, but another big name brand everyone was envious of. For some reason she couldn’t stop… Read more »
Apartments in our dream are symbolic in the sense they appear to be related to things we metaphorically build in our lives; a sub construct (mind/psyche) relating to principles, relationships, beliefs (see building dreams in the search bar). This seems to be related to the past; arguments suggests some sort of internal dissidence, issues between two parties, past structure (old you and new you). Guns always points to anger and aggression. I think the thick grey sweater might suggest protection/depression (grey mood); avoidance and defence belonging to your father. Houses in dreams often connect the person to the psyche/mind or… Read more »
I recently dreamt that I was being hunted by someone who was trying to murder me. I was sitting in a stationary van when an assailant approached the vehicle. The assailant threw the driver out and I was able to hide myself under the passenger bench (unnoticed) . the assailant began to hijack the van. I waited for an opportunity to cover the hijacker’s head with the blanket that covered me. At an appropriate moment , while the van just started to move and the hijacker was focused on the road in front and the driver that was now chasing… Read more »
The stomach is a very symbolic image related to our instincts and gut feelings (see stomach dreams in the search bar). The van might be related to your drive (stationary); a hijack is someone trying to control or forced to do something against your will. When you are shot it might imply direct anger or someone who might be affecting this area. In most cases this might even be you or what Jung would call the human shadow – unconscious instincts, behaviors, emotions that are repressed. See shadow in search bar.
I dreamt that my partner of ten years had died. It was unclear what the cause of his death was but it appeared to have happened whilst he slept as I found him lying in bed. I approached him and touched him and he was cold and not breathing. After discovering him I wandered out of the house and was asked a stranger how he was and I told them he had died. I then returned to the house and the room where I had found him and lay on the floor next the bed where he was and began… Read more »
It’s a good dream. Death dreams usually startle us because we do not understand what death really means in our dreams. I am thinking the fact that you touched him and he was cold might be metaphorically related to his disposition, emotions, attitude that will change. The old has to die for the new to emerge!
Alternatively, since you were curled up (fetal position) and your mom was in the dream it might be related somehow. I would really like to more about what she said as I think it would be a big piece of the puzzle.
I had a terrifying dream that a friend of my adult son’s was murdered/shot in the head and someone came to tell me and we drove away from the public building. As we’re driving down the road there is a huge lit up photo of our friend holding his infant daughter on the news in an encased bus stop, stating he was now deceased. We had to pull over so I could vomit as I was so upset and hyperventilating. I got back in the truck so that we could go and tell my son before he heard it elsewhere,… Read more »
Hello Cora. Your dream was pulling up many important symbols. I am not sure if this theme is hinting at something that happened, issues in the future or unconscious emotions. Now most dreams uses symbol like death and being shot as endings in relationships or directed anger. The building is symbolic in the sense it relates to a substructure of your mind (see building dreams) that may contain relationships, beliefs etc that you are moving away from (drove away from the building).. The bus stop tells you about short transitions. Now vomiting tells you about releasing things that have been… Read more »
I had a nightmare that I was told I only had one day to live. Any idea what this means?
It would be hard to say what it means when you only provided very little information. It could mean many things and never has anything to do with dying. Death can actually be seen as a positive symbol Article: Death & Benefits In Dreams
I am a teacher, and I’ve had a crazy nightmare involving my students. Particularly, most of them tragically die from suicide and one from murder. It was very horrific and disturbing. I’ve been thinking about them a lot in the past few days and their progression in academics and life. It makes me wonder about a lot of things. I’m familiar with the idea of the kind of message that a death dream tries to display; such as how they’re growing up, and the old them dies as they start a new. However it has me raising one question; like… Read more »
Hello Myke. While most cases death can be seen in a positive manner (benefits of death dreams), in your case however seems to be quite opposite. Depending on who, what and how someone or something dies alters the meaning completely. In most cases death results in endings, change or rebirth. It is not uncommon to dream of vivid dreams of this nature when you are under stress, depression or anxiety. The dream seems to contain unconscious elements attached to it, perhaps you might have repressed feelings or thoughts pertaining to the future of this generation. Maybe it is related to… Read more »
I had a dream last night that my eldest daughter was ill (she is 6 years old) She showed no signs of it and was playing with older sister normally but the doctor had told us it would be better for her if we put her to sleep in order to save her from suffering. The dream ended with my wife and I trying to work whether or how to explain it to her or just take her in to hospital and tell her it was just for some tests. It was horrific.
Sounds horrible. Perhaps you are picking up on something with her (unconsciously) that relates to not seeing signs. Maybe you see a transition taking place, the old her is dying off but you are unable to accept it.
I had a horrible dream that my 10 month old daughter was having trouble breathing. We called the doctor who said that she had some sort of weird genetic disease, that there was nothing we could do and she would die in the next few hours. I had to sit and watch and wait as my daughter died until she eventually did. It seemed so real. It feels so traumatic.
I have repeated dreams of me being stabbed but always just before I do get stabbed I mange to turn and the knife goes into my back and I have woken up 3 times now screaming
I dreamt that I ran over a child. In my dream the mother two children came out of nowhere, I tried to avoid but I hit a kid and drug it along a few feet. In my dream I wasn’t driving until right before I hit the kid. I was horrified and when I woke up I could not forget it. This is the worst thing I’ve ever dreamt
Very symbolic. The child might be directly linked to your own “inner child”. See inner child dreams.
Sometimes i have those dreams where you try too run away, but its like a invisible wall is blocking you from running away to far (sort of like a video game) and then aventualy, the killer ends up catching you! And you wake up, sorta scary!
These dreams are very common actually, the “trying to run but are stuck”, reflects aspects of yourself – being unable to advance, move or your fears or what you avoid catch up to you. The killer is the invisible parts of your life that need to be made conscious.
I had another dream about 2 years ago but for some reason the dream keeps showing up sometimes! (idk if that means anything) So what happened was, that i was at a “McDonalds” “PlayPlace”, but for some reason the “PlayPlace” was super big and had a lot of tunnels? But for some reason “Ronald” “McDonald”, was chasing me up the tubes and i ended up in a part of the “PlayPlace” with a bunch of tubes i could slide down, now each tube displayed a image but for i could only remember 3 or 4 of the tubes, the first… Read more »
My dream was about 2 days ago, i dont remember the beginning but there was a tornado siren going off and about 6 or 7 seconds later i ran downstairs and told my dad “is there a jet passing by?” But then standing behind him was a huge tornando, it was so big and sucked him up, (i knew my dad was already dead) so i took my little brother and told him too fallow me, and my little sister was already in the basement (idk how) but my older sister was already sucked up into the tornado cause she… Read more »
Hello Liam. The tornado siren might be connected with a warning before something hits. See tornado dreams. Your father dying might be related to a rebirth, or perhaps being consumed by this force. The house is a symbol of your mind as the basement is your unconsciousness.
But the thing is, that my dad did NOT die, he was close to dying, but later got found by my mother when she was driving home from work and she called 9-1-1
I just had the most disturbing dream: I was in charge of a team rescuing runaway kids of all ages with trauma and anxiety. Most of the older ones we were able to talk to and convince them down (we found them hidden in the roof of a building). A few of the really young ones we couldn’t find, the structure of the roof was full of nooks and crannies that only a small child could get into. As I was the smalleat in the team, it quickly became my task to look for them and “lure” them out. When… Read more »
It seems that this dream might be a reflection of your inner child. It has all the right ingredients that point in this direction. See inner child dreams.
Wow man, now THAT is a pretty scary dream
I had a dream that I was arguing with my husband I was throwing things around and breaking them and he started choking he couldn’t breathe I started to give him CPR but it didn’t work, so I call 911 when they arrived it was too late… I was devastated!
Being unable to breath might be related to suffocation in the relationship. Do you guys have communication problems? What exactly where you throwing and breaking?
I had a dream that I was in the kitchen with my kids cooking supper and my moms ex boyfriend who i haven’t seen in a year came over and he was sitting at our kitchen table. We have a bench to our table and he kept laying down on it like hiding and then would sit up and give me these weird smiles. My son was on the floor eating and I saw a red stain on the floor by him so I get down in the floor and it’s like my arm goes numb but I try to… Read more »
Ever have those dreams where you try too run away, but its like a invisible wall is blocking you from running away to far (sort of like a video game) and then aventualy, the killer ends up catching you! And you wake up, sorta scary!
i dreamed about the stranger who is commiting suicide. I cant even forget about it.And i feel maybe really bad thing will happen to me
Tell me more! How did they do it? Was it a man or woman? Nothing bad will happen to you this is just a dream and dreams can be very strange and scary at times.
In my dream I was walking along in the downtown area of the town I live in, suddenly there was a plane (747) that was having engine failure, the plane tried to pull up but it stalled and hit a building, people were screaming and I tried to help others to safety but we were all crushed by a tall building that collapsed on us.
Remember 9/11 was close to the time you had the dream. Could that have been influenced by it? If not building can be seen as symbols as parts of our psyche that are built, metaphoric structures so to speak that have been built that has been under attack. Planes are symbols of advancement but something took it down.
So the number on the plane is (747)? That could mean something, like the time the plane hit, or the time you woke up 7:47
I had a dream about this girl with her bf while I was at my grandparents house. I never saw the females face but I knew the male. I can’t tell if the dream happened because I am jealous of him because he took my ex from me or not…they died by choking on their food when they ate lunch. I also have dreams where I am getting murdered by a fireman with a giant ax saying “you can’t save her. you can never save her” and then he crushes my head like a watermelon. help?
I just woke from a dream where I was with a woman that seemed familiar to me but unsure who she was. I trusted here but didn’t at the same time. She kept trying to get me to pass in my sleep. I felt my heart slowing and I struggled to take deep breaths. When I did, I coughed up what seemed to be lots of blood and clots. I freaked out and woke.
Could this relate to someone you might know or trust “a woman that seemed familiar to me but unsure who she was”? Blood clots could be seen as something inside you that (life force) that might have blockages..