What Does It Mean to Dream About Being Chased?

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Possible Interpretations

Recurring Dreams

Coping

Seeking Professional Help for Disturbing Dreams

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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,” saysLauri Loewenberg, a certified dream analyst.

We tapped 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.

At a GlanceDreams about being chased often reflect underlying fears, anxieties, traumas, emotions, or stressors we’re avoiding in real life. We can run from them, but we can’t hide, because our subconscious mind will chase us down and find ways to remind us. The more we avoid the issue, the more often the dream is likely to recur.These dreams can be upsetting, particularly if they recur often, so it may be helpful to see a mental health professional who can help you explore the underlying issues that are causing them.

At a Glance

Dreams about being chased often reflect underlying fears, anxieties, traumas, emotions, or stressors we’re avoiding in real life. We can run from them, but we can’t hide, because our subconscious mind will chase us down and find ways to remind us. The more we avoid the issue, the more often the dream is likely to recur.These dreams can be upsetting, particularly if they recur often, so it may be helpful to see a mental health professional who can help you explore the underlying issues that are causing them.

Dreams about being chased often reflect underlying fears, anxieties, traumas, emotions, or stressors we’re avoiding in real life. We can run from them, but we can’t hide, because our subconscious mind will chase us down and find ways to remind us. The more we avoid the issue, the more often the dream is likely to recur.

These dreams can be upsetting, particularly if they recur often, so it may be helpful to see a mental health professional who can help you explore the underlying issues that are causing them.

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.

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.—LAURI LOEWENBERG, CERTIFIED DREAM ANALYST

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.

—LAURI LOEWENBERG, CERTIFIED DREAM ANALYST

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

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

The most common reason we dream of being chased is because we avoid issues rather than confront them.—LAURI LOEWENBERG, CERTIFIED DREAM ANALYST

The most common reason we dream of being chased is because we avoid issues rather than confront them.

How to Interpret Dreams

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

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 offlightrather than fight.”

This is such a commonly recurring dream for people because so many of us have the recurring behavior pattern of avoidance. You will have the dream every time you exhibit the behavior of flight rather than fight.—LAURI LOEWENBERG, CERTIFIED DREAM ANALYST

This is such a commonly recurring dream for people because so many of us have the recurring behavior pattern of avoidance. 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:

The emotions the dream activates can be telling of what the dream represents to you, says Hughes. To understand why you’re having the dream, it can be helpful to think about what happened in your dream and how you felt as a result.

What Does It Mean When You Dream About Someone?

Coping With Dreams About Being Chased

Dreams about being chased can be disturbing. They often stir up intense emotions, like fear andpanic. 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:

When you are being chased you are essentially ‘running away,’ so whenever you get this dream, ask yourself, ‘What am I running away from right now in my life?'—LAURI LOEWENBERG, CERTIFIED DREAM ANALYST

When you are being chased you are essentially ‘running away,’ so whenever you get this dream, ask yourself, ‘What am I running away from right now in my life?’

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:

How to Stop Nightmares From Terrorizing Your Sleep

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 andfacewhatever is chasing you. It may not be easy, but you might feel better as a result.

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4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Koslowski M, de Haas MP, Fischmann T.Converging theories on dreaming: Between Freud, predictive processing, and psychedelic research.Front Hum Neurosci. 2023 Feb 16;17:1080177. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2023.1080177Zhang W, Guo B.Freud’s dream interpretation: A different perspective based on the self-organization theory of dreaming.Front Psychol. 2018 Aug 23;9:1553. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01553Gieselmann A, Ait Aoudia M, Carr M, et al.Aetiology and treatment of nightmare disorder: State of the art and future perspectives.J Sleep Res. 2019;28(4):e12820. doi:10.1111/jsr.12820Magnon V, Dutheil F, Vallet GT.Benefits from one session of deep and slow breathing on vagal tone and anxiety in young and older adults.Sci Rep. 2021 Sep 29;11(1):19267. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-98736-9

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Koslowski M, de Haas MP, Fischmann T.Converging theories on dreaming: Between Freud, predictive processing, and psychedelic research.Front Hum Neurosci. 2023 Feb 16;17:1080177. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2023.1080177Zhang W, Guo B.Freud’s dream interpretation: A different perspective based on the self-organization theory of dreaming.Front Psychol. 2018 Aug 23;9:1553. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01553Gieselmann A, Ait Aoudia M, Carr M, et al.Aetiology and treatment of nightmare disorder: State of the art and future perspectives.J Sleep Res. 2019;28(4):e12820. doi:10.1111/jsr.12820Magnon V, Dutheil F, Vallet GT.Benefits from one session of deep and slow breathing on vagal tone and anxiety in young and older adults.Sci Rep. 2021 Sep 29;11(1):19267. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-98736-9

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Koslowski M, de Haas MP, Fischmann T.Converging theories on dreaming: Between Freud, predictive processing, and psychedelic research.Front Hum Neurosci. 2023 Feb 16;17:1080177. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2023.1080177Zhang W, Guo B.Freud’s dream interpretation: A different perspective based on the self-organization theory of dreaming.Front Psychol. 2018 Aug 23;9:1553. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01553Gieselmann A, Ait Aoudia M, Carr M, et al.Aetiology and treatment of nightmare disorder: State of the art and future perspectives.J Sleep Res. 2019;28(4):e12820. doi:10.1111/jsr.12820Magnon V, Dutheil F, Vallet GT.Benefits from one session of deep and slow breathing on vagal tone and anxiety in young and older adults.Sci Rep. 2021 Sep 29;11(1):19267. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-98736-9

Koslowski M, de Haas MP, Fischmann T.Converging theories on dreaming: Between Freud, predictive processing, and psychedelic research.Front Hum Neurosci. 2023 Feb 16;17:1080177. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2023.1080177

Zhang W, Guo B.Freud’s dream interpretation: A different perspective based on the self-organization theory of dreaming.Front Psychol. 2018 Aug 23;9:1553. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01553

Gieselmann A, Ait Aoudia M, Carr M, et al.Aetiology and treatment of nightmare disorder: State of the art and future perspectives.J Sleep Res. 2019;28(4):e12820. doi:10.1111/jsr.12820

Magnon V, Dutheil F, Vallet GT.Benefits from one session of deep and slow breathing on vagal tone and anxiety in young and older adults.Sci Rep. 2021 Sep 29;11(1):19267. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-98736-9

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