Dream of drowning: what interpretation?

There are dreams that we would prefer to forget when we wake up, and the drowning dreams are part of. True reflection of our unconscious, water says a lot about our emotions. When dreaming of drowning, the unconscious becomes too present, difficulties relating to our daily life are felt.

However, these dream images, as unpleasant as they are, can be interpreted positively.

Drowning in the dream: a distinct symbolism depending on the place

The presence of water in dreams and, a fortiori, drowning are associated with the unconscious and emotions. “Water has a very interesting symbolism, and the dreams in which it plays an important role are often particularly involving, because it mainly represents the realm of emotions – just as it is fluid, moving, and difficult to grasp – and the realms of ‘unconscious, by the side of the unknown depths from which shimmering or dangerous contents arise’, begins Mireille Rosselet-Capt, psychologist, psychotherapist and Jungian analyst.

The meaning of the drowning dream differs depending on where the action takes place. Dream about drowning in an ocean can, for example, involve acting against our feelings and intuition. It is a sign of internal conflict. If we dreams of drowning in a place flooded with water, it may indicate feeling like you are drowning in worries. “Dreams of water rising around your house, or the waves getting stronger, are signals telling us to take care of our emotional hygiene, sometimes also to rest a little to regain our footing, to put down more solid roots so as not to get carried away”, explains the psychotherapist.

To understand the message of our subconscious, the expert recommends analyzing the dream environment: “The question arises as to how the dreamlike ego is going to pull out of the game: does it know how to swim, does it have a solid boat, a stable point to cling to? “.

Dreaming of drowning: an overflow of emotions

the drowning dream is quite common when we are overwhelmed by problems and events. “It can mean an overflow of emotions that invade the subject, a feeling of helplessness in the face of a problem that overwhelms us, or an invasion by unconscious contents that the ego is temporarily not strong enough to face” , decrypts Mireille Rosselet-Capt.

“The conscious self cannot ‘keep its head above water’ in order to react; he runs the risk of letting himself be invaded, overwhelmed or overwhelmed,” continues the expert. This type of dream thus invites the people concerned to identify precisely the causes of this state, which makes them lose control. There are often indicators in the dream (work, private life…). If the dreamer witnesses a drowningit is parts of itself that disappear.

These dream images can also reflect a deeper fear, and of which we are not aware, water symbolizing the unconscious and the emotions.

Can dreaming of drowning be positive?

Dreams are a manifestation of the unconscious to help us better face our daily lives. Dream about drowning is used for our daily hygiene, “by warning us against states of emotional overflow or lack of attention to the unconscious aspects of a problem”, underlines Mireille Rosselet-Capt.

“There are also initiatory aspects in dreams of death and rebirth – a death in water can also be followed by a new birth from that original milieu from which, after all, our ancestors arose,” supports the Jungian analyst. This dream can be experienced positively if the dreamer manages to breathe underwater. This means that he is in tune with what is happening in his unconscious and that he manages to overcome his anxieties.

“I have also observed positive effects in cases where we dreams of witnessing the drowning of loved ones without being able to intervene. I am thinking in particular of a situation where a child was drowning, the dreamer had become aware of an excessive worry and a tendency to be too close to the child in question,” concludes the specialist.