Dream Interpretation - Dreams of Being Chased
Dreams of being chased probably have a deep, evolutionary
origin. After all, our ancient ancestors actually were chased by
all manner of predators, and this fear of being chased and
caught has remained part of our hard wired nature. Even today,
after all fears of predation have been removed from our waking
lives, dreams of being chased are there to remind us of our
earlier animal nature. In modern societies, dreams of being
chased can often arise from feelings of general anxiety
experienced in the waking hours. The way the dreamer responds to
feels of pressure and anxiety while awake is often reflected in
the dream state. Chase dreams can manifest themselves in a
variety of ways. Often the dreamer will dream about being chased
by an attacker or pursuer who the dreamer fears will hurt or
kill them. In these dreams, the dreamer attempts to run from,
hide from or otherwise outwit the pursuer. These dreams can
often be very realistic, and chase dreams are some of the most
commonly reported nightmares. Chase dreams can be reactions to
events in your waking life. For instance, there may be something
you are supposed to do but have been avoiding. If this proposed
action is a source of fear, stress and confusion, is can
sometimes manifest in your dream life as an attacker or pursuer.
Instead of facing your fear, you are running from it, and the
attacker in your dreams represents the thing you are trying to
get away from or avoid in real life. People troubled by
recurring dreams of being chased often benefit from an
examination of their waking life. Finding the thing that they
are running from in real life, and confronting it, is often an
effective way of banishing frequent chase dreams. In some cases
the pursuer or attacker in a chase dream represents not an
outside force but part of your self instead. Unresolved feelings
of anger, jealousy and fear can often enter your dreams in the
form of a threatening or frightening figure. In reality, the
attacker in your dreams is a representation of these issues in
your waking life. Dreams where you are being chased can be easy
to turn around for many people. Some people are better than
others at taking an active role in their dream, but everyone who
is aware of their dream should at least try to resolve a
frightening dream. For instance, the next time you are being
chased in a dream, try turning around and confronting the
pursuer. Ask the pursuer what he or she wants and why they are
chasing you. People who are indulging in self destructive
behaviors, or consumed by self destructive emotions like
jealously or anger, are often troubled by dreams of being
chased. Chase dreams can be an attempt by your subconscious to
reach you and call attention to your self destructive behaviors.
Of course chase dreams do not always have such symbolic
interpretation. Often dreams where you are being chased
represent literal fear of becoming a crime victim. These type of
direct fear chase dreams are more common among women than men.
Women, especially those living in high crime areas, often feel
vulnerable and afraid in their waking lives, and this fear can
spill over into the dream state and manifest itself as a chase
dream. No matter what the reason for the chase dream, it is
usually possible to reduce the occurrence of such dreams. The
first step is a careful examination of the factors that are
causing these dreams to occur. Whether the dream is a
manifestation of a symbolic or a literal fear, confronting the
thing you are afraid of is the best way to banish these
frightening nighttime visitors.