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.