Vivid dreams can be very emotional experiences. And if you’ve had a dream of a demon, it’s likely it fell squarely into the category of “nightmare”!
But what does a dream like this mean? Does it have any supernatural power? Should you be sleeping with a Bible under your pillow? Or is it just your unconscious mind having a laugh at your expense?
We’re going to take a look at 11 meanings when you dream about a demon. And we’ll explore a number of different scenarios that could affect the interpretation of your dream.
So read on to find out more …
Table of Contents
The Symbolism of Demons
Demons in some form appear in pretty much every human culture. They are representations of evil forces, supernatural and powerful.
If a demon has appeared in your dream, it may well have been a frightening experience. But dreams are the products of our unconscious minds, so there’s no need to worry about supernatural causes. It’s more likely that your brain is using the demon as a symbol in a message it wants to send you.
But what was it symbolizing?
To answer that question, you’ll need to look at all the details of your dream. Analyse each element in turn and ask yourself what it represents to you.
Dreamers’ dictionaries can provide helpful guidance, but the author of your dream is your own mind. And that means that you already hold all the keys to interpreting it.
Think about what you saw, heard and felt in your dream. Anything that stood out to you will be significant to the message. It’s like your brain pointing a big red arrow at the things it wants you to notice.
The good news is that you’re not alone in your task! Demons are such widely known creatures that there are lots of common elements in their symbolism. Let’s look at a number of the different feelings and circumstances they could be representing in your dream.
dreaming about demons meaning
1. Conflict
In almost every mythology, demons are engaged in the endless battle between good and evil. And demons, of course, represent the dark forces in that war.
It’s not surprising, then, that their appearance in dreams often signifies conflict of some kind in the dreamer’s own life.
It’s likely that the conflict your demon is representing is significant enough that you’ll be able to identify it at once. But as with all demon dreams, the details can give important clues about the dream’s wider meaning.
Did the demon have any physical characteristics that you associate with an individual or set of circumstances? That can help confirm the identity of the person or thing you’re in conflict with.
Your dream may also give more specific details about the source of the conflict. A demon with a nose ring might be representing your nasally compromised former pal, Dylan. But if the demon is injured, it might suggest that Dylan’s obnoxious behavior results from his own pain.
Remember that your unconscious mind may be working to find a solution to the conflict you’re experiencing. So your dream may be offering you clues to the way forward. You might, for example, want to acknowledge Dylan’s hurt feelings and offer an olive branch.
2. Internal Trauma
The demon in your dream may not always represent external forces. Some dream interpreters believe that if your dream demon attacked you, it’s particularly likely to relate to internal conflict.
Conflict of this kind often involves feelings of guilt. Perhaps you’ve done something that you enjoyed at the time, but now regret. Perhaps it has caused hurt to other people you care about.
The best way to explore whether this is a reasonable interpretation is to consider recent events in your life. Does this explanation fit with what has happened? Does it chime with the way you’re feeling now?
If it does, the good news is that by acknowledging these feelings, you’re on the path to resolving them. That, in fact, is exactly what your dreaming mind was encouraging you to do.
When you’re honest about the way you feel, you can start to think about how to change it. Perhaps you need to apologise to someone for the way you behaved. Or perhaps you need to find a different way to come to terms with the emotional trauma you’re experiencing.
If you’re struggling to find a way through, it can help to talk about the way you feel with someone else. That might be a friend or family member, or you might prefer to seek professional help. Remember: taking action to resolve these feelings is a sign of strength, not weakness.
3. Temptation or Addiction
Demons are often associated with temptation. The famous Biblical story has Jesus tempted by the Devil to renounce God in favor of worldly possessions. And demons frequently pop up in stories and legends offering to exchange earthly delights for the souls of the greedy.
This rich mythology means that demons are an obvious choice for dreaming minds looking for symbols of temptation or avarice. Again, the details of the dream can help guide you in its correct interpretation.
If your dream featured demons on all sides, it may very well be a symbol of temptation. No matter where you look, you see the thing you want, but know you shouldn’t have.
Those surrounding demons might also be giving you clues to where the sources of temptation lie. Is that Dylan with his nose-ring making an appearance again? If so, your dreaming mind may be encouraging you to give him a wide berth.
If you’re being attacked by demons, your unconscious mind may be indulging in some wordplay. It’s showing you literally “battling your demons”. This phrase is regularly applied to cases where someone is struggling with addiction of some kind.
If this applies to you, your dream may be a prompt to seek help. Your unconscious mind is acknowledging the scale of the challenge before you. And perhaps it’s telling you that you’ll need reinforcements to win this battle.
4. Fear and Anxiety
If your dreaming self was afraid when you encountered the demon, your dream may be reflecting your own feelings. Perhaps there’s something in your waking life that’s causing you high levels of anxiety.
If the demon was pursuing you, those feelings might relate to something that’s happened in your past. You may feel that you’re trying to move on, but you cannot leave behind the trauma of that past event.
There may be clues to the nature of that trauma in the appearance or behavior of the demon.
If the demon speaks to you, it’s always important to listen to what it says. Any entity that speaks to us in a dream is usually conveying messages from our subconscious.
Where your mind has summoned a talking demon, it may be that it’s expressing thoughts you’re trying to repress. You believe they’re “bad” and are trying to ignore them.
But unless you confront them, they will only become stronger. So try to look at them rationally – give your “demon” a chance to have its say. Then you’ll be in a better place to discard any thoughts you don’t find helpful or constructive.
5. Losing Control
In some cases, dreams feature demonic possession. If you were possessed by a demon in your dream, the meaning is fairly straightforward – you no longer feel in control.
This sense of losing control might relate to one particular aspect of your life, or to a more general feeling. Look at the other details of your dream for clues. Whatever it is, your dream suggests you may be feeling that someone else is in the driving seat.
That “someone” needn’t necessarily be another person. It could be an aspect of your own personality – for example, a tendency to take unreasonable risks.
An alternative interpretation is that the loss of control you experience in your dream is deliberate. In other words, you’re evading responsibility, when deep down you know you need to be stepping up to the plate.
Does this fit with the circumstances of your life? If so, your dream may be flowing from the cognitive dissonance you’re experiencing as a result. And it’s a sign you may be more comfortable in your own skin if you reassess your approach.
6. Danger
Demons are dangerous creatures, and some people believe that seeing them in dreams portends peril.
That needn’t necessarily mean your dream is a supernatural message. Your mind could be relaying a message put together from observations you’ve made only subconsciously.
Perhaps you’ve been dimly aware that a friend is behaving strangely, or there’s an odd atmosphere at work. You haven’t stopped to think about it, but your subconscious mind is hard at work running through the possibilities. And it wants to alert you to the chance that trouble may be brewing.
This interpretation of a demon-related dream is usually most likely to be the case where the demon takes human form. Their identity may suggest the source of the danger.
7. Guilt
Sometimes dreams involve the dreamer themselves taking the form of a demon. If that’s what has happened in your dream, it may indicate that you’re feeling guilty. You’re attaching the image of a demon to yourself because you feel bad about some aspect of your behavior.
Your dream could be encouraging you to look honestly at your own conduct. Is there anything that is a source of shame to you? If there is, your dream suggests it may be causing you discomfort. And if so, it may be time to consider how to try and put things right.
8. Treachery or Infidelity
Demons cannot be trusted. They are associated with the Devil, and one of his names is the “Father of Lies”. So the appearance of a demon in your dream could signify a source of treachery or betrayal in your life. It could also point to unfaithfulness in a romantic relationship.
Dreams of this kind usually contain other clues to what is going on. If you’re kissing the demon, it could indicate that you have doubts about your partner’s fidelity. (It could also be the case that you’re worried they doubt your faithfulness.)
Dreams of kissing or having sex with a demon can also point to dissatisfaction with your sex life. If you’re in a relationship and that interpretation strikes a chord, consider discussing your feelings with your partner.
9. Fortitude
Not every association with demons is a negative one. They are also popularly considered to be creatures of immense strength. That being the case, their appearance in dreams can reflect your own feelings of power.
But why has your brain picked a demon to symbolize this strength rather than, say, a lion? It’s likely that you’re experiencing obstacles and problems in your life. This negative energy may be influencing your dream imagery.
Nevertheless, your dreaming mind is reassuring you that you have the power to overcome your troubles.
10. Success After Struggle
In a similar vein, dreams in which you vanquish a demon can be equally positive. They suggest that you can see yourself triumphing over difficulties.
Perhaps you’ve recently taken decisive action to overcome an obstacle. Or perhaps you’re still at the stage of thinking through your options. Whatever the case, your dream could be a positive sign that you’re on the right track.
11. Unexpected Gains
Some dreams traditionally have strangely specific interpretations. Dreams of going to Hell with a demon are – surprisingly – thought to be good omens. They’re believed to indicate future good fortune, whether in your career or your personal life.
And a demon that smiles at you is thought to be another sign of good luck. That could be on a spectacular scale. If you have this dream, some believe it might be time to buy a lottery ticket!
Dreams of Demons Can Have Positive and Negative Symbolism
That brings us to the end of our look at eleven different meanings when you dream about a demon. It’s true that the majority of associations with demons are negative. But in some scenarios, there can be positive symbolism at work too.
And whatever your dream is telling you, remember that it’s usually a message from your subconscious mind. It’s giving you valuable intelligence, drawn from its observations of the world and your emotional life.
So take your time in interpreting the message, and consider carefully how to respond.
Good night, and sweet dreams!
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Hi,it’s me Mary I was wondering if you could help me with the dream I had last night I was in my bed going to sleep then I dreamed that I was in my bed like I was when I was awake anyways I dreamed that a bunch of demons was surrounding my bed and then around 1:00am between 3:00am I woke up thinking something was watching me sleep I keep on feeling like something I didn’t know what to do I just wanna know what my dream means please help me if you do so then tysm have a nice day love,Mary
Hey Mary,
It sounds like you had a form of sleep paralysis. I get them and bad dreams too, I came here because I had a bad dream last night. Reading this stuff helps me evaluate if there is anything that I need to address in my psyche but the brain is so much more complex. Here is what helps me.
1. Understanding: Sleep paralysis is a parasomnia, meaning there is a possible abnormal shift between REM and the wakefulness stages. Stress can bring this and stress can caused by the things listed above. Another thing that can bring it about is if there is something out of order biochemically. Stress can raise cortisol levels, cortisol levels can be affected by environmental factors.
2. Acknowledging: When you are in the situation, acknowledge that you have power and that you are strong. For me this was understanding what was really happening and prayer. I trusted that God would keep me safe and that this would pass. Once you realize what is going breath and slowly concentrate. This will allow your mind to calm down so that you can break free.
3. Treatments: Because the mind is influenced by so many things it is good to slowly address every part holistically. If you are spiritual, pray, if you are not meditate, this allows your mind to reach a state of peace and will regulate your body. You could even do both. Next, is diet and lifestyle: eating whole foods and avoiding things that harm your body allows decreased inflammation and stress response. The gut is your second brain. Next, is behavioral: if you have traumas, this one to me is the hardest one. I personally have trouble letting go and it still affects me. But with the right therapist and a support group, you will get there. Sometimes the mind shoves them down, and dreams by theory is where they appear.
Side note: Adaptogens and other herbs have helped me regulate my bodies hormones. I Occasionally I also will do a sleep tea, I recently used one from branch and vine called sweet dreams and I was out. It is important to note that to attack the sources of the problem. Rx meds do work but honestly I have had the best results with the above.
Also very important***
Get help with what to use in regards to some of the stuff by a healthcare professional. That is what I did and he really helped. Please be careful and do your research.
I was sleeping the other night and was dreaming I was in this big room. Like a school gym with a wall of glass. There was these people crawling all around me . Like a hundred people. There was this one in the middle of them yelling at them to go go towards me. I was trapped and couldn’t go anywhere. I was up against the glass wall. I kept screaming and begging him to leave me alone. They were clawing at my clothes, and pulling at me. I finally just woke up and I was crying what does it mean ?
I checked off for mostly everyone of these things. I wasn’t possessed, but I turned into the demon.
Hi, I’m Mercie and I am new to this. I have found demons and the history behind them interesting. I have met a lot of demons in my life so far ( I am only 16 ). The demons I have met never wanted to hurt me but there was this one demon that had bad intentions towards me. He was my fathers demon and I’ve only met him twice. My dad recently passed away but 3 days before his body was found I had a dream of finding his body in the woods with two bullet holes in his head. ( Sorry if that was a disturbing image ) About a week after his body was found I had another dream but it was different. It was like my dads demon came into my dream *as my father* and he tried to harm me in a very bad way. I was able to tell that the demon was not my father by the way his energy felt. I am worried about what this could mean. Ever since that happened I’ve had trouble sleeping and wouldn’t be able to sleep till 2:30 or 3:00 a.m. I am just worried about what this means if you can help thank you so much.
I have been haunted since I was seven, I have seen apparitions and demons they are 100 % real. Please get a priest and pray in every room. This isn’t sleep paralysis or a medical condition. There is a hell and these beings attack us in our sleep 😴😴 as we can easily tap into thier world. I was attacked for many years. Everyone told me this is sleep paralysis .” bullshit pray 🙏🙏 they don’t like the lord’s name even if you don’t believe, believe now something evil is out there for you. And it can haunt you. The more fear you have, or speaking about a demon the more power you give it. Misery loves company they want u miserable and fearful. Pray pray 🙏🙏🙏 that’s my advice
So I recently had a dream where there was a (suuuupppeeerrr) hot demon (like I would smash 🤭) and a few other demons keeping me and some other random people trapped in this place. He was super kind though and kept comforting me. It kinda seemed like he was regretful about us. But yeah that’s it.
Hi, I was dreaming talking to friend of mine and his smile grew mischievous then I noticed a black figure behind him with the same smile.
hey i was wondering if i can get help.
Last night and night prier, i had a dream about a tall, pale, bloody, no eyes, dressed in a white dress lady. she has been appering for a while, and it has been getting worse. i wake up at 330 screaming and yelping. Sweating bullets unable to move for like 5 mins.
thanks<3
Yes, you 100% right. When I get attacked by one just like you I pray and I pray hard and I fight against it. I let them know God is stronger than them and I ask God to protect me and they go away.
Hi, I really need help figuring out this dream. It’s a little strange at first but it gets to the point.
I had a dream I was on a beach and my parents had asked me if I wanted to go into the water, which I declined and said that I had saw a shark. Then when I went into our cabin things were moved around oddly and my iguana had gotten out. So I went outside and a shark had attacked the entire beach and dock. Ate my parents dog, or so my dad had said. So we went inside because we couldn’t go anywhere since our cabin was mainly on water. While inside I noticed things were moved around and our pets had gotten loose. I was trying to put up my iguana away from the bearded dragon when I got a text from my fiancée that didn’t seem like him, telling me to come outside. So I did. But no one was there and then he said he never sent that text. So I go in a car with my friends and one of their moms (my old friend who has recently passed away). I called my mom and asked her if I could go somewhere and she seemed normal at first but then her voice went monotoned and all she said was “mhm”. We realized that there was something acting like people to trick us into going in the water & outside. I texted her “I love you” and she replied back something strange that she’d never say. I called again and asked if she could meet me at a place called 4 stages because I didn’t want to go on the boat like everyone else was and it sounded like her and she said yes, but then it didn’t. So I get on the boat and the boat is being attacked by something in the water but we can’t tell what it is and the boat starts to sink. I somehow end up back at the cabin & I was with my brother and my mom and she had said she never talked to me at all. Then doors started flying open and things started flying and this other person who looked like my mom came in, except it wasn’t. And that’s when I woke up. It was truly terrifying.
hi,
so last night i dreamed about a demon but like a stepdad demon and his daughter idk to say this because it was weird but there were nice to us and they took care of the family like a normal family and the stepdad demon has something holding in his hand i know what it was, it was a baby, me and the stepdad demon talk i remember that i told him “i was scared of him and im gonna try to not” and he was like “ok i get that a lot” and the rest is blurry i can even remember what happened and felt
but only that last night my stepdad (real life stepdad) go fishing and see something a light and he said it was bright
I had this dream last night that I had a daughter named Bella. Bella was possessed, so I began casting demons out of her. It came out of her mouth like vomit. She look maybe 6 or 7. I actually have a cat named Bella, and a daughter who’s 20 and away at college. They’re both very very loving and kind.
I have always loved the supernatural and watching scary movies, but it is never pleasant when dealing with demons. I have encountered malicious ghost before but haven’t been hurt by them. The other night I had a weird dream that resulted in a car explosion (my family and I were able to escape before the explosion) and it started to rain, as I looked up I saw a demon’s face flashing through in the lightening smiling at me. Somehow, my hand started burning (I can’t remember if I was too close to the fire or not), and when I woke up, my hand had a burning sensation. I slept on my hand, so I automatically said it was due to that and not the actual dream.
I had a terrible nightmare last night and I was wondering if you could help shed some light on it… I went on vacation with my mom and grandma to a snow resort. Every room I went in a demon kept following me. I didn’t see it once, but it kept messing with me. It kept making the room shake and constantly made a mess. It spoke to me through a notebook. My grandmother bought me a ring and necklace that was supposed to protect me from it, but it didn’t work and it kept scaring me and messing with me. What does this mean exactly?
Hi,
I had a dream last night that I was playing a sort of disturbing game. There was this 2 year old baby named Maria and due to it being summer and i was living in a hot country I had the task of keeping her alive, by switching the AC off when it is too cold and switching the AC off when it is too hot. When the environment gets too cold she will develop pneumonia and die, but if it gets too hot she will get cardiac arrest and die. So I had to on the AC then keep it like that and off it for periods of time. I obeyed and on the AC when I was told to in my dream and off it later. I felt some kind of emotional attatchement to the child like she was mine, so I did what was told. When waking up my room was normal. So again when I went back to sleep I had the same dream with the same game. But the second time I was asked, my logic kicked in and I was like its a dream its not true and I chose not to save her. At this point the once happy baby with a big smile on her face, quickly turned to a sad face and at the bottom in writing it said, “Maria died of pneumonia”. Right after that there was a whole other dream that a demon’s hands was pulling the rubber band tying my pontail and slowly taking it off. I physically felt it, I turned around very slowly and opened my eyes but saw nothing. I dreamed about nothing the rest of the night… What does this mean?
The game was black and white images and there were wordings below the motion picture of the girl, with her name and status of health. The picture was of one frame of just this child waving a toy.
Background of me:
I am a student and yes I do live a stressful life because I try to get good grades and get into a good university. My parents are supportive and I don’t have any paranormal experiences except this one. My dreams are mundane, I don’t have many nightmares, I had sleep paralysis once but that was it. My family is religious and I am kind of too I pray and stuff but I believe in facts more than faith I guess. But I am somewhat of a believer in the spirit world, but not more than others
Hi! My name is Calla! I had a dream that a bunch of demons kept on regenerating and I kept on killing them. I spun around and around, cutting them to ribbons easily. They wore faces of people I’ve known in the past. Eventually I stopped mid swing with my sword partially buried in someone’s neck. I recognized her as an old childhood friend. I gave her a hug and she drew a frowning face because she couldn’t talk and then I heard her say in my head that she wanted more than that from me.
Hi I need some help I had two dreams last night about a demon at the foot of my bed. The first dream I woke up scared and sweating but, I could only remember that I had saw a demon (or jiin). In the second dream however I saw the demon and I tried to fight it but I couldn’t move. I could barely speak, the demon leaned towards me and I looked away trying to recite shahada. however I still couldn’t speak. I continued to try and recite shahada and the demon looked at me and said something I couldn’t understand. Then I finally got the sound out and said ” La Ilaha Illallah Muhammadur rasuluallah.” THE DEMON RESPONDED TO ME ” God can save you now!” and I woke up afraid to go back to “sleep”.
“
I had a dream where i was sleeping then woke up and turned into a red skined black nailed demon. I felt evil it started to become overwhelming then i began sratch up the wall briefly because of what i changed into then stoped i looked at my hands and i was surrounded by white light and yellow electricity and then i no longer felt evil from seeing the light and electricity
and i felt powerful what dose this mean?
I’m having a dream over and over all the time I clearly see a man like thing with a huge joker like smile and horns like the devil he’s always right in my face smiling huge and I wake up and I will wake up again and realize what is it it looks like a gin with that smile but not as ugly but horns like devil and red ish skin perfect smile
Hi! I had a dream last night where I was with my boyfriend in a bedroom and every time he left the room to use the bathroom or go to the kitchen, I would see demons. One was a dark figure in the corner and it didn’t move, and I couldn’t scream. The main one in particular though was a grey and ghastly nun that was in reflections… there were 2 mirrors in this bedroom and I saw her in the farthest one first, and then the one next to me. And when I went to look harder, she reached out of the mirror with dagger nails to try and grab me, and I couldn’t scream to my boyfriend. All I could get out was a whisper. Then, I was in a different form of room with my cat in my lap, and she fluffed up and started hissing at thin air, until I saw a vague floating reflection of her, almost like a car window type reflection, and then I could see the shape of the ghost/demon. I went to swat at it, and when my hand hit the foggy shape, it took over me and restrained me where I couldn’t get up or scream for my boyfriend, again, all I could get out was barely a whisper. I get choked like I couldn’t breathe but it also felt like it was bc I was trying to scream so hard. I woke up in tears and called my boyfriend and dad and it now scares me to look in mirrors. Can someone help interpret? I’m not religious but my family is as well as my boyfriend, and they all told me to go buy a Bible and put it next to my bed, I’m which I did. Religious answers and non religious answers are all welcome as an interpretation. I just don’t know what it might mean.
Hi.
I had a dream last night. A young spirit of a girl came to me, and was at first very playful and friendly. Her name was Janelle. I remember her features vividly. But something seemed off. I suddenly stopped and in a voice not my own, I asked her who she really was and to reveal herself. She became spiteful and aggressive. Again in the unearthly voice I told her to reveal herself but added that she should because I was ? I can’t remember the name. The image of a demon shimmered on the child’s face and it spoke to me, spewing out a lot of information about the end of days and satan rising. Most of it I had never heard of. It was completely new information to me. I cut the demon off and in my normal voice told it I had tricked it. I was not a demon, but came with a message for his master. I gave him the message. He was furious and tried to drag me with him into a vortex. I called out to Hayden (an old dog I had that died years ago), and I semi woke to light shining through my blinds but something was still trying to pull me under. I fought against it until I eventually woke.
Sure hope you can explain a VERY weird dream my husband had a few days ago. He dreamed about something grabbing at his testicles while he was sleeping (believe it or not) and when he pulled it out from the covers it was a baby. He said shortly after he pulled it from the covers the baby turned into a red demon baby and it said “I’m Back”. Actually scared the heck out of him. Can you help me understand what that means? Hope you can help! Thank you!