Dream About Drowning? (Interpretation & Spiritual Meaning)
Did you wake up from a dream about drowning?
There is no doubt that such a dream is horrific and can leave you traumatized for a while.
If you wonder what the meaning is when you dream about drowning, you have come to the right place.
I wrote this article to interpret what dreams about drowning mean. As with any other dream, there are many interpretations to this one.
The dream interpretation that will resonate the most with you will depend on what is going on in your life at the moment.
Read on to find out exactly what your dream about drowning means.
Drowning Symbolism
Drowning is a life-threatening situation. It is one in which the victim struggles to stay alive despite the odds.
Drowning symbolizes being brought down, overwhelmed, or overpowered by elements beyond your control.
Figuratively, people like to talk about being drowned in work, obligations, and deadlines. They simply mean that they feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities ahead of them.
Dreams about drowning are fairly common. These dreams generally reflect our inner state—one of overwhelm, sadness, or emotional turmoil.
When you dream about drowning, the chances are that your inner and outer states are in such as wreck they need redemptions.
Let us take a look at the various interpretations of dreams about drowning.
Dream About Drowning (Interpretation & Spiritual Meaning)
Here are some common meanings when you dream about drowning.
1. You are overwhelmed with emotions
If you feel generally overwhelmed in your waking life, dreaming about drowning is fairly common.
You might dream about drowning in water if you go through an emotional rollercoaster.
Maybe you are suffering from grief or the end of something like a close relationship.
You lack the tools and resources to deal with the massive emotions you are processing.
The dream is a sign you’ve let your emotions get the better part of you.
Nothing is wrong with sitting, experiencing, and processing your emotions.
But, you must not let them overwhelm you and make you lose control of your life.
You are dealing with a difficult situation in your life.
The good news is you can seek out the tools and resources you need to deal with the challenges life presents you with.
2. You feel hopeless or not in control
Being faced with a hopeless situation that you cannot do anything about can lead to terrifying dreams about drowning.
When a person is drowning, they feel helpless, and there is a lot that is out of control.
Maybe you lost your source of income, and you are worried about money.
Maybe someone close to you needed some assistance, but you could not save them because you lacked the means.
Generally, you feel like a waiting duck who cannot do much to improve their loved one’s situation.
3. You are moving too fast in life
There is nothing wrong with living a fast-paced life if this works for you. But, such a lifestyle has its own downsides, including fatigue and burnout.
Drowning while swimming in a dream symbolizes your fast pace.
Be careful not to take on too much or bite more than you can chew, as this can get you in trouble.
Do what you can and now what you are capable of
Move at your own pace; eventually, you will arrive at your destination.
Take a look at your life. Have you been taking on more responsibilities at work?
If so, this dream is a sign of scaling back and being diligent about your work without sacrificing your health and peace of mind.
4. You are running away from a situation
Did you dream about drowning but at the same time, you were trying to save yourself from going under?
Dreams about saving yourself from drowning signify that you are trying to get away from something you no longer want in your life.
In your waking life, maybe you long to get away from a toxic workplace, but you haven’t yet figured how to.
It could be that you are trying to disentangle yourself from your group of friends, acquaintances, or even your own family, who are taking a toll on your own mental health.
This dream about drowning and saving yourself is a sign you should keep fighting for yourself.
You are capable of getting out of situations that do not serve you.
5. You are hurt from losing the one dependable person in your life
When you lose a lifeline or someone you depended on, you might dream about drowning in an ocean.
Being in the middle of the ocean alone is quite terrifying and can leave you feeling hopeless.
It is exactly how you would feel when someone you depended on was no longer in your life.
This might be a friend, lover, family member, or mentor.
Their absence hurts you so badly, and it is all you can think about all day long and dream about at night.
Whether you depended on them for financial, emotional, or physical support, they made your life bearable and were the one consistent person you could look up to.
Now that they are no longer there, you are dealing with an overwhelming tide of emotions, symbolized by the dream about drowning.
On the upside, this dream could empower you to start a new life where you are more dependent on yourself if possible.
As you can see, depending too much on someone else can wreak havoc on your life. It can leave you feeling helpless and abandoned.
6. You want to break ties with someone
Did you wake up from a dream where you were drowning someone?
Take heart. This dream doesn’t mean you want to murder this person or that you have a hidden murderous streak.
Dreaming about drowning someone means you are desperate to come out of a toxic relationship.
The drowning person is symbolic of the relationship/person you want to get away from.
You have been thinking a lot about your life after this relationship. You know you want out, but you are afraid about what you will find on the other end.
All the dynamics about this relationship are currently consuming your life, and it feels like you are drowning in all the drama.
7. You are struggling to come out of a difficult situation
An interesting but uncommon dream is when you dream about drowning in ice or under glass.
This dream can occur if you struggle to free yourself from personal problems such as addiction or financial woes.
Maybe you are overwhelmed with debt in your waking life, and you cannot see a way out of it.
Are you on the brink of bankruptcy? Are you worried about losing everything you have worked so hard for? This dream is symbolic of the struggles you are currently facing.
Dreaming of drowning in ice or slipping under glass-covered water can also signify your struggle with addiction.
You have tried to end your addiction, including going cold turkey but haven’t been successful so far.
The ice in the dream symbolizes the struggle to finally stop your addiction and the associated emotional upheaval that comes with it.
Despite the challenges and obstacles, you can come out victorious. Try seeking others’ help to come out of the quagmire you find yourself.
For example, in the case of financial problems and debt, you can consider working with a professional to help with debt management.
Therapy may also help if you are struggling to break free of addiction.
8. You are caught up in toxic competition with others
You can end up having drowning dreams if you find yourself participating in the toxic competition.
In particular, you may dream about drowning during a water competition such as swimming or surfing.
Competition can be good to some extent. It can boost team morale and even inspire great ambition in your life.
But, it doesn’t help to make everything a competition because it can quickly become toxic.
Dreams about drowning during water sports are a sign you are already in the throes of unhealthy competition with others.
You are overwhelmed with envy, anger, and bitterness in your waking life as you strive to catch up or stay ahead of others.
9. You might encounter an unfortunate situation
If you dream of drowning in a car accident, this is not a good sign.
Such a dream signals misfortune coming your way.
Stay vigilant. You never know when and how bad luck might show up.
If possible, be extra-cautious in everything you do to minimize risk. During this time, take fewer risks and stick to the safe lane of life.
This will not stop anything bad from happening. But, being careful can minimize the impact of whatever situation may come your way.
10. You are having a hard time accepting reality
Did you dream about drowning in a sinking ship?
This is yet another terrifying dream loaded with symbolism from your waking life.
So what does this dream about drowning really mean?
The interpretation is that you are running away from reality, as symbolized by the sinking ship.
A sinking ship could be anything in your life that isn’t working as it should.
This could be a business, career, or relationship.
In your waking life, you do not want to accept that these things are not providing you with the expected returns.
But, naturally, you do not want to let go of something you have worked so hard to build. This is a stressful situation to be in, and this dream signals the emotional turmoil you are going through.
11. You are concerned about your wrongdoings in waking life
Sometimes, you might dream about something strange, like drowning in mud!
Mud, in this context, symbolizes dirt quite literally. Figuratively, mud is a symbol of immortality.
Dreaming about drowning in the mud means you are caught up in something that doesn’t necessarily align with your values.
Is there something you are doing that doesn’t feel right to you?
Maybe you are caught up in an affair or illegal activity—the guilt is overwhelming you, and it feels as though you are drowning in it all.
This dream could also signify the need to ask for forgiveness for your wrongdoing.
Is there someone or people you have wronged? Did you intentionally or unintentionally hurt someone?
Take this dream as a cue to ask for their forgiveness and right your wrongs.
You might also want to consider changing your ways and doing the right thing now that the guilt of wrongdoing is overwhelming you.
12. You are overwhelmed by responsibilities for which you are not ready
When you have taken over responsibilities you were not ready for, dreams related to drowning can occur.
In particular, it is common to dream about saving a child from drowning.
Here, the child represents the responsibilities thrust to you.
For example, you might now suddenly be the breadwinner in your household, a role you never imagined you would take up, and you, therefore, feel unprepared.
Your worry and struggle to carry this new mantle are reflected by this dream in which you are fighting to keep a child from dying.
Summary: 12 Meanings When You Dream About Drowning
A dream about drowning can be scary; it is a relief when you wake up and realize it was just a dream.
Still, these dreams hold a lot of significance. Generally, the meaning of dreams about drowning is not positive.
These dreams signify some struggle in your life. These might be emotional, financial, relational, or personal.
The good news is that dreams can also be an opportunity to reflect on what is going on in our waking life.
Whether you need to seek forgiveness for your wrongdoings, deal better with your emotions, or break free from a toxic relationship or situation, your dreams can inspire you to take the needed action.
I hope these interpretations of what it means when you dream about drowning are helpful and give you greater peace of mind.
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