Dreaming about snakes can be highly disturbing. However, all such dreams are not negative and may have some positive implications. The world of dreams is plain bizarre. However, it is a known fact that most dreams hold a significant meaning, particularly if they are recurring. Some say that dreams are a reflection of your conscious, subconscious, or unconscious thoughts, or that they represent past, current, or impending events in your life.
Disclaimer: This PsycholoGenie article is for informative purposes only and does not, in any way, intend to replace the advice of an expert.
Whatever the association, dreams hold a meaning that most of us fail to understand. It is possible that you believe this entire thing to be a lot of air, but if you try to assess and analyze the psychology of dreams, you will understand how you can relate these to your life. A lot of people dream about snakes, with the most common one being a dream about being bitten by one. What does dreaming about snakes imply? Is it really symbolic of an event, a person, or a relationship in your life?
The Interpretation of Snakes in our Dreams
The interpretation of snakes in dreams can be either positive or negative. Its symbolism may depend on the following factors:
- How you felt when you saw the snake in the dream, the events that you have experienced prior to the dream, and your general mood around those days
- Your attitude towards the people who are with you in your dream (if any)
- What the snake is doing in the dream
It is only after you are able to understand all this by recalling your dream clearly, will you be able to analyze what the significance of dreams such as these is. Further, such dream interpretations also vary based on the numerous cultures that exist worldwide.
In some cultures, seeing snakes that are being controlled either by you or by someone in the dream, refers to the fact that you have or are gaining the ability to control your life and overcome your fears, and that you or the person controlling the snake in your dream is your biggest source of strength and wisdom. This holds more meaning if you were not fearful of the snakes, but neutral in the dream.
Unresolved issues and fights (particularly with loved ones), and fear of authoritative figures (due to severe criticism or high expectations), are all represented in the form of snakes in your dreams. These in fact may appear as recurring dreams and may nag you unless you have overcome the problem. Any bitterness, fear, or emotional disturbance you have experienced in the dream may represent the aforementioned concerns if the snakebites you.
Dreaming of fighting a snake is symbolic of resistance to change in your life. Since snakes are inherently symbols of transition and healing, fighting one shows that you are refusing to accept impending changes in your life. This is may also mean that you are unable to take decisions regarding important aspects of your life, and this state of uncertainty is representing itself in the form of a fight with a snake in your dream.
Seeing a lonely snake in your dream refers to the fact that someone is working against you and your good. A competitor or an enemy may have plans for you that may deeply affect you negatively. Seeing more than one snake, particularly in a pit, may be symbolic of impending bad luck and misfortune.
Symbol of Weak and Untrustworthy Relationships
In some cases, disturbing dreams about snakes can be a symbol of weak and untrustworthy relationships. If you are on the verge of divorce, perceive someone as a competitor, or are fearful of expressing your true feelings about someone, you are likely to dream about snakes. This means you are holding a feeling or an emotion within, one that does not have a clear outlet, and this emotion manifests in the form of a dream about snakes.
Fear of Upcoming Events
A strong fear about an event that you are expecting, or some kind of sudden happening may be the reason you are dreaming about snakes. In a way, such dreams alert or warn you about being prepared for something you have not noticed in your life that may affect you deeply. You may assume this to be a kind of a prophetic dream that is asking you to be prepared for something eventful in your life.
Resistance to Fulfilling Desires
Seeing a snake in your dream may also mean that you are withholding your innermost desires. The snake is a wild animal, and dreaming of one is representative of this aspect of snakes. If the snakebites you in the dream, it may be indicative of the fact that you need to come to terms with reality and take control of your life in order to be able to satisfy at least few of those desires.
Symbol of Wisdom and Knowledge
The meanings of dreams about snakes vary based on cultures. For instance, in ancient cultures such as the Native American culture, or the Asian culture, snakes are symbols of wisdom and knowledge. They may indicate a positive turn in life, and may suggest you to seek the answers to your problems from within yourself rather than looking for solutions outside.
Repressed Sexual Energy
Snakes also have a phallic association, and have been likened to problems with sexual drive. Most often, if this is the association, it is likely that a woman will have such a dream and not a man. It may symbolize a fear of the opposite gender, or simply a kind of rivalry that exists between the two sexes. Dreaming of a snake may also indicate that you have repressed sexual energy and that you are looking for release of this energy.
To understand how to interpret dreams, you should start writing down details of your dreams in a dream journal. Relate the details of these dreams to the current events in your life. As soon as you are able to resolve these events, you will find that the dreams of snakes are becoming less frequent. Do understand that if these dreams are mentally disturbing you and you simply fail to understand what dreams mean, it is better to consult a psychiatrist who has specialized in the field of dreams and dream interpretations, and who will be able to help you get to the root of the matter.