Dreams about death and danger

These are the dreams that cause the most distress and that most people search for on waking. None of them predicts anything: modern research understands them as threat rehearsal and emotional processing. Each entry explains this with cited sources and without ambiguity.

62 symbols

• Falling

  What does it mean to dream that you're falling?

• Being Chased

  What does it mean to dream that you're being chased?

• Dying in the Dream

  Does dreaming that you die mean you're going to die?

• Drowning

  What does it mean to dream that you're drowning?

• Car accident

  Does dreaming of a car accident mean I'll have a real one?

• Being attacked with a weapon

  Does this dream mean someone really wants to hurt me?

• Fire you can't escape

  Should I worry about a real fire at home?

• Being kidnapped

  Does this dream mean I'm in real danger of being kidnapped?

• Killing someone in the dream

  Should I be worried that I dreamed of killing someone?

• Watching someone else die in the dream

  Does this dream mean that person is really going to die?

• Being trapped with no way out

  Does dreaming of being trapped indicate real claustrophobia?

• An impending natural disaster

  Does this dream foretell a real natural disaster?

• Being poisoned

  Does dreaming about poison mean someone really wants to hurt me?

• A tsunami or giant wave

  Should I worry about a real tsunami if I dream about one?

• Being buried alive

  Does a dream of being buried alive foretell a nearby death?

• A plane crash

  Am I afraid of flying because I dreamed of a plane crash?

• An explosion

  Does dreaming of an explosion mean something bad is going to happen?

• Quicksand

  Why do I dream that I'm sinking and can't get out?

• A shipwreck

  Does dreaming of a shipwreck mean I'm going to lose something important?

• Being attacked by a wild animal

  Does dreaming that a wild animal attacks me mean I'm in real danger?

• Apocalypse or the End of the World

  Does dreaming about the end of the world mean something bad will happen?

• Being Run Over

  Does dreaming that I get run over mean I'll have an accident?

• Fire in One's Own Home

  Does dreaming my house is on fire mean it's in real danger?

• Being Electrocuted

  Is dreaming that I get electrocuted a sign of real danger?

• Suffocating from Gas

  Does dreaming I'm suffocating from gas mean there's a leak in my home?

• Building Collapse

  Does dreaming that a building collapses predict a real disaster?

• Swallowed by the earth

  Does this dream mean an earthquake or a real disaster is coming?

• Overdose

  Does dreaming about an overdose mean I'm at real risk?

• Having a Heart Attack in the Dream

  Does dreaming I have a heart attack mean I have a heart problem?

• War or Being Bombed

  Does dreaming about war mean something bad is going to happen?

• Being Diagnosed with a Terminal Illness

  Does dreaming I'm diagnosed with a terminal illness mean I actually have it?

• Being Mugged or Robbed

  Does dreaming that I get mugged mean I should be more careful?

• Freezing to death

  Does dreaming that I freeze to death mean I'm in real danger?

• Terrorist attack

  Does this dream mean there will be a real attack?

• Global pandemic or contagion

  Does this dream mean a real pandemic is coming?

• Being struck by lightning

  Should I worry about really being struck by lightning?

• Choking on food

  Does this dream mean I'm at real risk of choking while eating?

• Crushed by a crowd

  Does this dream mean I'll experience a real crowd crush?

• Being strangled by someone

  Does this dream mean someone is really going to hurt me?

• Attacked by a supernatural creature

  Does dreaming of a monster or vampire mean a real danger is lurking?

• Famine or food scarcity

  Does dreaming of famine mean I'll really go through hardship?

• Lost without water in an extreme place

  Does this dream mean I'm in real danger of dehydration?

• Animal stampede

  Does dreaming of a stampede mean I'll have an accident involving animals?

• Attacked by a swarm of insects

  Does dreaming of a swarm of insects attacking me mean something serious?

• Chased by an angry mob

  Does dreaming that a mob is chasing me mean someone really wants to hurt me?

• Being left behind during an evacuation

  Does dreaming that I'm abandoned during an emergency mean I can't trust anyone?

• Being Sentenced to Death

  Does dreaming I'm sentenced to death mean something bad will happen to me?

• An Invisible Threatening Presence

  Does it mean there is a real danger stalking me?

• Narrowly Escaping Danger

  Does a narrow escape in a dream warn of an accident?

• Feeling Guilt for Having Survived

  Does this dream mean I did something wrong?

• Standing at the Edge of a Cliff

  Does standing at a cliff edge in a dream announce a fall or a misfortune?

• Discovering Someone Close Wants to Harm You

  Does it mean that person really wants to harm me?

• An intruder in the house

  Should I worry about my home's security after this dream?

• Receiving news of a death

  Is it a warning about the person named in the news?

• A train derailment

  Does dreaming of a derailment announce a real accident?

• A Sudden Landslide

  Does dreaming of a sudden landslide mean something bad is about to happen?

• Falling into a coma and being unable to wake up

  Does dreaming I'm in a coma mean something bad is going to happen to me?

• Having a stroke of your own

  Does dreaming about having a stroke mean I am really going to have one?

• Fainting Surrounded by Strangers

  Does this dream mean I'm going to faint or that I have a health problem?

• Being Bitten by a Venomous Snake

  Does dreaming that a snake bites me mean someone is going to betray me?

• Running Out of Air While Scuba Diving

  Does this dream mean something bad will happen to me while diving?

• Having a Severe Allergic Reaction (Anaphylaxis)

  Does dreaming about a severe allergic reaction mean I have an undiagnosed allergy?