Are you having dreams about drowning recently? You possibly woke up this morning covered in sweat and struggling to breathe. You were relieved when you realized all this was a dream and you were not drowning for real.
But the dream was surely horrific and it seemed to stick with you. You definitely want to know the reason why you had this dream and if the dream was trying to tell you something.
If this is the case, then you are at the right place. In this article, we will discuss why you are having dreams about drowning along with its meanings and interpretations.
8 Drowning Dream Meaning (What does Drowning in a Dream Mean?)
Dreams about drowning can imply that you are feeling overwhelmed or might even represent control issues. These dreams also mean hopelessness, struggle or even rebirth.
When you are having a dream where you witness yourself or someone else drowning, you instantly feel the need to save someone or something. The idea of “saving” and “surviving” becomes the number one theme of your dreams.
The real task is to find out what needs to be saved in your waking life? What are the obstacles from which you or your close ones need to survive in waking life? To find out the answers, here are the most common meanings of drowning dreams.
1. You are feeling overwhelmed
Having dreams about drowning means you are feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities and stress in waking life.
These situations and issues in your waking life are too much for you to handle. At the moment, you feel like these responsibilities are nothing less than a flood and you have no way out but to drown in it. Anyone from your family, work, or yourself can be responsible for this situation.
The message of this dream is to take some time to relax and deal with one thing at a time.
2. You are losing control
The negative emotions you feel in your waking life have high chances of making their presence felt in your unconscious state of dreams.
Sometimes, life happens and people feel like they are losing control over their life and everything related. Nothing goes according to their will. The things which they planned beforehand prove to be a failure too.
The feeling of helplessness can also be because of a failing business, unsatisfactory job opportunity, or a toxic relationship they are trying to deal with.
3. You feel hopeless
Are you going through a hard phase of your life? Are you met with innumerable problems with each passing day in your waking life?
Well, if that is the case then it’s normal for you to have dreams about drowning. Our subconscious mind tries to access the events of our waking lives. But its way to access and relate to the happenings of our daily life is different.
The feeling of hopelessness is related to drowning. It denotes that no matter how hard you try to swim and come to the surface of the water, you still drown due to situations that are not under your control.
4. You are losing yourself
We often lose ourselves in processes that ask us to adapt but also require us to be the same.
It can be a new job which is very demanding. It can be colleagues who are not cooperative and you try to change your personality to blend in with them. It can be a relationship where you are not feeling validated and hence you bring unnecessary but vast changes. It can be similar situations.
These cases change you so much that you lose yourself in the process. The message of this dream is to be yourself.
5. It is a symbol of rebirth
Before you opened your eyes to see the world, you were in your mother’s womb… floating in water waiting for your birth.
Being in water is related to birth and rebirth. It is representative of a mother’s womb. Here we are coming to the positive meaning of dreams about drowning.
Thus, if you see yourself drowning in a dream but you are feeling safe and not going out of breath, it means you are going to enter a stage of development and success in your waking life.
6. It is a warning of an emotional test
Most of our dreams are hidden messages and warnings from our subconscious mind and the higher self. Dreams about drowning are warnings that you are soon going to face an emotional test.
The dream signifies things are going to change at a fast rate in your waking life. If you are not prepared for the change, you are surely going to drown in due to the pressure.
Thus, take the message from the dream and be prepared to face the situations as they come.
7. Your emotions are burdening you
Dreaming about drowning also represents your mental state of being burdened by emotions.
You are going through so much in your head that you are not able to take it any longer. Your mind is always bombarded with thoughts of all kinds. The majority of these thoughts are related to pain, struggle, sadness, misery, jealousy, and negative feelings.
The negative feelings are so heavy that they burden your mental state day by day. Ultimately, your dreams are not left out of these negative thoughts as well.
8. You are struggling to survive
This meaning relates to your dream if you were struggling to survive while drowning. The dream means that you are feeling the same emotions and hardship in real life but due to different complications.
A happy life requires struggle. Not everyone is blessed with an easy way to achieve their goals and have the kind of results they want.
We often struggle in our daily lives. We fight to survive every single day and dreams about drowning are a reflection of it.
46 Types of Dreams about drowning & its Interpretations
As we have discussed the different meanings of dreams about drowning, it’s time to discuss different types of dreams and their interpretations. Each person is different from another.
Each of them has its own stories, journeys, and obstacles. Depending upon their situations, their dreams vary. With their dreams, their interpretations vary as well. The only constant, in this case, is that all of our dreams have some hidden meanings.
Let’s know about the different types of dreams about drowning and their interpretations to know more:
1. Dreams about drowning yourself
The dream interpretation of drowning yourself in a dream suggests you are struggling with negative and draining emotions in waking life.
These emotions are probably related to intense sadness, depression, and other related feelings. These emotions are enough to make you feel like you are the one responsible for your own misery. The thought is represented in your dream where you see yourself drowning.
2. Dreams of drowning yourself while swimming
If you are scared of water and find it difficult to swim, then this dream is the representation of your fear in waking life.
If this is not the case, then drowning in a dream while swimming or surfing suggests you are going too fast in life. While it’s a good thing to move rapidly towards your goals, putting too much on your plate at a small time can be harmful to your well-being as well as future aspirations.
3. Dreams of being almost drowned yourself
Dreaming about almost being drowned or saving yourself from being drowned in a dream means you are capable of avoiding situations in life that can pose harm to you.
Chances are that you have already avoided or saved yourself from a situation that was threatening to your physical and mental well-being. It can also be a miserable job, a possible theft or a person trying to harm, deceive or fool you.
4. Dream of someone drowning
When you see someone drowning in a dream and feel helpless to save them in any way, it means you are trying to have control over something in real life over which you have zero control.
When you see someone drowning in water and feel no need to save them or protect them in any way, it means you are losing a part of your life for which you no longer care.
5. Dream of you drowning someone
Drowning someone in dreams symbolizes your wish to repress your deeply involved emotions about someone or something.
The act of drowning someone in a dream doesn’t mean you want to murder them in real life. Instead, it means thinking about them or being in contact with them is causing you pain. It means you want to avoid them or never want to see or think about them again.
6. Dream of saving someone from drowning
Dreaming of rescuing someone from drowning means you are totally honest with your own emotions and you have finally acknowledged what you want from life.
The dream of rescuing someone from drowning suggests you are not hurting yourself any longer by ignorance and carelessness. If you fail to rescue the drowning person in your dream, it means you are fearful of a person or a situation in waking life. Try to find the source of fear in your waking life and eliminate it.
7. Dreams of loved ones drowning
Having dreams about your loved ones drowning represents your fear of losing them due to health issues. If your partner is suffering from a health condition, you are fearful of losing them to the disease.
If you dream about your family members drowning, it suggests they are going through health, financial or mental issues in their waking life. Your subconscious is aware of their situation as it takes the tiniest clues and tries to represent them in your dreams.
8. Dreams of saving a child from drowning
When you have a dream about saving a drowning child, it means you are watching an innocent part of yourself being forced to accept the harshness of the real world and you want to stop it. This is the case when we are familiar with the child who was drowning.
If the child is unknown, it means your source of wealth is at risk. Someone is trying to snatch it or harm it in some way.
9. Dreams of saving a baby from drowning
When a baby drowns in your dreams, it means a creative or business idea that was very close to your heart ended in the beginning stage.
If you believe in gender roles, then the gender of the baby determines the types of ideas it was related to. The drowning dream about a baby boy can be assertive in nature while the dream about a baby girl can be nurturing in nature.
10. Dream of your own child drowning
Having a dream about witnessing your own drowning child is nothing but a parent’s concern for their kids. Parents are normally fearful about their children’s safety and want them to be safe in every situation.
If the child is engaged in water sports or similar activities, the fear intensifies. It’s one of the common dreams for those parents who are overly cautious about their children.
12. Dream of drowning in ocean
If you dream about drowning in the ocean, it means you have no one to seek support in your waking life. There was a person who was always there for you but you lost them.
Now that they are no longer present for you, the feeling of not belonging anywhere is killing you. Their absence has made it hard for you to be stable and the pain is drowning you in a materialistic as well as psychological manner.
13. Dream of drowning in river
Dreaming about drowning in a river means you are finding it hard to cope up with life’s way of loading you with responsibilities.
You find yourself drowning in the dream because of a waterfall or violent currents of water. No matter how hard you try, you are helpless to get out of it. You feel the same way while dealing with the real difficulties of your waking life.
14. Dream of drowning under ice or glass
To dream about drowning under ice or glass represents suffocation and the inability to get out of a painful relationship or situation.
This message of this dream is very clear for those who are finding it hard to come out of a toxic or stagnant relationship. Their partner is not helping them evolve in any way. Instead, the person feels suffocated in their presence.
15. Dream about drowning from swimming race or surfing
Dreaming about drowning from a swimming race or surfing represents your wish to compete with others even if it is dangerous for you.
You might be competing with your co-workers, friends, relatives, or neighbors in waking life. You want to be better than them in case of materialistic wealth, social status, and position. You lack the resources and skills for it which is making the entire process extremely exhausting and depressing to you.
16. Dreams about drowning in a car accident
Drowning in a car accident in a dream is not a good sign. It suggests you are likely to fail in the future if your plans are met with complications. The results will leave you sad and depressed.
The meaning differs if you try to come out of the car and accomplish saving yourself. In this case, you are going to be capable of saving yourself from all kinds of obstacles that come your way.
17. Dreams about getting drowned on a sinking boat
Dreaming about getting drowned on a sinking boat suggests your inability in accepting reality as it is. A sinking boat means that the course of your life is not going well.
It can be a job or business plan that is failing you completely. Yet, you chose to believe in it by stating everything is going to be alright. The dream comes as a message that you need to reconsider your decisions by accepting your reality before it is too late.
18. Dreams about getting drowned from natural disasters
Dreaming about getting drowned due to natural disasters represents different types of meanings depending on the disaster.
For instance, if you drowned in your dream because of a tsunami, it means the trapped emotions are seeking a way out of your system. If it’s because of a flood, it means your emotions are getting out of control and drowning you in the process.
19. Drowning in water dream due to misjudging of depth
When you dream about drowning in water due to misjudging of depth, it means the things you consider harmless in safe environments are not so safe.
It determines that you need to lay your focus on your surroundings and be extra cautious for a few days. Some kind of danger may be covering itself somewhere. This danger can either be a person who seems to be innocent and kind, a place considered safe by you, or a situation for which you think you are prepared.
20. Dreams of drowning in mud
Dreaming about drowning in mud is related to your moral imbalance. The dream symbolizes the wrongdoings you are committing in your waking life. These actions are probably against your morals.
Even though you can’t resist yourself from going against your values this time or can’t get out of the situation after committing it once, your inner self is not able to deal with the change. It is still not possible to accept that you can commit such a thing and it tries to access it through this dream.
21. Dreams of drowning in blood
People dream about drowning in blood when they have implicated hurt on other people’s sentiments and harmed their livelihood or mental peace.
You may try to be cool about it. But your subconscious mind is burdened with guilt. It cannot deal with the trauma that you have caused to others and thus tries to analyze it by this dream.
22. Dreams of drowning in milk
To dream about drowning in milk suggests you are engaged with so many good things in life that you are unable to enjoy the benefits of any one of them. Instead, they are adding up to harm you.
The dream is a message that you need to limit your time and efforts to only a few important things. Otherwise, you can harm yourself along the way.
23. Dreams of drowning in chocolate
Dreams about drowning in your favorite dessert mean two things – either you are enjoying blissful abundance or you are craving for an unsatisfied wish.
Food is the representation of craving or the urge to satisfy one’s needs. Drowning in chocolate can also mean that either you are enjoying way too much physical pleasure or you are totally devoid of it.
24. Dreams of cat drowning
The dream about a drowning cat is sure to be depressing. Thankfully, it doesn’t have a negative interpretation.
Cats in dreams are a symbol of your feminine side and creative energy. It is the symbol of your independent nature who doesn’t want to get restricted. If the cat saves itself from drowning, it means you have saved your feminine side from losing its existence. It also represents the women in your life who are strong and dominating.
25. Dreams of dog drowning
Dogs are the man’s best friend. In both waking life and dream dictionary, they remain the symbol of friendship and loyalty.
Having a dream about a dog drowning means you are having trouble with your friendship in waking life. You must be already aware of the situation. If not, it’s time to have a check on your close friends and make sure if everything is going alright with them.
26. Dreams of horse drowning
The dream symbols of the horse are power, passion, freedom, sex drive, and endurance. It is a positive sign to see a horse in a dream.
But if the horse is drowning in your dream, it suggests a negative sign. It means you are having problems in living life to its fullest. Your excitement and happiness levels are going down. It is also possible that you are experiencing the absence of sex drive or feeling trapped in a situation or a relationship.
27. Dreams of drowning in waves
If you are drowning in your dreams because the waves are against you and you are unable to fight against them, it means there are problems and issues in your life which you are finding hard to deal with.
These problems are over empowering you which makes you feel as if you are being drowned in worries. If the waves throw you to the rocks, the hurt determines people are hurting you in real life.
28. Drowning in a pool dream when alone
To dream about drowning in a dream and having no one around to save you means there is an ongoing issue in your life and you need to take the responsibility to change it.
The dream represents there is no one on whom you can depend upon for support. It also means that your lifestyle is not helping you anymore. You need to bring changes in it as soon as possible.
29. Drowning in a pool when there are many people
If you are drowning in a swimming pool in a dream and a crowd is watching the process, it means everyone in your waking life is aware that your lifestyle is toxic and you need to change it on your own.
In your dream, you may try to shout for help from others but no one comes forward. Even if they come forward, they fail to help you. The clear meaning of the dream is that only you can take yourself out of the miserable situation that you are in right now.
30. Dreams about surviving a drowning
Dreaming about surviving a drowning on your own means you are able to fight the problems and diverse situations of your life on your own. You are independent, strong, and powerful enough to face all the adversities that life throws at you.
If you dream that someone else is saving you from drowning, it means you are dependent on others in your waking life. If you know the person who saves you in a dream, it tells that your subconscious mind is asking you to trust this person in waking life.
31. Dreams of drowning in a bathtub
A bathtub represents the cleansing of oneself. If you see a dream where you are drowning in a bathtub, it means you should work towards cleansing your mind and soul.
If the water of the bathtub is dirty due to your filth, it means you are immersing yourself in bad habits and carrying out immoral actions which are weighing you down.
32. Dreams of drowning in a boat
Drowning in a boat in a dream means you are struggling to reside in your comfort zone but it is taking you to your doom. Even if it’s hurting you in several ways, you are hesitant to come out of your comfort zone. The dream is a message that you should do something amazing and adventurous.
The dream suggests that you should come out of the boat that represents your comfort zone and do an adventurous task by swimming towards the shores instead of drowning with the boat.
33. Dreams of drowning in a car
Dreaming about drowning in a car represents failed plans and unsuccessful attempts. It suggests your life is not going the way you planned it. The results are extremely upsetting and are affecting your peace of mind.
The drowning of a car in a dream means your life is not moving towards the right course and can soon face its doom. If you want to save yourself from future complications, take this dream as a warning to reflect on your plans and goals.
34. Dreams about slowly sinking while drowning
This dream is a pretty intense one as while most of our dreams are very fast-paced, this dream takes you slowly through the terrible event of drowning in a dream. In your waking life, others are imposing many tasks on you.
They have high expectations from you and sometimes they knowingly ask you for favors as you don’t know how to say “no”. The dream means you are getting overwhelmed in the process of helping others and performing their tasks again and again. It’s time to set some boundaries without any guilt and focus on your own needs before anything else.
35. Dreams of committing suicide by drowning
Dreams about death mark the “symbolic death” of a certain part of your life. It can be your job, task, or feelings for someone. It can even be your own bad habits.
When you dream of committing suicide by drowning, it means you are marking the end of your own bad habits and toxic patterns. It means you are making your way towards something new and positive. But if you dream about death when you are suicidal in waking life, I request you to seek professional help.
36. Dreams of someone trying to drown you
If someone is trying to drown you in a dream, you should be very cautious in your waking life. Though, this dream doesn’t mean someone is literally going to murder you in waking life.
Instead, this dream means that there are some people in your waking life who want to harm you and put you down. It can be your co-workers, ex of your partner, or jealous relatives and neighbors. Pay attention to their actions to avoid any harm.
37. Dreams of being saved from drowning
If you see you are being saved from drowning in a dream, it suggests you are going to dodge a bullet in your waking life. The dream brings good luck and suggests you are assured to be safe in the near future.
The dream doesn’t guarantee that your life will have a lack of struggles. You will face struggles but you will come safely out of it at the right moment.
38. Dreams about a drowned person
This dream is a warning to you and your close ones to be safe and secure. The dream interpretation of this lies on the awful side. It means something bad is going to happen to you and your loved ones.
The dream says that you have high chances of experiencing an accident in the near future. It can also be a warning of losing your loved ones due to an accident or in the process of theft.
39. Dreams about drowned bodies in river
This dream seems like a scene straight out of a thriller Hollywood movie. The worst thing about this dream is that it seems absolutely real and the hidden meaning is not positive either.
The hidden meaning of the dream suggests bad things are on their way. You can face difficulties, struggles, and sadness in your life. Such dreams are also a sign that you may suffer from loss of wealth in waking life.
40. Dreams about drowning in a swamp
Like the majority of the drowning dreams, this dream comes under the list of negative dream meanings as well. According to this dream, you are going to suffer from monetary wealth in the near future.
If you are going to make business decisions, be very careful about the minor details as one bad decision can change the course of your life. Not only that, but the dream also warns you about the threat to your health and mental peace. If things are worse, you can also lose someone close to you.
41. Dreams about losing someone in a drowning accident
Losing someone in a drowning accident represents your concern for them, as well as the possible chances of actually losing them in waking life. The person you lost in the dream to drowning can be a partner, friend, family member, and children.
Depending upon the recent events of your waking life, the unconscious mind plays out this dream in cases of monetary loss as well. It’s a bad luck sign that you might suffer from financial issues.
42. Dreams about struggling not to drown
If you are struggling in your dreams, it means you are struggling in your real life as well. You are confused in real life and struggling to deal with your own emotions.
It is possible that someone hurt you in waking life. Their words and actions hurt you to the core. It was so intense that you were unable to decide the suitable reaction to the same thing. Now, your mind is struggling to cope up with the pain and find a way out of the situation.
43. Dream of baby drowning
The dream symbol of a baby in a dream represents new beginnings and new ideas. It also symbolizes a new project you are working on and a new life you are trying to create.
To dream about a baby drowning means your baby project, new life, or new relationship is in danger. Babies are also a mark of innocence. According to the dream, you may also lose your innocence along the way.
44. Dreams of drowning in a pool where everyone else is drowning with you
If other people are also drowning with you in a pool, it means you are not the only one who is struggling with problems and grief. Your close ones are also in pain.
The dream means your struggle also affects your family or co-workers. As water is related to emotions, it means your company or family is facing a loss which is the cause of immense sadness for all of them.
45. Dream of dying due to drowning
First of all, the dream of dying due to drowning was a horrible experience and enough to give you nightmares. Secondly, the hidden meaning is not going to console you either.
The dream means you are going to fail in your journey to accomplish your goals and aspirations. You will fail to deal with the obstacles that life is throwing in your way. Take this dream as a motivation to work and try harder with a positive mindset.
46. Dream of drowning your ex-partner
Breakups are bad and leave you miserable for months. It’s natural to hate your ex-partner while trying to move away from them. This dream of drowning your ex-partner suggests you have finally allowed yourself to break free from them and move on with your life.
The dream meaning becomes dangerous when you are trying to hurt them in real life. In this case, the dream appears as a form of “wish fulfillment”.
What does it mean to keep dreaming about drowning?
Recurring behavior of drowning dreams reveals that your issue is deep-rooted in your conscience and you require professional help.
If you recently had a dream in which you or your close ones were drowning, it means you and your close ones are going through emotional or financial turbulences. The dreams are going to stop after a moment.
But if the cycle continues for years and you keep having dreams about drowning, again and again, it means your issue is deep-rooted in your conscience. In this case, you should seek professional help like hypnotherapy and meditation.
The two things may help you to find the main cause behind these dreams. Recurring dreams about drowning are the result of the loss you suffered in your childhood. It can also be due to a painful divorce, getting insulted and fired from a dream job, or death.
By finding the root cause, you will find it easier to deal with the issue and heal yourself in the process. Healing is important to be at peace and live life with a positive mindset.
Spiritual Meaning of Drowning
Spiritual interpretation of drowning dreams represents death, helplessness, or an overflow of emotions.
As you are dreaming, your mind is clearing your memory banks. It is playing out the events of the day. It is even able to play out those aspects of the day that are purely emotional and are happening at a subconscious level. All these events have an effect on your spiritually.
We talk about how we are drowning in work and responsibilities. Our subconscious mind takes these as metaphors and presents them as a dream. The spiritual meaning of drowning represents death, helplessness, and overflow of emotions. All these things are vital to your spiritual journey. If these areas of your life are affected, there’s no way you can achieve peace and spirituality in your waking life.
The dreams are warning that things are not going as planned. Thus, it is impossible to eliminate these negative feelings to connect to your inner soul and higher self. You can do this by taking time out for yourself and meditating.
Biblical meaning of drowning in a dream
According to the Bible, drowning dreams represents temptations that drive you away from your ultimate goal.
Depending upon your dream type and the current events of your waking life, dreams about drowning have many biblical interpretations. First of all, the biblical meaning of dreams about drowning represents your temptation. Your enemy is trying to destroy your success and happiness by tempting you to do things that are against the values of the Bible.
If you are drowning in water and the water takes you to different places, it means you have lost control over your life and emotions. Not only that, but it also means you are lost spiritually. The dream also means you have no faith in your dreams and aspirations. You already feel like losing in your life.
To save yourself from the possible threats, pray to Jesus to save you from unexpected losses.
Questions to Ask Yourself to Interpret Drowning Dreams Correctly
There are multiple types of drowning dreams and there are multiple dream interrelations about dreams related to drowning. Now, you have to find the exact meaning of your drowning dream to reach the core and eliminate the issue. Hence, ask yourself the following questions as a dream interpreter to find the exact meaning of what your dream symbolizes.
- What is your biggest fear in waking life?
- What happened to you after you drowned in water? Were you safe? Were you unconscious? Or did you die?
- If you were drowning a person in your dream, how were you feeling during the process?
- If you were drowning a person in your dreams, how did you feel when you woke up about the dream?
- When you were drowning in the dream, did the water drown you at a fixed position, or were you taken to a long distance by the waves of the water?
- How were you feeling after you woke up from the dream? Were you calm and relaxed? Or were you terrified and out of breath?
- What was the location of your drowning dream?
Remember, dreams are easy to interpret if you remember the details.
So, when you dream about drowning, wake up and write everything that you remember in a notepad.
And if the interpretation is a warning, make sure you are cautious about it. Or, if it is an awareness of your emotional behavior, make sure you work on it!
If you get dreams about miscarriage then check its meaning here.
