Understanding and Interpreting
Dreams:
Dreams of Being Chased
Dreams of being chased probably have a
deep, evolutionary origin. After all, our ancient  ancestors actually were chased by all manner of predators, and
this fear of being chased and caught has remained part
of our hard wired nature.
Even today, after all fears of
predation have been removed from our waking lives, dreams of being
chased are there to remind us of our earlier animal nature. In
modern societies, dreams of being chased
can often arise from feelings of general anxiety experienced in the waking
hours.
The way the dreamer responds to
feels of pressure and anxiety while awake is often reflected in the dream
state. Chase dreams can manifest themselves in a variety of ways. Often the dreamer will dream about being chased by
an attacker or pursuer who the dreamer fears will hurt or kill them. In
these dreams, the dreamer attempts to run from, hide from or otherwise outwit the pursuer. These dreams can
often be very realistic, and chase dreams are some of the most
commonly reported nightmares.
Chase dreams can be reactions to
events in your waking life. For instance, there may be something you're
supposed to do but have been avoiding. If this proposed action
is a source of fear, stress and confusion,
is can sometimes manifest in your dream life as an attacker or pursuer.
Instead of facing your fear, you're running from it, and the attacker in your dreams represents the thing you are
trying to get away from or avoid in real life.
People troubled by recurring
dreams of being chased often benefit from an examination of their waking
life. Finding the thing that they are running from in real life,
and confronting it, is
often an e ffective way of banishing frequent chase
dreams.
In some cases the pursuer or
attacker in a chase dream represents not an outside force but part of your
self instead. Unresolved feelings of anger, jealousy and fear can
often enter your dreams in the form of a
threatening or frightening figure. In reality, the attacker in your dreams
is a representation of these issues in your waking life.
Dreams where you are being chased
can be easy to turn around for many people. Some people are better than
others at taking an active role in their dream, but everyone who is aware of their dream should at least try to
resolve a frightening dream. For instance, the next time you are
being chased in a dream, try turning around and confronting the pursuer. Ask the
pursuer what he or she wants and why they are chasing you.
People who are indulging in self
destructive behaviors, or consumed by self destructive emotions like
jealously or anger, are often troubled by dreams of being
chased.
Chase dreams can be an attempt by
your subconscious to reach you and call attention to your self destructive
behaviors.
Of course chase dreams do not
always have such symbolic interpretation. Often dreams where you
are being chased represent literal fear of becoming a crime
victim.
These type of direct fear chase
dreams are more common among women than men. Women, especially those
living in high crime areas, often feel vulnerable and afraid in
their waking lives, and this fear can spill
over into the dream state and manifest itself as a chase
dream.
No matter what the reason for the
chase dream, it is usually possible to reduce the occurrence of such
dreams. The first step is a careful examination of the factors that are
causing these dreams to occur. Whether the
dream is a manifestation of a symbolic or a literal fear, confronting the
thing you are afraid of is the best way to banish these frightening nighttime visitors.
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