Anxiety Dream Interpretation: Insights from 14 Unique Sources

(See Fear)

When anxiety features in a dream it may be just that - straightforward anxiety. On the other hand, it may be a disguise for some repressed aggression or resentment.

Ixt us say you dream of the death of a loved one, and you wake up in a sweat and frantic with concern about that person (partner, parent or whatever). It may be that the anxiety you felt in the dream and / or on waking from the dream is what Freud called a defence mechanism - that is, a ruse we adopt for protecting ourselves against unbearable, unacceptable feelings. The first time we experience a strong negative feeling against someone near to us, we tend to ‘put it out of mind’. In realitv, however, what happens to such banished feelings is not that

they disappear; rather, they remain with us, in the unconscious part of our psyche. Rejection of feelings because they are morally repugnant or terrifying in their possible consequences is what Freud called ‘repression’ or ‘suppression’. (Remember: suppression is a conscious act, repression an unconscious act.) What causes us to suppress or repress a feeling of hatred or jealousy or resentment, or a desire to kill or hurt or perform some other socially proscribed act, is anxiety - anxiety about the consequences. Therefore, whenever anxiety reappears in our dreams we need to look for possible repressed feelings or desires that brought the anxiety about in the first place.

‘A dream is a (disguised) fulfilment of a (suppressed or repressed) wish,’ said Freud in his epoch-making book The Interpretation of Dreams; and this, he went on, applied even - no, especially - to so-called anxiety dreams. Freud is wrong, of course, in over-generalizing: many anxiety dreams are quite straightforward undisguised expressions of fears for someone or about some situation. However, do not assume that Freud is wrong with regard to any particular dream before you have honestly examined both your dream and yourself with a view to finding (which may mean recollecting) a negative desire that might be lurking behind the dream’s cloak of anxiety.

One of the categories of dreams that Freud classified as ‘typical’ is the death of a person of whom the dreamer is fond. vSuch dreams, said Freud, always represent the dreamer’s wish that the person should die. Between brothers and sisters there is often jealousy, and wicked wishes arising in childhood may be harboured in the unconscious for a very long time - for as long as we care to leave them there. The same applies to the jealousy and hatred a young child may feel towards a parent.

It may be that your dream of a loved one dying is prompted by a recent worry about the loved one. But dreams whose contents are determined by recent experiences may express feelings that have a long history in your life. Indeed, it could be that, if the loved one in the dream is your partner, any jealousy or hatred you may be feeling towards him or her mav be the jealousy or hatred you felt as a child towards your parent of the opposite sex, now transferred to your partner. Repressed hostile feelings have a way of repeating themselves in one situation alter another, with one person after another.

Being plagued by anxiety is often a sign that you arc dealing with mistakes you’ve made. Feelings of guilt and lack of confidence are most often the reasons for nightmares.

The dream may also indicate fear of chaos and problems—sometimes also a far-reaching change in your life. Being hunted by terrible images: you are harboring secret worries, or people you consider dangerous are the cause of the anxiety.

If you frequendy dream about being fearful and anxious: courage and being more assertive will make it easier to overcome hurdles. Making others fearful: a difficult situation or disappointment ahead. Sometimes anxietv-filled dreams are a sign of physical symptoms, like heart problems. Frequent anxiety dreams would suggest that you make an appointment with your physician for a check up.

For women in particular, nightmares are often a sign of physical problems.

The circulatory system may also be reacting to a heavy meal, too much smoking, too much alcohol.

No one has yet discovered the function of dreams in our lives. Some scientists believe that we sleep in order to dream, because dreams tidy all our emotions. Different experiments have shown that people who are sleep deprived present greater emotional disorders (for example, a disproportionate anxiety). Dreams, therefore, bring the psychological balance back.

It is very common to have dreams that express anxiety and emotions that you cannot channel in real life. According to Freud, they show repressed aggression and resentment. Many of those, in fact, come from the subject’s childhood. So wherever this oneiric anxiety appears, it is advisable to seek the hidden feelings that really cause it.

Some beliefs state that anxiety dreams indicate exactly the opposite. In other words, it won’t be long until your concerns are resolved. And, in a sense, when the individual expresses their fears in dreams, they get closer to their dissipation.

Be patient, good is on the way. Experiencing much anxiety in your dream state may be related to your current difficulties and everyday life. Gaps may exist between the way things are and the way you would like them to be. Older interpretation books suggest that when you dream about anxiety, the contrary is true and that your worries will be lessened. However, always keep the compensatory nature of dreams in mind.

If you are not feeling anxiety during the day, it could be that you are ignoring it and that it will appear in your dream. Therefore, look at the details of your dream and attempt to identify the anxiety-provoking situations in your daily life.

If you dreamed of experiencing anxiety, or noticing someone else was acting anxious, the dream is warning you to control your tendency to be overgenerous with your resources. Any friends you win by going overboard in your generosity - whether with your time and trouble, or with material things - are not really worth keeping.

To dream that you are experiencing anxiety indicates similar emotions in your waking life. Perhaps your dream is being influenced by certain negative feelings and emotions arising from some situation or matter in your waking life. This dream also serves as a warning not to mix your personal life with your working life.

A dream of this kind is occasionally a good omen, denoting, after threatening states, success and rejuvenation of mind; but if the dreamer is anxious about some momentous affair, it indicates a disastrous combination of business and social states.

Dreams that carry an anxious feeling represent resistance to your life circumstances or that you are grappling with your fears.

See Venting Dreams.

Worries, fears, and apprehension that may have been discounted or banished from one’s mind often find expression in dreams of anxiety.

A dream of contrary, which shows that some worry will be relieved very shortly.

lucky numbers: 03-16-30-35-43-45

apprehension, having: do things your own way as in the past.

children, over: wil escape a present peril.

finances: family quarrels.

friends: expect too many favors for little effort.

being plagued with: don’t let anger at past mistakes block your future.

chaotic life, about: be assertive in overcoming hurdles to your progress.

frantic, being: strenuous times fol owed by a peaceful holiday.

others: advancement within company.

relatives: wil receive a smal inheritance.

having: must recognize enemies before you confront them.

painful, of the mind: what you desire is forbidden and wrong.

images of, about: expose your secret worries to your mate.

vibrating, some part of body: schedule a physical exam.