Example: ‘When inside the house I dream of recurrently, I am terrified of someone, a man who is trying to find and kill me’ (Barbara T). As a young woman Barbara discovered the dead body of her father (he had shot himself) in the house of her dream. Being killed shows Barbara feeling overwhelmed by the feelings about her father—the man. Being killed: an interior or exterior influence which you feel is ‘killing’—undermining, making ineffective, strangling, choking— one’s self confidence or sense of identity. Killing: repressing or stopping some aspect of oneself, as when we kill our love for someone. Killing parents, animals: see family; animals.
Example: ‘Some two weeks before my dear wife died of cancer of the oesophagus, at about three a.m. in the morning, she shot up in bed screaming “No. No! No!” On questioning her she said her mother, who had died in November 1981, was trying to kill her’ (Gerry B). In this unusual dream the wife feels the approach of death, depicted by her mother. As dreams suggest, death is as much a new area of experience as adolescence was, it would have helped the dreamer if she had taken time to develop a more positive relationship with her mother as described in dream processing.
See Also: death.
[1]If you dream that you kill someone, it means that you are facing a serious conflict between your desires and the moral principles that you are forced to follow. This dream also reveals the unconscious attempt to suppress part of your mind you do not accept; so you may be killing some aspect of your nature you dislike. A good example of this is the case of a man who dreams of killing a woman. The real reason is probably that he wants to reject his feminine side at all cost. Such dreams must be analyzed very carefully, as they reveal the need to deepen within ourselves and find some acceptable outlet in order to avoid a violent situation. The dream could also be motivated by a feeling negative toward someone, which leads you to let off steam in a dream.
There will be disputes and you will have to make sacrifices.
[2]To kill someone or to be killed represents destroying parts of the self, killing off beliefs, behaviors or energies represented by the victim.
If you are killing a parent, you are getting rid of some of your outmoded parental behavior or the old way of relating to a parent.
If killing a child, you are destroying the child part of yourself or perhaps certain childish behaviors. Note whether killing male or female, old or young, and so on. Whether the aspects of self are useless and no longer needed or valuable and being denied, depends upon the dream context.
If you are being killed and bleeding, you are losing energy or the life force. Your own thoughts, actions or others in your life are taking your energy.
See Also: Blood.
[3]Dreams of killing someone signify a desire to get rid of an unacceptable aspect of self, extreme -denial, perfectionism, suppressed anger, rage, destruction, fear, defensiveness and an expression of your fight for survival. Consider who is being killed and by who, and this will help you to receive the gift of this dream.
For example, if you dream of killing a male, then you are attempting to kill off your masculine energy; if you are killing a female, then you are attempting to kill your female energy, etc. Also, this dream may denote your desire to eliminate a destructive habit.
See Also: Shadow, Integration Dreams, Venting Dreams.
[4]Psychological / emotional perspective: Killing is an extreme answer to a problem.
It is such a final act that in dreams it can often represent our perception of the need for an act of violence. In particular this may be against ourselves or a part of our personality that is no longer acceptable.
The impulse may not be correct, though some adjustment needs to be made.
[5]Material aspects: To dream of being killed suggests we are under an influence – usually external – which is making us, or an aspect of our personality, ineffective in everyday life. Killing someone in a dream is attempting to be rid of the influence they have over us.
[6]The act of killing in a dream need not be negative.
As we grow and change, it often feels like we are “killing off ’ old parts of our life. Alternatively, killing in a dream may mean that one has murdered the incentive or enthusiasm for life. (See Also: Murder).
[7]To dream about killing is not necessarily negative. It often means the dreamer is letting go of old habits and attitudes in order to go on to a new stage of life. However, a dream of being a hitman (a hired killer) is negative - see “Killer”, below.
[8]Killing almost inevitably symbolizes a violent ending of some sort. Often there is a struggle involved and spiritually it is important in dreams that we are the one who overcomes our opponent.
[9]See Also: Murder, re persons.
To kill an animal is usually symbolic.
The dreamer wishes to be nil of a difficult situation that appears to be like an animal.
See Also: Animals.
[10]To dream you kill a man signifies assuredness of business; to dream you kill your father, is a bad sign; to dream you are killed, denotes loss to him who has killed you.
[11]Spiritually kill with harmful words; see “knife”, “gun”, and “dead”
[12]See Also: Murder.
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