River / Lake Dream Interpretation: Insights from 1 Unique Sources

In dreams, rivers indicate the eternal change and flow of life, serving as a reminder that change and renewal can be something refreshing, strong and not to be feared. Streams and brooks are gentler images of change. A riverbank may represent the security of the conscious mind if you go swimming or paddling in the river of the unconscious.

If your dream reveals an image of yourself contemplating on the river bank, pay attention to how you feel. Are you anxious or feeling confident? If an artificial embankment or levee appears in your dream, this may be a sign that you need to build stronger defenses as you are in danger of being submerged by unconscious desires.

In dreams, lakes are symbols of the unconscious. What lurks beneath the water? If you dream of fishing, swimming or sailing on the lake, this can suggest contentment; if you are drowning, this suggests anxiety. For Jung, a lake, like the sea and the river, is a symbol of the mother archetype. A dream pond can suggest hidden depths. When you see a swamp in your dream, it is referring to a part of your life that is dark and hidden, or to something that is holding you back.

If you see a marsh, this may refer to anxieties that undermine your confidence in waking life. A spring is an image of beginnings and, as such, it symbolizes maternity in dreams as well as purity and clear, clean water.

According to Freudians, the image can suggest joyful sexuality. Jungians might see dreams springs as an image of the inner life or spiritual beginnings. A waterfall unites images of female and male sexuality with the foam of the tumbling waters evocative of the sensations of orgasm. Alternatively, the turbulence of the waterfall can represent powerful changes in your life.

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