Swimming

Usually this shows your degree of confidence in dealing with the sort of impacts, anxieties or emotions which cause some people to ‘go under’, either in relationships or something like running a family or business. It indicates how you meet the many influences, urges and thoughts that buffet you and in which you live.

Example: ‘I looked at a large pool where a river surfaced. A woman swam in it and was going to enter tunnels leading away from it. As I watched I saw some huge crocodiles swim toward her. With great speed and confidence she swam away, obviously being able to match the threat.’ Laurie V.

Laurie explored the dream and found the swimming expressed his growing confidence in meeting feelings which in past years had led to depression.

Swimming can also be about expressive motivation, trusting yourself in life, and being confident sexually. There is an element of personal survival in swimming, and the dream might well emphasise this sometimes.

A parent dreaming about its child swimming might very well be considering whether they will ‘sink or swim’ in their dealings with life, and many women dream of swimming or being in the water during menstruation. See: Diving; Pool; Sea; Swimming pool; Water.

Idioms: In the swim; swim against the tide; sink or swim.

Useful questions:

Where am I swimming and what is the general feeling involved…am I swimming easily or with difficulty?

Is this about self confidence and trust that I can handle what I meet in life?

Do I feel fear and apprehension about my emotions, not trusting my ability to keep afloat?

Was this a healing dream, as in immersing myself in water as a cleansing influence?

Hanging about not getting in: Hesitation about a change, getting involved or something new in life.

Learning to swim: Learning to survive in a new environment, such as happens when we emerge from childhood into adult sexual drives, or the school or work environment.

Swimming against the current or tide: Meeting opposition, either from within or others. Perhaps you are moving against general opinions, or have feeling difficulties creating indecision or feelings of pressure.

Swimming underwater: Taking awareness into what was unconscious, so looking within and seeing what goes on under the surface in relationships, the body, etc. If easy it suggests ease meeting the varied aspects of your being.

Swimming with other people: Sharing common feelings, goals, etc., or your connections with others.

Diving in: Taking the plunge in a new activity, relationship or way of life.