Bear
Often people dream of a bear coming to attack them, but because all the images, people, animals, places we see in our dreams, are simply your own feelings, fears, hopes and wonder projected onto the screen of your sleeping mind as images, there us nothing to be afraid of. So, it makes sense to take the image of your dream person, thing or animal back into you and own it. In that way, you are actually meeting and dealing with the things about yourself you are not owning or conscious of. That is why dreams are often difficult to understand, because we are hiding things from ourselves. To do this you can use – Being the Person or Thing and it is helpful to read Levels of the Brain
Whenever we dream its images are not like real life, because a dream is nothing like outer life where things could hurt you, but is an image like on a cinema screen, so that even if a gun is pointed at you and fired it can do no damage – except if you run in fear; so, all the things that scare you are simply your own fears projected onto the screen of your sleeping mind. Also dreams exress in a very ancient language, language that developed in ancient life forms before ever words were invented. The ancient languge is one that has taught youngsters by for millions of years by watching what mother or father fox, bear wolf did – all without words. This photo says it all – the family of bears are intently watching what mum is doing. they learn by seeing it, no words were spoken.
So the angry bear is an image of your own angry feelings that have not been expressed and are attacking you. We now know that such inturned anger can cause illness or depression.
Example: A huge black panther chased me. I fell and it clawed my back. It was about to chew my back to bite me. I didn’t know whether to relax or struggle. After being floored by the Panther I managed to get up. I later imagined being the panther. I allowed the panther to eat me, and I thus became the panther. Then I, as the panther, noticed feeling enormous temper – anger – hate. And I was amazed to see that my cousin Sidney was the cause of such powerful emotions. He was older than me and had mercilessly teased me as a child. The panther was my own feelings of anger, at last released.
But here is a very different example:
Example: I was standing on my patio and there was a bear inside the fence also there were children taunting the bear. I yelled at the kids to stop teasing the bear. Then all of a sudden the bear came towards me; it was a brown bear with its massive size and it stopped and looked at me. Although I was frightened I was courageous enough to pet the bears head, reaching over his large mouth to reach his head. Then, all of a sudden the bear lay on his back and I begin to brush my hand on his chest as to pet him in a downward motion, the bear just gazed at me.
A bear can have a similar meaning to elephant in the eastern countries – a tremendous force or energy, that if met badly can lead to conflict with your own nature and ill health, or if met well can be a tremendous protector and force for good.
Sometimes said to represent a possessive mother, and the feelings this has aroused. But in many cases the bear will represent a meeting with dangerous emotions such as fear, anger or being easily aroused. There might also be associations with independence, or strength. See: Dreams are Like a Computer Game; Animal.
Through television and the many ‘nature’ films which are now a part of our wider education, we can see that the bear is largely a solitary creature, capable of living alone and surviving. This, and its human way of standing and holding its arms out in a hugging posture, may be the major factors from which a ‘bear’ dream arises. In many dreams the bear is not at all harmful, and can be treated as a friend.
Through these we can also see the bear as a wonderful mother and protector.
We may therefore associate the bear with feelings about living alone or surviving by our own strength; it can refer to the confrontation with feelings we have about independence, or the meeting with strength and independence in someone else. It can confront us with massive or dangerous rage, such as ‘the bear with a sore head’. In this case it might represent your relationship with someone who is touchy or grouchy, powerful, possessiveness or smothering, as a parent or lover might be.
Also it might represent your relationship with someone who is a parent or lover; it could suggest a desire to withdraw or hibernate; the ‘animal’ side of our relationship with our parents; a play on words, such as ‘bare’, bare facts, bearing with something or someone, ‘bearing’ ones soul, bearing in mind, a ‘bearer’ of tidings, come to bear, overbearing, getting ones bearings, bear fruit or bear-hug.
If the bear is felt as aggressive and dangerous, ask yourself what in your own inner feelings do you feel is aggressive and you don’t want to let it get out into what you express. In other words. what is it that you habitually repress from being expressed – your anger?
It is best to let the angry bear be expressed in you imagination. You can do this by being the angry bear and let it loose – see – Being the Person or Thing
But the bear can also be like the Beauty and the Beast, in which the dangerous beast is tame with the influence of kindness. So the bear relates to person who can be kind, but could also be a dangerous when roused.
It could suggest a desire to withdraw or hibernate. Because of traditional cultural associations, and its ability to hibernate, the bear can represent the ability to die and be reborn.
As the bear rears its childrfen alone without any male about, if oyu have been in that situation it can reer to you. But whateveer else it represent, remember that is an image of our relationship with our own ‘animal’ side. Please see the following to understand this important feature – Mammal Brain
There can be a play on words, such as ‘bare’, bare facts, bearing with something or someone, ‘bearing’ ones soul, bearing in mind, a ‘bearer’ of tidings, come to bear, overbearing, getting ones bearings, bear fruit or bear-hug. Because of traditional cultural associations, and its ability to hibernate, the bear can represent the ability to die and be reborn.
Bear attacking: It could mean that you are feeling or dealing with anger in yourself or another.
But many people dream of being chased by a bear and maybe run in fear or terror from the bear. Not only in your own dreams, but other people’s, it is obvious that we take into our sleep and dreams all the fears, terrors we carry within us. The huge bear, tiger or frightening person they are terrified of is actually fears either inherited or are frightening experiences from the past. They are purely mental things that you haven’t faced, and are therefore the victims of – victims of your own fears. But in dreams in you cannot die – or drown, or burn or any other threatening thing. We make the mistake of taking our very real values from our outer life into our inner life of dreams. If a bear or critter is chasing you, it is only a dream image and so what are you running from? If you drop the image if the bear/critter what you have is a feeling or emotion such as fear. And why are you running like crazy from an emotion? Remember that nothing can hurt you in your dreams, but you can feel fear. See The animal in my dream
And do not think, “That monster is bigger and stronger than I am, and it is frightening!!” It is our thoughts and fears that create the monsters inside us. So of course you are stronger unless you cower in fear.
But that only refers to outer bears, not dream bears. In some northern towns a bear or polar bear can be a real danger, so in your dreams it may be about a threat you need to keep watch for – although it is a bear in your dream, it could be any threat.
It can also, like the following dream, show a fight against disease.
Example: I dreamt that I was my older brother. As him, and yet at the same time myself, I was trying to fight off an attacking bear. I was doing all I could to defeat it but there was no let up.
Two days later my brother suddenly died from a vicious virus he had contracted while doing his job as a taxi driver. I feel as if I were fighting the disease with him in the dream, but we both lost the battle.
Baby or toy bear: Often represents a child or a young dreamer.
Tame or loving bear: Many people have no fear of animals in their dreams but are like the examples below. Fear is caused because we mix up our dream life with our outer life.
Example: In my dream I was actually happy to see bears lying down at the entrance of my parent’s old house. They were all lying down there as if waiting for me. When they felt my presence they woke up. They were happy and groaning amicably when they saw me approaching them. And there were babies too! I never felt fear or any threat but happiness to see them … and I knew it was mutual.
Example: My dream was not frightful. My Bear dream and I were walking, he put his nose in my hand and nuzzled, we walked home, I went up to my door and Bear went next door and rolled around in the neighbors driveway and rested.
But as people are educated in the modern paradigm, many of us are totally out of touch with the animal that we are, and have never been able to raise it to love and protect us, and instead are often frightened of it when it appears on their dreams. As a child we are often told not to do things – such as do not get angry, or told to be nice to everyone, but the intuitive animal side of us feels and act on its superior insight – that would allow them to mature with our animal self intact so we grow up repressing it, and often miss the natural curiosity of our inner mammal.
So if you have a loving animal dream you have a very good and healthy relationship with your inner animal. See Levels of the Brain and Summing Up
Three bears as with father bear, mother bear etc.: Family situation or parental relationship.
If hint of money in the dream: might refer to ‘bear market’.
Useful Questions and Hints:
What were your feelings and interactions with the bear? (For instance were you avoiding, running from cooperating with, watching from a distance – and where does ‘avoiding’, ‘running from’, ‘cooperating’, or ‘observing’ enter your life at the moment?)
If you imagine yourself as the bear in your dream, what do you feel and experience?
See Stand in Role; Processing Dreams; Summing Up
Comments
I have had a reoccurring aspect in my dreams since I was 12 years old. I live in Alaska and I often will be dreaming about anything, space, having a nightmare, sex, love, having another reoccurring dream. It Doesnt matter what it is, but the dream will be half through the plot, when all of sudden this huge Sow starts chasing me. Sometimes I get away from the Sow, but most the time I am attacked and killed in my dreams.
Like I said, most the time I have a dream about something irrelevant and then this Sow appears, sometimes and rarely…I have a dream solely about this bear.
It have been haunting me since I was 12 ( I am 25) What does it mean?
Caleb – It means that at 12 you met fear of this bear and haven’t yet got rid of it.
In our dreams we are totally alone in what is like a computer game – except in dreams we are totally enmeshed with it. It is like a magic mirror in which we see a reflection of our feelings, thoughts and fears. In such games you can be killed a thousand times and yet you survive to deal with the monsters again. That is unless you learn a way through and go on through the levels. But unlike those games there is a wonderful intelligence behind the dreams we have, and if you listen and learn from it you will find a real mastership – not a false one of deny any fear or repressing anything that threatens you.
So instead of running face the sow and do not budge. You can imagine this while awake to practice it, and then it will happen in your dreams.
Tony
I have dreams about animals more and more often now and my dreams are very vivid. last night I had a dream that a black bear and 3 cubs were trying to get into my house through my sliding glass door. they even broke the door and came in at one point my mind kept telling me I should be afraid but I didn’t feel afraid. at one point, one of the cubs came through and I lovingly picked it up and put it back outside with it’s mother. at some point my ex (who I recently broke up with)and I were in the house and running out the other door but my 3 kids weren’t in the dream. what does this mean?
Amber – Any animal in your dream represent instinctive responses – like when you had your babies they had an instinctive response and need to suckle. The fact that the bears broke in is a sign that there is a change going on in you about the way you are spontaneously responding to events. Your mind is telling you that you should be frightened because it is an old reaction from thinking about bears in your waking world, and does not apply to dream bears.
Even so you were still cautious about allowing them in the house – i.e. allowing the instinctive drives into your waking daily life.
The business about running out of the other door – I would like to know what feeling or thought prompted it. But it seems as if you didn’t want your children involved.
Tony
Last night I dreamt about a polar bear. I dreamt I had just bought a cabin in the woods with my husband and children, and we were starting to live like a frontier family. I was wearing a dress from the 1800’s. When I went to the porch of the cabin, the polar bear was there. Everyone else ran away but I stayed. I sat down at a picnic table that was on the porch and fed the bear a cracker. I wasn’t afraid but I knew that the polar could be dangerous. It then came up to me, started sniffing me and trying to push me down. I was starting to get worried, though still not afraid. It reminded of a large aggressive dog trying to play until I remembered that I was menstruating and decided it would be a good idea to get out of there. That’s when I woke up. Any ideas what this means? I have never dreamt about polar bears before (just regular black bears). Thanks
Tannis – Something that is important in understanding a dream is what we bring to it.
You brought to the dream the idea that the bear ‘could be dangerous’ and also the smell of blood could make it attack you. Those are great ideas to have in regard to bears you might meet in waking life, but not in dream life. In dreams very different rules apply – see http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/what-we-need-to-remember-about-dreaming/ While we dream any tiny change of feeling creates a different action in your dream.
Your dream starts by you trying to live a life more connected with nature – the cabin in the woods. You had an attitude that you probably inherited from your family background – the dress. This put you in contact with your animal (see http://dreamhawk.com/dream-dictionary/animal/ ) That is a very good thing to do because it adds to you the behaviours your capable of. But you were still working out a working relationship with it – and you did well but a bit more confidence in your dreams could make a big difference.
Tony
Oh, and The bear has a green stripe of fur on top of its head
So I had this dream in which there’s a soccer game going on, everyone is dressed in my country’s national colors, but then a bear appears and everyone crashes into it, but then it stands up growls and looks at me, I don’t remember much else, or any context, just that I dreamt The exact same situation twice within The same night, what would you say it means?
Alex – Dreams like this are sometimes difficult to decipher. The reason is that there are lots of personal or national associations here;the green stripe for instance.
In the dream you are very associated with the team spirit, you are one of them so to speak. That means that you are strengthened by associating with the group’s viewpoints and aims.
The bear is a symbol of strength and aggression. It is particularly looking at you. In a way it is saying, “What are you going out do? Are you going to back down or stand up for yourself and meet me?”
So in a way it is a chance for you to demonstrate your manhood. So, in your imagination, walk up to it and take hold of it. Any fear you feel is part of you demonstrating your manhood and in facing any uncertainty you become a man.
Tony
I had a dream last night that there was a bear in the house I was staying at. I told the woman of the house, she did not seem frightened. I asked her if she had a gun, she said no we don’t keep guns in the house. I was a bit frightened, went downstairs and the bears followed. There was a mother bear and a younger bear. The younger came towards me first, I was nervous but not overwhelmed with fear. It sniffed towards me and walked by me towards the door. As it went by I reached out and petted it. The mother bear came by next. I didn’t know what to do other than let them out of the house. I yelled to my friends outside to be careful that there were bears in here. They didn’t understand until they came out. The bears looked confused at first then dissappeared off into the woods. No one was hurt. Just wondering what this means.
Thanks, Lisa
Lisa – It means that in your dreams you are getting used to allowing your inner animal near you without fear. The inner animal is quite different from a waking creature, and is often an example of your mammalian brain. See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/brain-levels-and-dreams/#mammalbrain
As a baby you were a small vulnerable animal, with all the natural instincts to feed, to survive, and to bond with your mother. This natural and spontaneous part of your nature is the foundation of what you have become now as an adult. Not only were you born with an enormous natural wisdom gained through millions of years of evolution, but your newborn self also carried protective responses such as fear, anger, and sexual longing. So getting to know your inner animal is a great advantage.
Tony
I had a dream that a mother black bear and her 2 cubs were playing in my yard. I was wondering what does that mean?
Mary Ann – As you said – this was a mother bear and also a dream bear, and in dreams nothing can hurt you – even so people get frightened because they are afraid of bears out in the wild. But strangely enough people do not dream of being terrified of cars, and there were in 2002, 48,366 transportation related deaths in the US, and the deaths from black bears in the US was 3.
So getting back to your dream, I think it is an invitation form the animal part of you to allow it into your life. See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/brain-levels-and-dreams/ where it describes that we have a mammalian, a reptile and a human brain. So claiming your black bears would be like expanding the functions of your brain.
Anyway, a good dream.
Tony
I have had a reoccurring dream that I have to skin a bear and each time I have no wanted to do this but there was a man who was forcing me to. I dont really remember anything about the man but all I know is that I HAD to skin the bear. That dream in particular has happened at least four times. But last night it changed a little bit and as I was in the process of skinning the bear (still desperately not wanting to by the way) and after I gutted him he woke up and was trying to attack me. Please help me with what this could mean. Thank you.
Jeanna – Why, oh why do you let anyone force you to do anything in your dreams? Dreams are you own private and safe world – unless you let other opinions interfere. Please read http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/what-we-need-to-remember-about-dreaming/
No wonder the bear tried to attack you – you know you were doing the bear a wrong thing. Nothing can die or be injured in your dreams, so of course the bear woke and was fed up with being skinned.
I think you need to have a talk with the faceless man – see http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/what-we-need-to-remember-about-dreaming/
You can get into a dream by imagining a different ending while awake so the dream doesn’t reoccur. See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/peer-dream-group/#carryforward
Tony
i have a dream of big white bear in a school building..that bear keep on going to the school..when i saw the big white bear, i thought of it as cute and maybe it will not harm anyone but the people keep on chasing it away…but the big white bear keep on coming back then i saw again the big white bear snapped a little girl and the bear ate it. my thought that the bear was harmless changed..then i panicked and wanted to scream then suddenly the girl that was eaten came out of that big white bear and i was amazed same thing happened with the baby, another big white bear appeared and ate the baby alive and then the same thing happened the baby come again from the big white bear with the light..that’s what i remembered from my dream what is supposed the meaning of this?
Ehna – What a lovely dream – and its message is wonderful also.
Dreams are like computer games, your car can crash or you can get killed but in fact you are still alive and can play again. So the white bear is an image of a great power you have inside you – because dreams take place inside you.
The bear can swallow you but then it brings the person back, and the baby comes with the light. So the power you have is that in your dreams you can be killed, or attacked by a lion, and then you are okay again.
Thanks be to the Light.
Tony
Last night/this morning I dreamt that my mother was out of town and asked me to feed her two little dogs at her home and that there was a bear in the closet and to feed it too. I was at her house and fed the dogs, and my two cats were there too. I forgot that the bear was in the closet until it broke out of the door in a rage. As it broke out of the closet, a flood of water gushed out into the house and I saw one of my mom’s dogs (the dog that is passive and gets bullied by her other dog) go into the mouth of the bear, but was pushed back out by the force of the waves. Then I rushed over to the bear (baby bear size) to keep it from eating the dogs and cats water was no longer there, and the bear bit me on the arm but I did not feel it. I picked up the bear, hugged it and apologized for forgetting to feed it, gave it food and water and it was happy and we were friends. I then told it I had to put it back in the closet for a while, so it wouldn’t eat the other animals. I had a little towel for it to lay on and water bowl in the closet, and he went in willingly and laid down. Then everything switched and I had to closets next to each other, each occupied by a man who needed a place to live. My mom came back home and we talked about how to take care of these ‘homeless’ men and I told her about the bear, whom I referred to as Kenzy the Grizzly, who apparently had his own car (a little white beetle)! Please help!! lol
Selena – You are obviously a loving and caring lady who is not frightened – probably because you are such a carer and know how to calm people.
All the animals in the dream are aspects of your own natural feeling reactions. See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-dictionary/animals/. Also your caring extends to those in need or are restricted in some way. In all it is a lovely dream reflecting your own good nature.
Tony
I had a dream last night. A big white bear was there and some troubles were around. The bear had a little son and he told me to take his son and run to safe us both. So I run as fast as I could holding the baby white bear in my arms and he (the baby bear) was sucking my finger. Do you have any ideas what could all this mean?
I had a dream I was in a house, I looked down to see a hole in the floor. There was a bear trying to emerge from the hole, as I looked closer the bear was in a kitchen underneath me. I did not feel fear I wanted to let the bear up and out.
Rae – I see the hole in the floor is an ability to allow feelings and intuitions through. So when you see the bear climbing through hole it is a recognition that you are in touch with the natural in you, and probably love animals and understand them.
You are not afraid because you are a strong person and wso can allow this wonderful strength bear represents into your life.
Tony
I was being chase by a big black bear, every time I ran away into houses ,rooms close the door the bear would claw his way thru, There was other people running with me but I don’t know who they where. he had huge claws,kept swiping at me
Chick – You cannot get hurt in a dream. Obviously there was no big bear actually chasing you. So it was a fear that you put the image to so you could feel fear. Try dropping the image of the bear and see what the fear is that you are not facing – running away from facing in fact. Either that or imagine yourself in the body of the bear and see what the fear is about. See http://dreamhawk.com/news/dream-yoga/
Tony
I had a recurring dream that a bear was lying down facing me & my tiny dog was walking towards it. I tried to scream to call my husband but i could not speak even though i am screaming & very scared. But the bear was not threatening me or my dog. I was frightened anyway. BTW in 3 weeks I am having major surgery & I have a bad feeling about the surgery. Could this dream be a bad omen or does it merely express my own fears? Thanks!
Sylvia – Your dream is not a bad sign. In fact it is a very good sign. What it does show is how you are driving your self crazy with fear. It is not the bear that will hurt you; it is your fear that is tearing you apart.
Have a look at http://www.mollygordon.com/overcome-fears-anxiety/dealing-with-fear.html and any other sites dealing with fear.
Also read the piece by Norman Cousins and how stress nearly killed him, and how he fully recovered – http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/emotions/
Tony
Thanks Tony for the response on my dream. I now had a dream that I was in a coffin in my home, I am planning my own burial but I am thinking of burying myself in the yard because I don’t have the money to pay for a burial. BTW like I said before, I am having surgery in a couple of weeks and I keep on feeling that something bad is to happen. Are these dreams a manifestation of my own fears, or an omen of something bad which may occur?
Many thanks again!!!!
Had a dream of a bear that became my close and loving pet….with the bear lying down beside me and going to sleep……and following me like a family dog. Only thing lately is that im lonely and wish I had a girl friend.