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 been having some troubling dreams about bears recently. In the first one I was at the zoo with my family. We became separated at some point and suddenly a bear broke loose from his cage. I spent the rest of the dream running in terror. I would scale the other cages with other animals in them trying to escape and he was always right behind me nipping at my heels. At one point I crawled over the cage of another bear and he joined the pursuit. I threw things at them and nothing slowed the chase. At one point, I climbed through the monkey cage and threw the monkeys at them. They gobbled up the monkeys and kept chasing. I finally woke up terrified. Last night I dreamt I was with two girls, whom I do not know, and we were in this busy store. At some point we walked through a door and found ourselves on a mountain. As we followed one of the trails, fear began to paralyze me as I instinctively knew something bad was going to happen. Thats when the bears came. We ran and ran and couldn’t get away, nor could we find the door we had come through to get there. Once again I woke of in fear. What do these mean????
I had a dream about a bear, in a way. I was with my boyfriend at his house, and we were sleeping. I awoke in the night because of a light, and went to the bathroom. As I walked down the hallway back towards the bedroom, my boyfriend was standing there with a light shining behind him, and his head was a bear’s head. He growled and came at me and swooped me up, and I remember not being afraid of him, but excited.
I’m not sure what this means… any input would be extremely helpful.
Thank you xxx
I hardly ever remember my dreams so when I do I feel it must mean something. I am with a group of people, we are all walking somewhere through a field, out of no where this black come charging out of the forest straight at a women holding a child, the child falls and the bear grabs the child an runs back in the direction it came from. We are all standing there helpless, then I walk up.
I was a caregiver i took care of my girlfriend with Brain cancer she passed away and my mother father and girlfriend i had a dream my father i walked to car i looked up and i saw a white bear in the tree
Last night I had a very bizarre dream. I woke up in what was apparently my house (I actually live in an apartment) and began to walk from the back house towards the front house. There was a typical black metal gate with wood chips and stepping stones. As I was walking, I heard rustling and began to look around. Somehow, down below me in a stream bed there was a bear. It was dark brown and not full grown but not a cub either. It was wet and began to slowly stalk after me. I think it may have snarled or roared or something. I moved determinedly but didn’t run in spite of an overwhelming sense of panic. I began to call for my dogs (it became apparent that my original intent had been to bring them in and feed them). They looked and behaved just as themselves (minding me but not being obedient) and I finally picked the smaller one up and frantically called the other. We got just through the gate in time to close the bear out (who had began to approach more quickly). I started to go around and check that a all of the gates were secure and kept feeling that I had to keep my dogs safe and wishing my boyfriend hadn’t had to work early and not knowing how to get help because my phone and computer were in the back house. Then I came back around and my husky had nudged open the gate and the bear was about to get her. I quickly shut it again and scolded her and brought the dogs inside. The near was now angry and roaring as I walked away. My fear was increasing and I began to go around this house (that I don’t fully recognize from my real world but was apparently quite familiar to me in my dream) systematically locking all of the doors and windows. I remember thinking “why do we have so many ways in and out of here? Is not secure”. Once I was satisfied that the near couldn’t get in and the dogs couldn’t get out, I left through a side door to go and find help. I was suddenly in a community setting (the home had felt isolated) and I told myself it was my apartment complex. There was a little storefront or something and I found a blind girl around my age and asked to borrow her phone and briefly explaining the emergency I was faced with. She eagerly offered me her cell but when I went to use it the screen was cracked and I couldn’t figure out how to operate it. Just as I was starting to ask her for help, her mother hollered from inside the store that she should be using her phone to confirm her flight and I could find help from someone else. I politely walked away and decided to scamper off to the leasing office. Yet, when I thought I walked in there I actually walked into my backyard and several people were there. A few that I vaguely recognized from my boyfriends work. Suddenly I realized that he was sitting in the hot tub talking to people. I was instantly relieved and confused and agitated. I asked what he was doing there and thought he was at work. He said he had been and he’d have to go back in a couple of hours. I explained what had been happening with the danger and the bear and I was suddenly panicked again that we were in danger. My boyfriend then cocked his head to his left and said “do you mean that bear? He’s awesome! “… There sitting in the hot tub was a bear in sunglasses and trunks. But it wasn’t the same bear. I started to stutter and try to explain that this was a different bear. This bear was somewhat smaller than the other but have off the impression of being full grown. He had a brindle coat and a white stomach. I explained that the other bear had been brown and snarling. Then, The bear said to me “oh yeah, that bear is a mean motherf*****. You don’t want to mess with him!” suddenly, I was standing in the hot tub in my new bathing suit and one of my boyfriend’s coworkers was complimenting me on it and asking me what fabric it was. I vacantly responded that it was bathing suit material as I leaned down and gathered a massive clump of my huskies fur from in side the hot tub. I put it on the edge and looked out through the gate. There was the brown bear. He was sitting and looked dejected and angry. He gave a snarl and I woke up.
Lindsey – Dream images are simply that – images you project on the screen of your mind while asleep. Even the images of you in the dream are only an image that you associate with yourself and so get frightened if any other image threatens it. They are simply images of your body that you feel are you.
So what if the bear did come and tear the arm off your dream image – if you didn’t understand you would wake up scared. But dreams are like computer games, you can be killed a thousand times and still exist whole and unhurt. But dreams are ways that you can learn to face your fears and be at ease with your inner life.
Your dream points this out with the two bears; one you are bathing with and the other you shut out. All the doors and windows you shut are defences against your own natural instincts and need to be met. Of course you have an instinctive drive to feel fear, but you can change it. See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/brain-levels-and-dreams/ – Levels (Brain) – http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/secrets-power-dreaming/
Also see http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/questions-2/#AnimalDream
Tony
Hi, I have been dreaming about a bear for days. However, I am very fond of this bear. Almost as if we are best friends or something more, protectors of each each other. This bear always holds me when I am afraid. Do you have any insight into this?
I too had a dream about a bear. I was riding a bicycle along a fairly busy road when I came upon a polar bear. I had no fear of him. He invited me to ride him which I did. Heading home on the bear I realized that bringing him home wasn’t a good idea. I visualized him eating my dogs and my deer. (I’m not sure where the deer came from but in the dream it was a part of my family) The home I was heading to was my childhood home not my real home. I am concerned that this means that I am bringing something dangerous into my family.
I dreamed of two bears, sitting at a table and eating, non threatening. But my sister and I decided it would be safer to go into the house and lock the door, only to find we had locked the bears in with us and our sick mother in bed. A bear saw us and came over and started chewing on our arms, one at a time…sister, me, mom..not painful or bloody but we knew we should try to escape. My sis got out first and I asked her to help me get mom out, bear started chewing on my arm…and I tried to give it a furry pillow instead. I woke up, wasn’t really scared, just knew we should get out. My mom passed away last year. any insights?
In my dream I was standing in the crowd watching a helpless bear on fire. It was so sad and in so much pain and nobody did anything to ease his suffering.
I just woke up from a terrifying dream where there was me and these two little boys (no idea who they were, never seen them in my life) who looked about 10 or 11ish and we came across this bear that was eating at the dump (looked a little small, like a cub). As soon as I saw it I said “woah, okay boys, time to turn around” or something like that, then the boys started running and I told them not to because it might be a reason for the bear to chase you, so they were just walking, but still walking fast (too fast for me to keep up) then all of a sudden we heard this huge gigantic roar in the back and the boys turn around to look, screamed and started running. I tried to run too, but you know, sometimes in your dreams you can’t run, so I panicked and woke up with my heart throbbing
I have been having dreams about bears. However, in my dreams I am often out with friends become witness to a bear attacking or running towards an innocent victim. Without hesitation I start rushing towards the scene.
In all of my dreams I end up distracting the bear. The bear usually turns towards me. Sometimes the bear will stand, run towards, or will run away. with that said, it can obviously be noted that I face different types of bears.
I usually remember the scenario and not the color so it is hard to tell whether it is a Kodak, Brown, or Black Bear.
I have done some research, yet, I am still discouraged as to what exactly my dreams mean.
Tyler – What we take into our dream is part of what creates the drama. And you are taking into your dreams is the idea that you are an innocent and a victim.
You are painting a dream scene that is not about dreams, but your fears and assumptions. So please see http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/what-we-need-to-remember-about-us/#Hurt – http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/what-we-need-to-remember-about-us/#Project
So the images and fears we experience in our dreams are projection upon the vast screen of our mind. They are all projections from you. Running from them is like trying to escape from yourself. But such dreams are like a computer game with full surround virtual reality. 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.
You cannot be killed in a dream. All you can experience is the anguish and perhaps fear of dying, but in dreams 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.
Tony
I have seen a dream in a area with water that you can stand in it. More like collected water, but beautiful. Sun shines so bright and sky is so clear that makes very peaceful setting. I came there with a young deer, young bear and a huge ground hog kind of animal. In my dream, they are with me, rescued them. When I came alone next to water, I see bunch of animals, mostly deers are just hanging around. in the water, standing… eating…I realized suddenly mine are not with me. I panic that hunters may not know they are mine and harmless, they can kill them. My husband goes , finds them and send my way. Deer comes and sits on my lap, sleeps. I introduce deer to a dog near by. Dog is little aggressive, snaps at the neck little bit. Then I gave up , check neck, only skin scratch, very small drop of blood. Deer is content, no problem. Then deer goes in the water. drinking, jumping, playing… I look at those happy animals, smile , feel so peaceful. Tell myself, God, I wish I had my video to record this… Suddenly a young lion appears near water. My deer, bear and ground hog chases the lion to protect the others. Lion goes away. Feel like, with sun, water, my playful animals and other animals; everything is so beautiful and in order.
It was so beautiful, peaceful, yet weird with all animals… curious what might mean?
Moonlight – A very beautiful and meaningful dream.
Your lovely animals are the background of who you are, the foundations upon which your personality is built. Because we are all a small person built upon millions of years of animals that we arose from. See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/brain-levels-and-dreams/#mammalbrain
Your dream shows you waking up to a wonderful heritage that you are taking care of. It is a heritage that makes you feel complete. Many people lack this and are often sick inside themselves because they are cut off from their own roots.
In fact you ride an ancient beast. The ancient beast is your body, and your conscious self is the modern and recent rider of it. Some ‘riders’ do not understand their animal needs – and the fact that we have several levels of brain that are independent of each other proves this. Still active in us are our Reptile Brain, our Mammalian Brain, and our Human Brain, and the reptile and mammalian brains are still very active and constitute a large part of our human unconscious. Without understanding our inner animals we are only half functioning.
But you need not to chase your lion away because the lion like any predator is a great protector of the species killing only the weak or sick, enabling the species to continue to be healthy. The lion is also your own fierce strength as a woman, which you need to be complete. See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/secrets-power-dreaming/
Tony
Michelle – It doesn’t mean trouble, it simply means you are feeling anxiety about something. Please see http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/questions/#Wolf.
A garage is often a place you store things in case you need them. See – http://dreamhawk.com/dream-dictionary/practical-techniques-for-understanding-your-dreams/
Tony
Ever since I remember I have been scared of bears. When I was little I use to have nightmares with bears in them. I am now 13. And the bear dreams are coming back. They terrify me. I am looking to see why I keep having them and this website helped me a lot. Maybe if I know why I am having these dreams I wont be scared anymore. Fingers crossed. X
Anna – You are having the dreams because they are ways to help you meet the things you are afraid of. Dreams are like computer games in which you can be killed a thousand times and no harm comes to you. If you realise that nothing can hurt you and nothing can kill you it will help to be free of fear.
Because you are 13 you are beginning a tremendous process of change and that makes you feel more vulnerable and that is probably why the dreams are coming back.
Remember that dream images – the bears – are simply your own fears and emotions clothed with scary images. Take the images away and you are left with your own emotions. So try using – http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/secrets-power-dreaming/
It could be that behind the images are fears created by an event, even your parents.
Tony
Thank you Tony…
I am trying to understand the all information that you have noted.
What could be relation Reptilian Part of brain and Pineal Gland part of brain?
The thing with the lion. He was beautiful , young , white , soft fur lion. I only see from behind. My animals chasing him because we do not want others to be harmed. Even that scenery was some what peaceful. I understand the part we need all sort of animals and everything has a purpose. So I should look at, all of the animals I have seen, is part of me…
I had a dream about a bear last night. I was in my sister’s room inside my house and I kept seeing a large figure outside of my sister’s room and I was terrified. But when I got enough courage to leave the room I found it was a bear. I was pretty calm after that and the bear let me pet it and scratch it, and when I stopped petting it he let out a pitiful whine, so I kept petting him. He would bite at my sleeve if I started to ignore him and we ended up falling asleep on my kitchen floor.
I see so many dreams about ferocious bears, I didn’t know what it meant for one to be so kind. Any input is appreciated. Thank you.