Elephant
Although the elephant is much like any other animal in your dreams, it tends to represent the power and influence of the potent forces active in your body and mind, that if you relate to well bring about health and success, and if badly illness and ruin. For example the elephant can refer to the powerful responses in us such as fear, sex, survival, and the power of imagination to evoke great anxiety or great pleasure. Often our personality evokes these forces in a destructive and disorderly way. A person may have read an article about cancer for instance and develop a great fear they have the disease, causing much stress and actual physical illness in some degree.
So some elephant dreams revolve around how we relate to this power, and the attempt of the elephant to place us on its back to direct it. So in general it is your potential or energy. Also depicts your big self, or the power of the unconscious and your cosmic, eternal nature. The tremendous inner power of the unconscious, with a mahout, or conscious direction or co-operation can achieve wonderful things. Ganesh, the Indian elephant god, represents the remover of all obstacles, the power of life manifesting. He is the god of good fortune.
So it is the totality of yourself rather than awareness of only the conscious ego. It is what is referred to in Christianity as the ‘spirit’, the influence that can heal or instruct, thus power from our unconscious; strength; unforgiveness from association of long memory; patience; fidelity; intelligence or wisdom of the unconscious. In some ways the elephant has similar qualities to the crocodile in its link with the collective unconscious. The difference is that the elephant does not usually in dreams seek to consume you like the crocodile or alligator. It therefore depicts a relationship with one’s incredible potential that can lead to directing or working with the potent forces of the unconscious. See: alligator.
If we run from the elephant: Being afraid of our own strength or inner power. The question is, can we meet this enormous energy in ourselves enough to direct it? Sometimes represents the collective unconscious.
Elephant’s trunk: Sometimes a sexual symbol, the penis. As such it is usually referring to how your sexual feelings are being influenced by the great spirit of Life acting on you – the cosmic power of the spirit. Also the trunk illustrates the ability to get or reach out for ones own needs – see example below.
Example: During an experience arising from the use of psilocybin, I had a very clear mental image of a baby elephant. It was like a bas-relief made out of clay, but mobile. I could see that the baby elephant had some problem with its trunk, and I wondered why my unconscious had produced this image so clearly and what it meant. Immediately the image disappeared and a series of associations arose unbidden. It was that the elephant actually ate with its mouth, but it had to reach out for everything with its trunk. As a baby the elephant would suckle, but as it matured it would have to learn to get its own needs with its trunk, therefore the problem was about me reaching out for my own needs. Danny.
Example: The I experienced the elephant as a powerful force which I intuitively sense and feel some anxiety about. I felt the elephant as a powerful influence which works below the level of normal consciousness, which acts upon masses, although it obviously influences individuals. But it influences individuals unconsciously, so they are inclined in a direction along with many others. As it enters my life I sense it seems to be an influence which might direct me into a communion with this deeper, more inclusive or integrative influence. Thus my personal activities might have added to them this influence which co-ordinates the processes of life, and adds to ones small endeavours the stamp or power of a grander life – the spirit. The life of the spirit I sensed here as the ‘company’ where I was accepted as a worker in this wider organisation behind life.
Example: I was on a road and noticed that a magnificent elephant had appeared. It had enormous tusks and ears, the latter being powdered with blue dust and adding tremendously to its impact. As it was coming in my direction I was frightened and began to run. I ran off the road, over a fence into a field. I thought the elephant would be stopped by the fence. It wasn’t. It walked straight through it after me. Then I tried to climb a low bank back to the road. The elephant was drawing nearer and I was so frightened I could hardly move to climb the bank. The elephant caught hold of me and I suddenly realised it wasn’t going to destroy me, but wanted, despite it being a magnificent and powerful beast, to sit me on its back. I was still frightened however and ran to a doctor’s surgery. The elephant came and, thrusting its trunk into the surgery, drew me out to it. AT.
Example: I looked out of a window and noticed a wild elephant in full charge. It ran past the end of the building and I went to the opposite window, seeing it charge another elephant. After the impact it seemed to be a strange mixture, in my mind, of elephant and rhinoceros. It then stood shaking with sexual motions, until a great deal of sperm came out and its tension was released. AT.
The above two examples illustrate firstly the enormous power of the elephant and how it is not usually an attacking or destructive power, and in the second example it shows the link between that power and the sexual drive.
Idioms: White elephant; pink elephants; rogue elephant. See: the self under archetypes.
Useful Questions and Hints:
If I imagine myself as the elephant what do I experience?
What powerful influence am I meeting or directing at the moment?
Am I aware in any way of the enormous impact the collective power of society and my own unconscious has on me?
What is my relationship with the elephant and what does this depict in my life?
See Do you imagine that is a real creature – Avoid Being Victims – You are the Projector
Comments
I had a dream of an elephant and it appeared in the background , with a sunset , it was lovely and pink , as it walked towards me , at the time it seemed so out of place , and I realized I wasn’t scared and I didn’t want to run , I just couldn’t help but thinking how beautiful it was , and I waited but it didn’t appear to be close until the dream was nearly over , and I can’t forget about it , it was so lovely , but what does it mean ?
In my dream the elephant appeared to still be alive, they were standing up. But there was a group of men that were reaching into the elephant and picking out square chunks of it’s flesh and eating it. It was quite disturbing. The elephant didn’t appear to be in any pain and I had a rear view of the elephant.
It was part of a bigger dream but this was one thing I did recall.
Hello Tony,
Last night, I had a very graphic dream about a female elephant giving birth to a baby elephant. I’ve never seen this in real life so I find it interesting that I would dream it. After the baby was birthed, it stood up on its feet and reached its truck up to its mother’s tail. It was actually a very moving experience to “see”/dream.
In the same dream, I was swimming in a river and I kept thinking that there were alligators underneath where I was swimming. I never saw or felt them in my dream, but I find it to be interesting that I dreamt of them in the same dream as the elephant, since you mentioned there is a correlation between the two.
Any light you can shed on what this means would be helpful. By the way, I’m not pregnant. I read that pregnant women often have animal dreams but it’s not the case with me.
Thank you.
SA – The birth scene is probably reminding you of the cosmic significance of birth – such a big and beautiful thing. That it was a moving experience shows how under a dream image lies enormous depth that we only really connect with if we dive into the images of the dream. Also of course it is also a scene of motherhood that is everywhere we look if we have eyes to see, and is therefore universal, part of the infinite.
As for the alligators it is only the fear we carry into our dreams that makes it difficult to let them into our lives. Example: Now a huge unknown creature began to enter into my awareness. I felt the presence of an enormous creature rising to the surface of something like a swamp or a body of water. Here is an example:
Example: At first I thought it might be a whale, but as I paid attention to what was happening it defined into a huge crocodile.
This huge creature looked at me and said, “Mathew, join me.”
I laughed at this because it was so huge, and with so many associations of swallowing things, that I said something like, “What do you mean join you? Don’t you mean that you want to eat me?”
The creature replied to me, “No. No, it’s not like that, I’m just like a submarine. I have all these lives in me. I have many, many lives in me. I am life. I contain the many. You can swim this ocean alone Mathew, if you wish. Or you can join me, you can join the many. You can always, if you choose to live your independent life again and leave us.”
I laughed here because I had the image of me being independent, stripping off, diving over the side of the boat into the ocean and swimming off. It is something I have often done in the sea, swimming long distances alone, or off to an island out to sea, by myself.
I began to give myself to that great creature which I now understood as the collective unconscious, the unity of lives. It felt as if it was absorbing me, much as I had experienced earlier on. (One of those strange and beautiful, and also moving coincidences just happened. I am reading this in using voice recognition, and it is proving to be very accurate. But in the sentence where I said that I felt it was – and the word was supposed to be absorbing me – the software used the word absolving. And here I am again, back in the ocean, weeping as I know there is no judgment on the life I have led so alone and cut off.)
Tony
As much as I can remember is I stood to the right side or elephant & then I was in black & white street with somone I’m involved with .. & I’m sure there was sum sort or 4 legged animal cumin at us I member screamin & him to run go get away then I woke .. Dropped off & was a new non disturbing dream & slept till early hours !x
Terri – If you realise that dreams are simply your emotions and thought put into images and action, and then you get rid if the images and action you are left with feelings and thoughts. You were frightened enough to scream, and honestly there is nothing to be scared of in dreams. Please read http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/what-we-need-to-remember-about-dreaming/#Hurt
Also dreams are like computer games – so see and read http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/what-we-need-to-remember-about-dreaming/#Virtual
Tony
I had a dream about two elephants that i took out for a walk. They lived in a zoo. With a few friends I took the elephants to a little shallow lake where there was alot of mudd. The elphants had a great fun and for the first time in their lives they could swim and be free for a bit. I gave them peanuts as well and they loved it. Somehow I had the feeling that the elephants communicated with me, but not exactly with words that I know, but it was easy to understand them anyway. I tried to convince the one elephant to play in the mudd and I explained to him that thats what elephants naturally do and that it’s good for him. I remember being incredibly happy. Then, in the end of the day, I had to take them back to the zoo where they lived and couple of days later the one I liked the most died. The keepers said he had experienced what its like to be free and now he couldnt survive in the zoo. I went to his funeral and knew that his death was my fault, even though I just tried to make them happy. I was so sad. (a sad feeling that I dont feel when i m awake) Anyone an idea what this could mean?
Thank u for ur help .. In the dream I stood to side of the elephant as soon as I did that I dream hopped to completely diff place time etc & I cannot remember anythink about b4 or after just this part !x
Terri – I would love to know which part you hopped to.
Tony
Cupcake_t@hotmail.co.uk
Can some on tell me wat my dream of bein a tiny person in a african field with rhino behide me & a elephant in front in a stand off means ..
Terri – I get the feeling you are facing a big decision. You see, I take the rhino is dangerous, but despite its size the elephant in a wonderful thing to have in your dream, but your fear is holding you back from claiming a great strength. So imagine walking toward the elephant and do not be afraid.
Tony
I dream of an old and medium size elephant he entered this village just walking calmly and then he direct to a room I went and took a peek of what was going there I saw the elephant seating he was wearing an orange robe like one of the budist monk and he was calm and playing some sort of guitar then he came out and i ran to the second floor of a building to see him but i felt curiosity and sligthly fear what could that mean
Amy – An old elephant is one who is wise and powerful and in your dream is sign of any obstacles in the way of your spiritual progress will slowly disappear.
But you are slightly afraid of becoming more awake to Life.
Tony
I had a dream that I was with friends in a social setting. I walked away from them and into a long, dark corridor with strangers passing by me on either side. I had no fear and walked straight into the darkness as I had two baby elephants walking on either side of me. They made no move to get in front of me to protect, but balanced me on either side.
Hi Tony, last night me and and my girl friend had an argument and broke up. This morning I woke up to a weird dream of me beating up a drunk guy who was messing with me and an elephant with its handler chasing me through a house. what does this mean? Please help..
Reply
Hi Tony,
I dreamed of being in a small room on a couch with large underwater creatures below me and in front of me. One rose up out of the water and transformed into a bull elephant, trumpeting at me and defecating. I just sat there, scared but calm. I somehow knew it wouldn’t hurt me.
I’m interpreting this as maybe I can stand up to a threat because I feel oneness with nature…what do you think?
Alizah – An interesting dream. It shows you being open to your inner world, showed as the underwater creatures. But it is a lot more than about you feeling oneness with nature. It is about you not being frightened of your own potential, your own immense inner world. The animals you see are an expression of your unconscious self. We have evolved from single celled creatures, as can be see by our own life cycle – the sperm and ovum. We have to go back to the beginning to reproduce, and then we grow through a whole range of creatures in the womb. See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/brain-levels-and-dreams/
The uprising creature is a rising of your own inner power – use it well.
Tony
Alizah – An interesting dream. It shows you being open to your inner world, showed as the underwater creatures. But it is a lot more than about you feeling oneness with nature. It is about you not being frightened of your own potential, your own immense inner world. The animals you see are an expression of your unconscious self. We have evolved from single celled creatures, as can be see by our own life cycle – the sperm and ovum. We have to go back to the beginning to reproduce, and then we grow through a whole range of creatures in the womb. See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/brain-levels-and-dreams/
The uprising creature is a rising of your own inner power – use it well.
Tony
I dreamt last night that I had lots of baby elephants. I don’t know how I acquired them but there must have been at least eight or ten. I was caring for them while I was looking for a sanctuary to get them too. The strangest thing about the dream was the size of all the elephants. They were no bigger than a ferret. The dream also included me gathering two different types of very green leaves from trees and on the ground and walking over a lifted pedestrian walkway with a loose section in it. Do you have any idea what this could represent? Thanks a bunch!
Hi Tony, this morning I dreamed of a sandstorm on a beach and elephants. I was in a car driving with people on the beach through a sandstorm. Then a Herd of big beautiful majestic grey elephants with beautiful Ivory tusks and long trunks started running towards us and veered to my right,their left. I watched them running in awe. They were running in a single file line. One of them waa grey with Brindle black lines. Then I woke up..
I remember taking a shower and showing a friend my place but they wanted to look at another place. When I saw the sandstorm I thought this isnt good. But then the herd of elephants appeared…
I had a dream I was in a room with my 18 year old daughter and I see a baby elephant small and moving just a little , trunk down.. My daughter and I start to peel or skin from a chemical and it leaves our skin beautiful and smooth.. I have no ideal what this might mean.Please help..
Just had a dream of a lot of.elephants in this arena and it was a Indian who seemed to be superior to others , and he rode on this.elephant super fast while.it watched me back and forth and the other elephants that were in the arena were looking at me ,
Siaya – I believe it means that you are learning to be in touch with a lot of confidence and strength. You need to be aware of it.
Tony