Water
It can refer to the Life in you, the spirit that lives in you and can advise, uplift, grow and lead you. To understand it see Life’s Little Secrets
In most dreams water indicates emotions, moods and flow of feeling energy. Because of the nature of water it lends itself to depicting aspects of how you relate to your feelings. For instance you can ‘drown’ in or feel swept away by some emotions. At other times you can feel cleansed and refreshed. But because water is vital to your existence it can show how you long for or thirst for something and feeling fulfilled.
But any flow, even if it seems threatening, is the flow of our own life energy. Most of us are only aware of a trickle of life energy, and when it dreams it is a torrent we have no experience of dealing with so much of it, and become scared, which blocks it even more. See Our Reaction to meeting the Huge that we Are
Example: The first time I ever slept in the bed with my wife Hyone, she quickly went to sleep and I noticed she had difficulty breathing through her nose while asleep. She would start breathing through her nose but couldn’t continue and the breath burst in through her mouth. I felt it must be a tension, so while she still slept I spoke to her quietly, suggesting that the muscles in her nose and face would relax. I repeated this a few times and Hyone’s breathing became easy and normal. Seeing that she responded so well, I decided to try something else. So I quietly suggested that her whole body would drop unnecessary tensions, and emotional and mental stress would melt away. I went on to say that this would open all the doors of her being, allowing cleansing and healing throughout.
There was no apparent response to this, so I lay quietly ready to sleep. But suddenly, about eight minutes later, Hyone woke, almost with a jerk, and said enthusiastically, “I just had the most amazing dream.” In the dream Hyone had been with her mother and sisters in a garden at the back of a house. Hyone was lying in the sun relaxing. As she relaxed she felt a wave of energy flow up her body to her head. Then, wave after wave moved up her body, giving her tremendous pleasure and feelings of well-being. But the waves got stronger and stronger, and she was frightened they would overwhelm her, and at that point she woke.
This is very important, because it shows how our good healing energy can be felt as threatening. It is because our personality is so guarded and insecure it feels it will be overwhelmed or they would lose their self-control. See What Happens When I Die?
That flow of energy shown in Hyone’s dream is like a river, and a river can carry you along or you can resist its current. For each of us is immersed in a ‘river’ of constant change. If you think about it you have been carried, pushed, impelled by this current as you were moved through babyhood, childhood, teenage and adulthood, and there are more stages of growth beyond adulthood. And as we passed through these changes we died to our old self in order to change to the new. It is the current of Life. This current then carries us on through old age and through the gates of death. All the time we are faced by decisions, and each decision directs us on a different path, helping to create our future. And this is a force of growth and change; and is fought like hell by many as they are afraid of such changes, especially getting old and facing death. See What Happens When I Die?
Water also represents your potential to experience many emotions because water can take any shape or move in so many ways. How you relate to the water shows how you are meeting your emotions and moods. In a collective sense, as a lake or the sea, it can represent the mysterious source of life, the womb and the processes of life creating you.
But any flow, even if it seems threatening, is the flow of our own life energy. Most of us are only aware of a trickle of life energy, and when in dreams it is a torrent, we have no experience of dealing with so much of it, and may become scared, which blocks it even more. See Our Reaction to meeting the Huge that we Are.
How we relate to the water shows how we are meeting our emotions and moods. In a collective sense, as a lake or the sea, it can represent the mysterious source of life, the womb and the processes which bring us about; women frequently dream of being in water or swimming during menstruation. The dream content will show something about what is happening in the body at such times, or even if there is excessive water retention. See: Flow.
‘I was standing in front of a series of glass water tanks. I had apparently written an article about the balance between intellect and emotion, which had presented emotion in a way to show its equal value with intellect. The tanks demonstrated the different relationships between intellect and emotion. Some tanks were beautifully clear and colourful, showing the right balance. The unbalanced ones had weed growing in them. I was then in a lift with a young woman. We moved close together and kissed. This moved my feelings so much I felt a great melting in my abdomen, and a lot of body sensation against her body.’ Anthony F.
Anthony’s dream perfectly illustrates how water refers to the emotions and flowing body feelings.
Deep water: The deeps of your inner life and what lies under the surface of your waking awareness.
Dripping water: Sometimes can depict the damaging feelings or interference that can enter your life, especially if the water is coming through a ceiling or wall. Otherwise a dripping tap might mean the leaking away of your feelings or energy, or the passage of time.
Electricity and water: Emotions which can generate very powerful reaction to a situation – such as jealousy or anger – so a release of enormous energy that can be negative or positive.
Entering water: Entering into strong feelings such as might arise in a relationship or new job. Starting a sexual relationship. If it is a deep lake or turgid water, it could point to emotions that might stand in your way of moving on or changing.
Going under water: It suggests bringing internal contents to consciousness; remembering the womb experience; letting our ego surrender a little; looking at death.
Also it shows that we, our conscious self, has entered more deeply into the enormous depths of our consciousness; we have literally dipped below the level of our conscious self. See My Body is a Moving Sea
Hot water: Strong emotions or facing difficult situations, such as social criticism. Or being warmed by flowing feelings.
Leaking water: This can mean that your emotional energy is be used unwisely, possible through such things as anxiety or fear, especially if the water is coming through a ceiling or wall.
Muddy water: It suggest you may be experiencing a lot of emotions that are causing you not to be seeing clearly
Walking on water: It depends upon the state of the water walked on. If it was stormy or calm can make a difference. But in general it is about having confidence that you meet the storms of your emotions and feel okay. But it could also mean you are frightened of ‘going under’. In dreams you cannot drown, and going under the surface can meet a dip into your inner life.
Water overflowing: The water overflows means that the life force now flows freely. It suggests your life purpose is being expressed. If nothing is hurt when it flows over, all is well, but if it ruins things watch your emotional overflows. If you take care, your present life will allow it to express without harm.
If you are a Christian it might point to having trust that you will be upheld by your faith. See: Baptism; River; Sea; Spring.
Idioms: Make water; muddy the waters; tread water; water something down; turn on the waterworks; water under the bridge; hold water; in hot water; head above water; pour cold water onto something.
See: Water Wonderland; Fluid; Pool; River; Rain; Sea; Spring.
Comments
I dreamt that my boss was walking towards me on the other side of a wide stream or narrow river. The water barely had a ripple. As he reached the water he continued walking towards me, on top of the water. When he reached my side I asked him how he did that. I remember him smiling but I don’t remember the answer. What does that mean? I can’t find anything on seeing someone other than yourself walking on water in dream interpretations. Thank you.
Dear Tony,
Hope you’re well. I wonder if you could interpret this,
I was in a rather large room. On one side there was a reception area, next to it was a room with just a bathtub in it; quite spacious too. The centre part of the floor was mainly a pool but it’s no more than 0.5 meter deep. The pool tiles were quite intricate. In that dream, I understand it to be roman designed pool.
In walks a woman after sometime of me just wondering about, she was rather big in size. She has her bath suit on and sat herself down in this shallow pool and then she had a drawing paper with her.
She then started painting a portrait of a woman that looks like me…Her hands, paintbrush and that paper were covered in the water and yet the color stayed on the paper!?
She never acknowledged my existence but in that dream, it was understood we were both aware of each other’s presence.
I walked out of the room and something tells me I around the hospital vicinity. I then walked into a fast food joint and as if on auto pilot, joined the queue. When I was about to be served, I realized there was nothing I fancied having so I walked out. When I got out of the restaurant, I looked down and see I was holding a piece of paper. It was a list of names. I don’t know who any of them were. But somehow I knew the woman whom I met at that pool was on the list. She was number 13. I didn’t remember her name but one name I saw on the list was Bhavarind. I had no idea what or who this is and tried to google and couldn’t find anything.
Normally I could sort of understand my dreams..but this one left me a bit blank.
Please let me know your thoughts on this.
Many thanks
Yasmin
Yasmin – The reception area if where you receive impressions –intuitive or otherwise. It is because you are receptive that the woman is creating a new image of yourself. She is a big woman – a big and important part of you that is guiding you. The pool is a way of sharing with others and it has a cleansing effect. The sharing is about realising your inner life is connected unconsciously with others.
You have a tendency to want a fast way of getting satisfaction, but you turn away when it comes to the point. The list of names is a reminder probably of many aspects of you that you forget. And the name Bhavarind means an inner feeling that is precious, and is protected by a harder outer you. If you can do it you can let the beauty of that inner shine out by being less protective.
Tony
Dear Tony,
Thank you kindly for getting back to me. That was really helpful.
Best Regards
Yassy
Hi Tony,
I having a lot of dreams lately, some of which I do not understand. the first one was with my brother and I (both in our mid-teens) are in his bedroom and looking out the window at cloud formations. a lot of them are beautiful, and we spot one that looks like a dragon. when we look closely, there is something, a female with wings flying beside it, minding her own business, but also in a way seeking attention. My brother also notices her and starts yelling at her to come over, meanwhile, I am in the process of telling him that I have a bad feeling about her. As she flies over, her look changes, and she turns into an ugly looking creature (devilish) and starts banging on the window, demanding to be let in, saing that she is going to get me. she throws herself at the window, and when i look down at myself in panic, i am shirtless, but struggling to get my tank top on. the dream ends there.
in the second one, i am at my school, which is distorted, and it looks different. the roof is leaking, letting in the snow falling outside, in. I am just spending time on the staircase, and when I turn around, I see a famous boy (Liam Payne) just smiling at me. I am a big fan of the band he is in, but in no way do I have a “crush” on him. I turn around, looking away, but when i look back, he is still smiling.
I have been really frustrated trying to find the meanings, and have been having no luck. I would really appreciate your help and knowledge in interpreting the dreams, if you have time. thank you very much! this article was very helpful!
Hi! I have had quite a few dreams about water over several years and loved remembering them to tell people. Although I did have one recently where I was treading water in the sea alone and was suddenly aware that I was in incredibly deep water that was beyond any distance I could picture. I was frightened of how far down the sea bed was imagining miles and miles of water below my feet. I woke up really worried! Is anyone able to explain what could have brought this on? I have started swimming for exercise recently. Maybe that could be it?
Becky – A pool, lake or deep water you are swimming in is usually a reference to the inner world we all swim in. That inner world is so amazingly huge and we are often totally unaware that we are held up by such depths. But when we begin to be aware of it – as you appear to have done in your dream – we are frightened. See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/levels-of-awareness-in-waking-and-dreaming/ and http://dreamhawk.com/inner-life/inner-world/
Tony
i keep having a dream where large waves come and sweep away my children or the jump in and i cant find them.
Robyn – I feel that you are partly aware of a big change happening in your children. It is something that you feel will sweep them aware- it is their growth and move toward independence. For mother, after years of caring for them and them being totally dependent on you, it feels like an earthquake of change. Please read http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/questions/#FaceFear
Tony
Hi Tony – I had a dream that I was holding my purse upside down, trying to shake something out, and I noticed drops of water, and then a stream (it was clear) but it was not coming from my purse, but when I looked up, it was the ceiling leaking – and then it really gushed out and the ceiling tile fell in….water everywhere (clear). Then I saw another tile leaking, and I pulled it off and water gushed from there, and then I saw another.
I was dreaming of swimming in rain water topless with young kids…just swimming around nothing else…very relaxing…What does this mean?
By young kids i mean young adults…some of them i knew… i mean younger than me i am over 40
Melanie – You seem to be in a very natural surroundings, which suggests you are or were in touch with your natural feelings, the real you. That is strengthened by being topless – the real feminine you revealed.
And then you were in water with others, which is all about being in touch with others almost like knowing each other – maybe not the actual people, but certainly aspects of yourself. There is also a suggestion in the dream that you have an inner experience of being aware of the links you have with life, with your inner world. See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-dictionary/practical-techniques-for-understanding-your-dreams/#TalkingAs
Tony
Hi Tony, I have had this recurring dream and now it has become a nuisance. For the last yr. and half i dream that I am in my home and it is huge! the problem is there is water damage on the ceiling and coming down the walls. Everytime I dream I am in another house and it is mine and it is huge. Same issues, I walk upstairs and see there is water damage on the ceiling and on the walls. My concern is how much is this going to cost us? The last dream was I saw mold, and I actually took charge and called a handyman to repair the leak. I am a christian and I see this as a nuisance. Let me make this clear, I do not believe in fortune tellers, but I do believe that the Good Lord gives his children spiritual gifts, so are you one of them?
Hi Tony, Would you help me with a dream meaning? I think it is significant but i cant figure it out. So a short dream where i am in the sea, but floating on the top of the water (as its not deep enough for me to be able to swim) – alongside me are two maybe 20 year old men/boys that seem as though they could be menacing but they dont do anything except float me back towards the shore.
I know i should know what it means – but im just a bit baffled. Can you help me? thanks D in Ireland
Good evening,
I keep on having the same dream whereas I pick up my mobile phone, and water pours out of it. It’s happened continuously for the past week!
Any ideas?
i had a dream once that my ex was injured heavily & he was brought in stretcher & i was told to be beside him. I was continuously taking care of him, but as i saw him regaining his conscience i went away & sat but amazingly he was taking my name & wanted me to hold his hand & he said that be here please i need you. what is its meaning.is he safe….??
Dear Tony,
I keep dreaming of water.
First a square room full of water but with narrow walkways along the walls where cats (and I) look into the water where fish of many sizes swim. In particular a large, huge fish who eats the other smaller fish and attempts to eat some of the cats. I am terrified of falling in the water.
Another dream about drifting down a long river in a canyon with a man, we fall over a water fall and drown as he cannot swim and I drown trying to save him, then suddenly a mermaid saves us both.
I’m not pregnant but I can’t understand these dreams. Please help.
-Bonnie
I am pregnat i have this amazing dreams. I want to share one with you maybe you can help me with its interpretation. I was sailing in aboat it was very fast a man and a boy were driving the sailing boat. I was looking not to get stuck in white sand mountains in the water and finally i arrive to this beach. White sand and a lot of nature, i swim to the shore ,in the middle of my swimming i found a small cat floating in a plastic cap. Iam worried about the cat he is lovely he smiles at me like saying that he is fine. I continue swiming nd a feel an anilmal in my back holding me i take him to see wht it is ,he smiles at me he is grey and with he desaper swiming lik frog. I find the shore i just enter a hite and concret frame. I am in a space the roof is made of vegetation and big rocks like a cave, the flooriwhite, i stre a big withe box in the middle of the pce, ther is a beautiful big colored book. I walk into anotherspacether beautifull antic bottles of parfume painted with classical paintings like renoir, this bottles are full of stars everything shines. I went to another space, there are maps hanging in the walls this maps are madewith beautifull alive colores insects, they move around building new shaoes in this maps. i leave in the entrance again there is a cat he is staring at me he smiles he is very sweet, i understand that all this cat belong to that place. I am outside in city like paris, a lot of humidity a little bit black i walk i want to find my boat again, i walk in the streets i am dressed in a antic way i found a glass door i open it i jump into the blue see. This is one of my amazing dreams i have s many in my life thati just write them down since i was a girl. This is the first time thati share them with someone. Than you. I hope to hearfrom you. Sylvie
Sylvie – If, as you say you are pregnant, I am sure your baby will be filled with the beauty of your dream. And the cat swimming and the animal on your back are signs of healthy pregnancy.
Then the scene of the cave is again, a beautiful creation of your inner world, a world filled with experience of wonderful dimensions, the moving insects and maps show a very unusual mind.
Thank you for sharing it with me. See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/dream-yoga/
Tony
I’m surprised that you don’t have any reference to ‘walking on water’. Had a dream last night of walking over water. It could have an obvious meaning but would like to know your interpretation. Many thanx for your dictionary
Shaz – Strangely enough I received a dream about walking one water only a day or so ago. So it is good you remind me. In the case of the dream he found there was a “thin sheet under the water which protects me, I was trying to tear and go under water but it wasn’t happening.”
It depends upon the state of the water walked on; if it was stormy or calm can make a difference. But in general it is about having confidence that you meet the storms of your emotions and feel okay. But it could also mean you are frightened of ‘going under’. In dreams you cannot drown, and going under the surface can meet a dip into your inner life.
If you are a Christian it might point to having trust that you will be upheld by your faith.
Tony
Hi tony,
I would like to ask if you are willing interpret my dreams, I have dreamt of church 3 nights in a row.
The first night i was watching everyone else pray, the second night I was attending a baptism in a church for about 100 children and the third night i dreamt of a church next to cemetery. Thank you for helping…
Rea
Rea – I see your dream as a way you have been feeling about life.
You can see that death waits for us all, and inside you is a feeling that you want to prepare. To do that you see that prayer is a way to prepare, and baptism is entering the ranks of the human race; entering in a way of participation of accepting help from the highest.
You can do that in all manner of ways, as there are countless doorways to meet what is in the end your highest self.
Tony
Thank you, Tony, for making this very helpful dream dictionary available to all who wish to use it.