Recently we encountered a very interesting question on Quora.
“I have been dreaming that I am super angry at my sister. What does it mean to have super angry dreams?”
Truthfully, there’s no one answer to this question. On one side, we can say angry dreams might be a manifestation of inevitable conflict in your waking life. Or it can be a sign that you’ve been repressing your anger caused by someone or a situation.
To see yourself angry at a friend or family member or vice versa means that your subconscious mind thinks you’re dealing with something. But you’re not handling it well, so it’s calling for your attention and it’s time you listen.
With that said, this article aims to explore the various interpretations of angry dreams. It’s all about how these interpretations can help you understand your psyche and situations in waking life.
Why Am I So Angry in My Dreams?
Anger is a strong emotion that we all deal with in our life. It’s natural and stems from several reasons, such as being frustrated, betrayed, disappointed, or when we do not receive enough care and love.
Even in the dream world, anger is a powerful symbol, with complex interpretations. Below we’ve discussed a few, let’s check them out:
Repressed Anger
Followers of Sigmund Freud believe that anger is a critical component of one’s inner self. If you suppress this emotion, it can manifest in your dream in different contexts (others might include physical violence).
The more pent-up anger you have, the higher your likely hood of having dreams about being angry. These visions can become recurring until you discover the trigger of your anger and deal with it. Your unconscious mind processes and releases those pent-up emotions in a safe environment. This way, you can figure out more effective ways to deal with your anger.
For example, imagine you have a boss who micromanages you constantly, but you are not willing to confront him. Your anger levels will build up slowly. And one time you might reach a tipping point. But unconsciously, your dreams can create different scenarios that can help you find a solution to your situation.
Underlying Frustration
Anger dreams may also reflect underlying frustrations and disappointments in your waking life. And they usually provide you clues about the areas you are struggling with. Seeing yourself angry in a dream can be scary, but the vision simply means you need to address something in your life.
If the vision places you in a work setting, your co-workers or boss could be the cause of your frustrations. In a domestic setting, the dreams mean your source of anger stems from a conflict in your love life. Or maybe one of your family members is making your life miserable.
The same anger dreams can illustrate some type of conflict within yourself. Perhaps you fear there’s some opposition between what you want in life and what you think you should do. You are in a situation where you have to make a compromise to deal with some turmoil. Yet, you don’t see a possible way forward.
Unresolved Issues
We all have those silent saboteurs to our ambitions. Sometimes they appear as emotional baggage that lingers in the recesses of our hearts and minds.
These saboteurs, or as we call them, “unresolved issues”, arise from strained relationships or unhealed wounds. These influence our thoughts, decisions, actions, and obviously dreams, whether we know it or not.
If you think about it, the dreams you experience at night are built on the basis of healthy and harmonious self. But when you have unresolved issues, they form cracks in this foundation. They basically prevent you from creating the life you want. It’s like you’re trying to erect a 40-story building on shaky ground–the structure will never last.
Unresolved issues that manifest as dreams of being angry could be triggered by moments that cause your discomfort or hesitation. Take a step back and reflect on your experiences, relationships, or current situation. The answer to the hidden messages of your dream lies within them.
3 Common Scenarios
Dream About Being Angry at Someone
You’ve probably been angry at someone in a dream. Even if you didn’t shout at the person, you were probably terrified by your anger. In some cases, this vision can turn into a nightmare, waking you up in the middle of the night.
If you have had this kind of vision, you are withholding or repressing your anger towards an individual. You have pushed this strong emotion so deep, so far, and for so long that it’s ripping into your dreams. Eventually, your unconscious anger will leak beyond your conscious awareness and affect how you interact with the real world.
Yes, you might brush off this dream at first. But once angry dreams about someone become recurring and disturbing, you must acknowledge it.
What has the person in your dream done to deserve such fits of anger? Once you recognize the trigger for your anger, you can find a healthier way to deal with and process the feelings you have.
On a lighter note, dreams about being angry at someone can be an opportunity to know yourself better. Find out what the person represents in your waking life. Maybe he or she reflects an aspect of yourself you know about or an unconscious part of yourself (you are oblivious to).
Dream About Being Angry with Family
Most families do not provide their members with a healthy way to let out their emotions. So, many people end up pushing or stuffing them down too deep into their subconscious mind. And as a result, whatever they are suppressing comes out in their dreams.
To be frank, the main characters in your dream are simply aspects of yourself; just represented by your family members. The anger or aggressiveness in your dream represents your conscious self. Meanwhile, your brother, sister, or uncle are your unconscious self.
The visions imply there’s a rift or imbalance between the aspects that make up your personality. If you dream you are angry at your sibling, your insecurities about your own achievements are probably coming to light.
Anger in your dream talks more about the pent-up emotions you are dealing with. This could be the desire to have more quality time with your loved ones or a lack of self-validation because of childhood trauma.
A dream of a happy family that lives harmoniously with one another is a sign of significant health and circumstance. However, when you are angry at your family in a dream, it forebodes disappointment. For a long time, you have been feeling unheard by your family. This has left you with a sense of confusion and frustration.
The strong emotion you are feeling in your dream could relate to your desire for clarity or understanding of your current relationship with your family. Other themes that come out clearly are the potential of underlying issues or unresolved family conflicts.
Dream of Being Angry and Shouting
This dream could have several meanings depending on the narrative your vision took. For example, if you saw yourself angry and shouting at your husband. It’s likely there’s something your husband has done or is doing that you fear addressing directly.
He might be good at letting other people express themselves the way they want. But when it comes to you, it’s like you never have a voice and every little thing can lead to a disagreement.
Another notion is that our dreams are magnification or exaggeration of our real feelings. When you are angry with someone to the point of shouting in a dream, it’s simply your mind’s way of releasing those pent-up feelings or repressed emotions.
And if you are keen enough, you will notice your anxiety, anger, and stress levels might come down after such dreams. But sometimes you might need to identify the cause of your negative feelings and address it, to heal.
If you are yelling at a stranger, your dream is a bit metaphorical. The figurative stranger taps the door of your unconscious state, revealing elements you’ve never known you have. He (or she) is a narrative your mind uses to introduce you to obscure parts of your personality and sometimes life experiences.
The yelling could be viewed as an emotional detox that you didn’t know you required. That applies to you if you tend to shy away from emotions that cause you pain or stress.
Wrapping Up
As you can see above, dreams adopt themes that often show a deep desire for structure within your life. Especially, if you currently feel under threat or in a state of confusion.
Anger is not a new concept in dreams, and just like other themes, your mind can conjure exaggerated or symbolic narratives. Those that tap into your personality, hidden emotions, and life experiences.
Dreams about being angry are not to be ignored; they reflect the unknown layers of who you are. Knowing this, dreams of anger show signs of both internal and external conflict. They urge you to tackle the underlying cause, be it family or work-related. Otherwise, it might become a major hindrance in your life.
Dreams are not merely stories that your mind spins; they are signals and sometimes a call to action for you to take control of your life.