Rarely do we dream of snakes attacking and waking up feeling positive about the ordeal. Most of our human experience has taught us to be cautious of these frightening animals and associate them with the worst things: from danger to temptation, evil, conflict, fear, and bad news.
However, negative outcomes are only sometimes the right interpretation of snake attacks in dreams. According to psychology, these dreams can symbolize renewal and rebirth in the face of a given challenge or changing times.
Mornings.co.uk is an agency involved in cutting-edge research to help you improve sleep patterns and get better rest. The company surveyed most commonly Google-searched dreams in the world. They discovered that dreams of snakes were the most common in the world, followed by dreams of losing teeth.
It is important to note that dreams of snakes attacking were more common in regions with high snake populations. And in some of these regions, snakes in your dreams are just that, snakes with zero symbolic interpretations.
This shows us that even though snakes in dreams can be terrifying and a cause for concern, they can also be benign and positive. Read on to learn the various symbolism of snake attacks in dreams. Get to know various snake dream examples and what your mind may be prompting you to do in real life.
Symbolism Found in A Dream of Snakes Attacking
- Evil – Snakes have symbolized the devil and evil monsters since the beginning of time. They represent the worst in the world and can manifest in our dreams to remind us of the terrible things happening around us. Evil can range from betrayal to bad decisions, failed dreams, dangerous circumstances, and problematic conditions.
- Bad News – An attack in your dreams foretells terrible things, especially if you do not survive the attacks. Bad news also involves bad luck and sad events that are coming or currently taking hold in your life.
- Caution – Terrible consequences will consume you if you do not make the right choices. Snakes attacking you may foretell the downfall that will come if you continue on the path you have set for yourself. It signifies your procrastination, laziness, or complacency habits preventing you from exerting more control over your life. It is time to make tough decisions.
- Fear & Anxiety – Snake attacks may frequently manifest when going through a challenging time. You may be faced with lots of situations that make you worry, invoke a lot of anxiety, and instill a lot of fear in you.
- Internal Conflicts – This is more so when you dream of a snake attack in the raging water. Raging water/rain/storm is a common symbol of emotional turmoil and internal angst. The snake attack is an added burden that shows troubles and worrisome events that make you agitated and nervous.
- Courage and Triumph – Despite their evil reputations, snakes are also seen as courageous animals with high-held heads, ready to attack at the slightest provocation. They can signify your courage to confront big challenges. A snake attack in which you triumph over the venomous animals can also symbolize your rise to success and conquering your fears.
- Healing and renewal – Snakes change their skins many times throughout the year. The dreams may be an affirmation of the progress you have made in life and show a new you who has gone through rebirth to face even greater challenges.
Psychological Meaning: Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung’s Interpretations
Snakes have a firm grounding in psychoanalysis. The greatest professionals in the field since the beginning of the psychological analysis of dreams are Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud.
Freud believed our dreams are a significant manifestation of the unconscious mind trying to bring out repressed, shameful, or hidden desires, usually sexual.
On the other hand, Carl Jung saw dreams as a manifestation of what our society and culture believe (collective unconscious). These beliefs are then tapped into the dreamer’s unconscious mind to show them relevant symbolism and archetypes regarding their lives.
According to Freud, snakes in dreams symbolize the male reproductive organ or male desire. If a man dreams of snakes, it has something to do with his bond to his male member, how it defines him, and his relationships with women.
If a woman dreamt of the snake, it was about a bond she has with a man in his life, be it a sexual partner or father figure for whom she has much respect. When a woman dreamt of snakes biting her frail aging father, it usually signified a worry or desire to see her father die so that he is put out of his misery.
Carl Jung believed snake dreams could mean many things depending on the dream specifics and instincts of the dreamer. He also pointed out that most of the symbolism involved with snakes involves Christ and Biblical accounts. However, his stance pointed more to snakes as a symbol of healing, renewal, and rebirth, if you may.
Most professionals in the field regard snake attacks in dreams as an interpretation of healing and growth, be it through cautious concerns or triumph over circumstances.
Spiritual Meaning of a Snake Attack in A Dream
Hinduism
So, what does it mean when a snake bites you in a dream, according to Hinduism? In Hindu mythology, snake attacks in dreams have two meanings: incoming danger or victory.
Danger can be a sickness symbolized by a snake falling onto you or coming out of any part of your body in the dream. Victory is predicted if you catch the snake or get bitten, but not killed, by it. If you kill the snake, you may encounter some form of unluckiness in real life.
Christianity
Snakes have an unforgettable history in both the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. The devil disguises himself as a snake to trick Eve into eating the forbidden fruit and, subsequently, Adam.
Snakes signify temptations that lead us into sin and make us forget to be faithful believers of God’s word. Psalms talks of liars/deceivers/tempters being serpents ‘tongues as sharp as a serpent’s; the poison of vipers is on their lips, and the New Testament shows how the hypocritical Pharisees are compared to snakes and brood of vipers. The devil is also symbolized as a serpent in the last book of the Bible.
The snake is set as an enemy of humankind when God punishes the first humans, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Snake attacks in dreams show the sinful and deceitful things happening in your life that will bring about terrible consequences. Devilish intentions may be disguising themselves in your life, ready to pounce.
Islam
In Islam, snakes are regarded as dangerous creatures that should be treated with the uttermost caution whenever you encounter them. They symbolize the need for immediate attention to brace yourself or shield yourself from incoming trouble.
Examples of Snake Attack Dreams
Keeping a dream journal, recall and ask questions to get to the bottom of the symbolism and exact occurrence of the dream: – what snake, the feeling, how it looked, talking snakes, where, did it attack, did you triumph, who was involved?
Getting Attacked by Snake in A dream
If you are fighting the snake in the dream and it is a heated battle, it signifies a heated battle going on in your current life. The intense emotional weight the struggle is creating manifests the snake to show you the fight is still ongoing and you are yet to be defeated. Do not falter.
Dream About Snakes Chasing You
Panic, anxiety, and nervousness in real life. Calm yourself, take deep breaths and gather yourself from the anxiety that is derailing you. The dream shows you are afraid of confronting a tough situation which is why you are running away.
Dream About Snakes Biting You
A hostile and dangerous situation is making it hard for you to adjust. You may feel weak in a situation that will bring you down and make you feel helpless.
Dream About Getting Swallowed by Snake
This dream closely resembles paralyzing fear in the face of great challenges. The snake swallowing you relates to your overwhelmed nature and warns you to escape the ever-increasing fear and weakness amidst challenges.
Too Many Snakes in My Dreams
Surrounded by too many liars or worried about being deceived by those you surround yourself with. Many deceivers may be disguised around you. Many untrue things are being said, and you do not feel like you can trust anyone.
Dreams About Snakes Attacking Someone Else
Worrying for close friends and family is what a snake dream means when the dream shows you a snake biting someone.
Related:
- Rattlesnake Dream Meaning
- Dream About Dog Attack Meaning
- Black Snake in Dream Meaning and Symbolism
- Green Snake in Dream Meaning
- Dream About Snakes in House Meaning
- Dreams About Being Chased Meaning
Summing Up
Dreams have different meanings depending on what you are going through, your religious beliefs, spiritual inclinations, the current climate in the world, and your fears/desires. Our dreams are manifestations of the workings of our subconscious mind.
Try getting a dream journal to get better insight into your snake attack dream. Reoccurring dreams are more crucial in this regard; you will have to dive deeper into their significance to make them stop.
Please pay more attention to the details of the dream; where it takes place, who is involved, how it makes you feel, and how your life feels in reality during that time. Meditate upon these and talk to someone you feel comfortable with; you will sleep like a baby in no time.