What does dreaming of sharks mean? Let’s take a closer look at the animal in question. If you’re after an apex predator, you can’t go wrong with a shark. Sharks have been around for roughly 450 million years, and that’s a head start of 66 million years on us. Not many animals will pick a fight with a shark, and those that do, don’t always have a good chance at winning.
Sharks in dreams have many meanings. They represent power, fear, and deep emotions, which can encompass the unconscious mind as a whole. In occult terms, they stand for fear and death.
Ancestrally speaking, the fear comes from an animal strong enough to overpower us, and eat us, which you’d have no say over. It’s an almost spiritual fear in how deep it runs. For example, children often emphasize things that can eat us. They categorize animals on a scale of “most likely to eat you” in terms of interest. This is something they concretely understand from a very young age. It’s pre-programmed into us, to respect and fear something that can and will make you dinner. Sharks in dreams can mean there’s an overabundance of fear in your life, or you’re unable to confront your fears and have instead accepted their presence.
What is the Dream Interpretation of a Shark?
Dreaming of sharks represents emotions that resonate deeply with us. Unfortunately, these are usually negative. It may indicate you’re feeling vulnerable in some way, maybe you’ve shared a secret with someone, or you feel you’re out of your depth, or there have been too many situations you can’t control lately. A shark in your dream can mean power and creativity, perhaps a new outlook on a creative endeavor that’s working well.
It won’t come as a surprise that a dream with sharks can indicate aggression and impulsive behavior. Maybe a way of dealing with feeling out of control is to become angry and listen less to your conscience. Perhaps lashing out is your coping mechanism for something, and this particular shark is warning you to stop acting negatively.
What the shark was doing. Was it actively trying to attack you? Is someone you know threatening your way of doing things, or hurting your life? A situation where you should only trust yourself, as involving others will only have a detrimental effect.
If a shark is chasing you in a dream, you have endangered an aspect of your life. This can be something small such as your work ethic which you can get back on track fairly easily. Equally, it can be something more serious, like putting yourself at risk by upsetting someone else. If you see someone else turn into a shark, this may be an indication that you don’t trust them, or something about their behavior is really off.
Sharks can also represent people who want to do you harm and can come as a warning. If you escaped from this aqueous villain, it’s a sign you’ll do the same in your waking life. It can signify you need to overcome any imminent danger in waking life. In several British dream interpretation books, a shark in a dream is someone that will cause you serious problems. They may not be someone you’d consider to do you any harm, be it a close friend or a family member. It’s not the intent that’s the focus here, but the outcome of being hurt regardless. If you wake up and the worry carries through, this dream is a sign to examine your future actions with people, make sure you don’t hurt them.
What if a Shark Attacks You in a Dream?
Some dream meanings are directly linked to how they make you feel. Dreaming of a shark attack is stressful. This stress can appear in multiple ways, but a common one is unexpected issues when moving forward. It may be something as big as moving house, and you might find there are structural issues, or the seller has a problem that delays the process. Don’t stress, as it could be something fairly mundane – you popped out to get some milk and the store ran out. If the shark bites you or eats you, this signifies someone in your life is about to hurt you. Maybe you reach out for their assistance and they react in a way you hadn’t anticipated or wanted. Maybe it ends up that you have to do their part for them.
If you happen to be in nice, clear water when this shark comes calling, this reveals future social success, but someone will try and sabotage it. Be wary of anyone who congratulates you too readily, but be thankful for them too. It’s a sign to remain aware and not become complacent, there’s still work to be done. Sharks have to swim continuously to keep the water pulling through their gills to breathe (See also Dreams About Not Being Able to Breathe). In the same tone, we should be mindful of our achievements, but not so much that it stagnates future progress.
Sharks acting violently in your dream is a sign of emotional sensitivity. This does not necessarily mean that you are too emotional; it could reflect a current sticky situation that provokes a lot of different feelings. It’s a way of your subconscious dumping all of these emotions safely into one place, allowing you to feel them without a backlash. A shark attacking you can be a sign of a run of bad luck or misplaced trust in people.
If the dream shark is dead, this points to new wealth, whether that’s a big repair in a previously faltering relationship or a new business deal, what a nice dream!
If the shark in your dream was a baby, it can reveal a negative reaction in someone. Even an inability to handle emotional situations, or an immaturity will drive your relationship apart. You may want to proceed carefully. It may be that you don’t have enough confidence to react how you want to a situation, something that will come with time.
Was the water rough, choppy, angry? Clear, and calm? This influences the meaning of the dream and stems from your current emotions. If the water looked like an advert for a vacation, you’re in a good place.
What does it Mean if Sharks Circle You in the Dream?
One weakness a shark possesses is terrible eyesight. While they have a brilliant sense of smell and can sense vibrations (usually fish thrashing in the water) and hear for ages, they struggle with sight. This is why they circle prey, not only to trap it but to find a weakness. Seeing a dream shark circling you can reveal problems at work, particularly if you’re in a shark cage. It can also foretell problems in your future goals, and how your current approach will struggle to fulfill them.
More than one shark signifies there’s a hidden secret that you could do with knowing. Maybe it doesn’t actively concern you, but might help achieve your goals. Perhaps it is about you and might change things for the better.
What does it Mean to Dream of a Shark Chasing You?
Isn’t that what everyone remembers most about Jaws, besides the theme tune? It’s the active terror of a predator chasing you, a predator that has adapted to living in water for too long for you to compete with it]. Even after the movie scene is over, your heart’s still thumping like you’ve swum for your life. This post-chase feeling is tied to this shark’s meaning. It’s a feeling of the past chasing you, and maybe you try to avoid your own emotions here. Some cultures see sharks as being a lucky omen, and a shark chasing you in a dream is considered a good outcome from a difficult situation. Maybe you didn’t overcome the problem itself, but the experience you’ve gained will go a long way in the future. It can be a call to relax, to recuperate after a difficult time.
What does it Mean to Dream of a Shark Biting You?
In a dream, shark bites are your subconscious lashing out. Are you confused about something? Do you feel you haven’t done as well in something as you’d hoped? Essentially, this applies to “life goals”, whatever that may mean to you. Perhaps you considered something you’d thought as your ideal job turned out to be just a job, or maybe a business didn’t thrive in the way you’d worked for, and now you feel a bit lost. Sharks are powerful creatures, but they move purely with intent and instinct, and if a shark stops moving, it dies. You can say the same for your motivation. If you don’t try, it will diminish.
Sharks biting you in a dream suggests it’s time for you to decide what you want, as the stasis of indecision won’t serve you any further. If you dream of your leg being bitten, this points to problems with a relative. If it bit your hand, you require more creativity in your life. Perhaps there’s a path you haven’t considered.
If you see other people being bitten by a shark in a dream, this suggests you are fully committed to your job, and now’s the time to take on more responsibility. If you see a child being attacked by a shark in your dream, it suggests that your approach is too regimented, and unless you tackle an issue with an open mind, you’ll fail.
What do Shark Teeth in your Dream Mean?
Shark teeth have been worn as symbols of protection from the sea since the year go. They’re the jewelry (see jewelry dream meaning) of choice for sailors and surfers all over the world. Seeing the teeth in your dream largely depends on the context you saw them. Were they still attached to the shark? How many did you see? A single shark tooth can indicate a struggle with someone who has been talking badly about you. A jaw full of teeth, fully open, suggests a victory over something. It can also be a call to keep a promise you’ve made, whether that’s to keep a secret or to carry on assisting someone.
What does it Mean to Dream of a Shark Eating You?
If you’ve not been watching Jaws lately, you might wonder where this dream has come from.
If you remember, a shark attack causes all kinds of disturbance in the water alone. It can mean your emotions are churning to a point where this is a new state of normal for you, but it’s a sign of emotional instability. Sharks can signify a change in work, whether that’s a new path, a difference in work ethic, or just work habits shifting a bit. If you weren’t in the water when the shark attacked, but you were on the relative safety of the beach, this reveals a sudden upheaval is in your future. This can indicate a new source of stress, a new job, or an accident.
What does it Mean to Fight a Shark in a Dream?
Arguably slightly less stressful than being eaten in a dream, this isn’t a nice dream. This particular shark represents a person affecting your waking life. It can also be a sign of disconnecting from your life and running away (see also running away dream meaning) from an issue.
While some animals pick a fight with anything because they can, and they’re confident they can win, sharks aren’t the overly-aggressive monsters that movies make them out to be. If they’re hungry, they’ll be irritable, like the rest of us. If they’re in a large pack, they may have something to prove, like the rest of us. This dream signifies a conflict where you don’t know a lot, perhaps it’s focused on someone else’s experiences or problems. Unfortunately, you’ll be in over your head. When you recognize this conflict in your waking hours, it may be time to step back and ask how it came to be.
Fighting a shark in a dream may also mean that you’re in the process of challenging your inner thoughts and emotions. If you’re challenging yourself to think better of people, or ignoring your emotions when they are negative, putting them aside can mean they don’t get the better of you, and you can then focus on the task at hand. It may also mean you’ve accidentally gone against someone who has your best interests at heart, and you should perhaps reconsider your actions toward them.
What does it Mean to be Attacked by a Shark in a Dream?
Dreaming of a shark attacking you is commonly interpreted as your power being lessened. This can be a knock to your self-confidence, but to quote Eleanor Roosevelt, “no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” (see also Quotes About Dreams And Dreaming) Someone in your life may be taking more of their fair share of your time and energy, or perhaps the source of the problem is you. Maybe you’ve had a bout of bad luck and feel a bit lost. This shark’s purpose is to guide you in making the right decision, and this can be as hard as accepting how you feel.
What does a Dream of a Great White Shark Mean?
No grenades here, please. While a graceful hunter, it’s the biggest shark in the sea, and we’re all a bit wary of that infamous theme tune. Unsurprisingly, this guy’s appearance in your dream is a sign of fear. It’s also a signifier of a troubling emotion, and you’re worried about a situation happening soon.
What does the Hammerhead Shark Mean in Dreams?
Arguably the next most recognized shark, the hammerhead in your dream is a sign of fearing someone’s reaction to something.
What does Being a Shark in a Dream Mean?
Sharks have power. They have strength. Their teeth constantly regrow. These are all attractive traits, so no wonder you dreamt of this! What does it mean to be a shark in a dream? It links closely to our relationships with other people, and usually negatively. It’s a sign of being taken advantage of, whether you are the exploiter, or the exploited. Perhaps you need to take more control in a relationship, rather than letting the other person define it.
Being a shark in a dream can be a sign you’re frustrated with a person or outcome, and you feel you can’t react the way you want to. This is your subconscious’s way of doing so. If you are successful in hunting your prey – whatever it may be – this indicates a future win of some kind or a general round of good luck. Just remember, if you’re dreaming of being a shark, you may be required to attend weekly Fish Anonymous meetings, because fish are friends, not food.
What does it Mean to Watch a Shark in a Dream?
Dreaming of watching a shark is a sign of progression – you’re seeing the results you wanted when you set out. It can express a desire to achieve more, or something entirely different from what you gained in the past. If the shark you see is behind glass, this points to your intent toward the relationships in your life. If the shark is in a river, a swimming pool, or something else that’s a bit claustrophobic, you need some contentment right now. This is to prepare yourself for a future event that may be exciting or stressful.
What does Seeing a Dead Shark in a Dream Mean?
Do you know what happened to the dream shark? Was it already dead? Did you kill it? Seeing a dead shark in a dream or even dreaming of killing one can mean you’re past a difficult period in your life. Now that things are calmer, you can take a breath and enjoy the moment. If the shark floats to the surface, this means you need to move on from the after-effects of a difficult situation. If you caught the shark, this reveals a new positive direction in your life that you’ll be directly responsible for creating. A shark tooth suggests you need to be more assertive in achieving your wishes. Killing a shark in your dream suggests that you will have time to sort out any future problems as they appear.
What does it Mean When You Catch a Shark in a Dream?
Similar to the last interpretation, catching a shark in a dream suggests you’re moving on from an issue you had trouble with. Catching the shark in a fishing (see also fishing dream meaning) net reveals that you’ll navigate through problems with ease. If the shark is angry, this can mean you need to pay attention to other people’s reactions to something. If you subsequently eat this dream shark, it’s another emphasis on moving forward from a difficult time in your life.
What’s the Biblical Interpretation of Dreaming of Sharks?
From a biblical perspective, sharks can represent the appearance of the devil, or demons (see also Demon Dream Symbolism And Meaning) that live in water. For some, they’re the ultimate antagonist to be feared, an enemy you may not be able to defeat. This makes the representation of sharks being emotions more poignant, as often the hardest struggles concern our own emotions. The shark can reveal a dark side to your personality, what Carl Jung refers to as the shadow. This side to you can be rejected or repressed behavior that sharks can display, such as aggression, impulsiveness, stubbornness, a refusal to relate to other people, or only relying on your instincts.
Positive Changes Are Coming If
- You escaped with your life
- You helped save someone from the shark
- Someone saved you from the shark
- You didn’t die from the shark attack
Feelings that Come from Dreaming of Sharks
Unsettled. Surprised. Terrified at the situation. Feeling unable to deal with the fear the situation presented. Feeling attacked or victimized. Feeling vulnerable, taken advantage of, or caught off guard.
Conclusion
A shark dream, while it can be frightening, is not necessarily a bad dream. It can be a useful signifier to change the direction your life is going in or confronting any leftover emotions from a bad event in your life. It can mean a new start, a chapter closing on a negative period in your life, or a fresh run of good luck. If you’re dreaming of sharks, you may desire a fresh start in your life, an outlet for negative emotions, or a new insight into a jumble of emotions. A dream shark may also present a warning to be wary of other people, specifically people who aren’t what they seem. They may come across as friendly, but they ultimately can be superficial, their words only lip service.
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