Chase dreams, mirrors of your psyche

Have you ever relived the same dream, as if your subconscious is trying to tell you something?Chase dreams in particular are common and tend to repeat. In this blog, you'll learn what they mean and how to work with them.

Being chased in a dream is one of the most common and frequently recurring dream themes. Many people are familiar with the feeling of running away, freezing, or panicking while being pursued by an unknown or threatening figure.

But what does such a dream mean, and why does it keep coming back?

A real-life example: One of my clients repeatedly dreamed that she was being chased by a man. She wasn’t entirely sure why she was running from him, but she thought he wanted to catch or kidnap her. Every time, she would run away and wake up just at the moment he was about to grab her. This dream kept returning regularly.

Chase dreams as an expression of the shadow

In Jungian psychology, dream pursuers are often seen as symbols of the shadow: the parts of ourselves that we suppress or reject. Think of anger, power, sexuality, intuition, or unresolved traumas. What chases us isn’t necessarily something outside of us, but a part of ourselves that is seeking attention.

My client’s dream turned out to be a clear example of this. In our session, we discovered that the threatening man symbolized her repressed strength and anger – qualities that had not been welcomed in her childhood. In daily life, she avoided conflict, adapted to others, and put herself second. Her dream was trying to mirror this back to her.

Why do these dreams keep coming back?

In cognitive psychology, recurring dreams are often linked to unresolved emotions or situations. They function as internal rehearsal exercises – attempts by the psyche to bring things to consciousness and work through them. Jeremy Taylor, a well-known dream researcher, once said: "All dreams come in the service of healing and growth."

As long as we keep looking away or avoiding the message, the dream will keep showing up. Only when we acknowledge the underlying message can the dream change – or disappear.

From running away to turning toward

In my client’s case, we used a visualization exercise in which she turned around and began asking the pursuer questions. She realized that the man represented a side of her she preferred not to show – a part she had learned to hide as a child. Specifically, setting boundaries or standing up for herself. By understanding the message and turning it into an intention to assert herself more often, the dream disappeared.

Tips for working with chase dreams

Do you recognize yourself in this dream theme? Then try asking yourself the following questions:

• Who or what is chasing me in my dream – and what could that symbolize?

• What emotions do I feel in the dream, and when do I experience those in waking life?

• What am I (unconsciously) avoiding?

• What would happen if I turned around in the dream and faced the pursuer? What might they want to tell or show me?
  

You can write down your dream, draw it, or act it out in a guided visualization. That alone often brings a lot of insight.

Chase dreams are not meaningless nightmares. On the contrary – they are powerful mirrors of our inner world. They point us to parts of ourselves we may not want to face, but which – once acknowledged – give access to inner strength, peace, and personal growth.

Your dream doesn’t want to scare you. Your dream wants to wake you up.

With love,

Sabine

Want to get started with dreamwork in an easy way?Send me your dream (in a few sentences or an audio message) via WhatsApp (+31652408272). You’ll receive a short, personal interpretation the same day – practical and intuitive. Book a WhatsApp dream analysis [here].