Desires about being chased revealed
Are you having goals about being chased? In your nightmares, do you run to a hiding spot, hoping to not get caught? Does the expertise go away you feeling terrified?
If the reply is sure, you wouldn’t be alone. One of the frequent sorts of goals contain situations the place an individual is being chased. Generally, you already know who’s pursuing you. Different instances, solely thier presence will be sensed.
Sound acquainted?
Within the aftermath of such goals, many individuals report feeling profound concern. Some even get up screaming, soaked in their very own sweat.
Chasing Desires Explored
As a counselor, I’ve labored with many individuals (women and men) who’ve shared with me the particular particulars of their goals. We’re speaking about all the things from goals about demise to goals a couple of love curiosity.
Whereas I don’t fake to have all of the solutions, I’ve finished quite a lot of analysis on dream content material in an effort to assist people higher perceive their which means.
Earlier than persevering with additional, you could have a proper to know who’s authoring this piece. I do know if I had been studying this web page, I’d be curious. Right here’s a fast thumbnail sketch.
I maintain a Ph.D. in psychology and train college-level programs within the behavioral sciences for a variety of establishments, together with NYIT.
Moreover, I’m a board-certified medical hypnotherapist and in addition maintain credentials in transcendental meditation. Lastly, I licensed within the state of Illinois as a psychological well being counselor.
With all of that mentioned …
I’m not attempting to place myself on the market as a dream interpretation guru. However right here’s the factor – anybody who tries to inform you they’re an “skilled” in dream evaluation isn’t being straight with you.
That’s as a result of goals are totally subjective in nature. A lot will depend on the interpreter’s theoretical orientation; a $10.00 time period used to explain what kind of psychology the skilled subscribes to.
Talking for myself, I determine as a cognitive habits therapist (CBT) and pull upon integrative approaches from CBT’s third wave.
Most of what we learn about goals involves us from the well-known psychiatrist, Carl Jung. He’s largely credited with conceptualizing the lively creativeness (Chodorow, 1997). Consider this because the thoughts’s portal to the unconscious and different religious dimensions.
That mentioned, it’s time to maneuver on to the actual motive you got here to this web page – to know what chasing goals imply.
I’m going to inform you what I share with college students and purchasers once they come to me with a dream evaluation query. Are you prepared? Right here it goes:
Desires ought to be seen by means of the lens of symbolism and can’t be taken actually.
I point out this now for foundational functions. This may assist to supply context in all that follows. To make issues easy, I’ve created this put up within the conventional query and reply format. My hope is that will help you shortly get to the solutions you might be on the lookout for.

What do chasing goals imply?
When an individual goals about somebody (or one thing) chasing them, it normally represents an unconscious concern. In lots of circumstances, the depth of that concern is immediately linked to one thing an individual is fearful about.
There may be some analysis to recommend that unhealthy goals are nothing greater than psychological projections of unmet psychological wants. However there’s a massive distinction between having an disagreeable dream and one involving being chased – properly, no less than to me.
Some psychologists assume you will need to determine who is doing the chasing. However what for those who don’t know “who” is?
Sometimes, what I hear is: “I may inform one thing was after me and so I ran. I may sense it was evil however that’s about it!”
Others have shared variations of the above. Examples embrace solely having the ability to see the eyes of the individual, like vibrant crimson slits. I’ve even had some people inform me they noticed monsters operating after them with gold coloured eyes.
What’s fascinating is that males appear to have extra goals about being chased by a gaggle (aka: a pack of wolves) whereas ladies report being pursued by one object (like a creature).
I’ve no knowledge to assist this statement and may solely inform you what’s been shared with me throughout counseling classes. To my thoughts, this is sensible as a result of guys usually are those to have goals about preventing – normally in opposition to two or three folks without delay.
What does hiding imply in goals?
A typical dynamic as a part of a traditional chase dream is the individual operating from a creature and discovering a spot to cover. Let’s say in your dreamscape, you might be being pursued by a beast within the misty woods.
From a spot of concern (and a need to outlive), you discover a huge oak tree with a big trunk. Performing as a pillar, you disguise behind the tree till hazard passes.
FYI: I didn’t simply make this state of affairs up. I’ve heard manifestations of this very same scenario from no less than a dozen of purchasers.
Right here’s a current instance from a scholar who wrote me three weeks in the past.
“I knew one thing was chasing me so I hid behind a tree. I waited there till it felt secure to go away. However then I out of the blue awoke!”
So, what does the act of hiding imply in goals? Nicely, it’s not what it’s possible you’ll assume. Most individuals say hiding symbolizes concern and self-protection.
However what if I instructed you that hiding actually represents one thing about you – like a secret? In lots of circumstances, that’s precisely what I consider is happening.
So as a substitute of hiding your bodily individual (aka your physique), what you might be actually doing – symbolically – is defending data. The entity chasing you normally represents a menace to that materials.
One other variation of the hiding theme pertains to unconscious fears of being uncovered. To chop to the chase, I’m speaking about being discovered as:
- A fraud
- Incompetent
- Pretend (not directly)
- Ignorant a couple of subject
- By some means “weak”
I’ve seen this dynamic most frequently in individuals who battle with a situation referred to as imposter syndrome. That’s mainly a scenario the place a person is unable to just accept their private accomplishments and look at themselves as a fraud.
One fascinating statement is how typically imposter syndrome appears to pop up with organizational leaders I’ve labored with, akin to senior executives and CEOs. So a lot of them have shared with me – in confidence – that they really feel like they’re “faking it”.
Is smart?
Lastly, I additionally need to say that I’ve seen the chase-hide dynamic happen with faculty college students. Sometimes, these goals happen across the time of main exams. And when you consider it – doesn’t that laptop? In any case, there are solely two outcomes of a check: go or fail.

What can I study myself once I dream about being chased?
With an open thoughts, you’ll be able to be taught a lot about your self from goals. With chase-hide goals, you could possibly determine deeply held sources of disgrace.
Moreover, you would possibly be capable of decide if somebody or one thing is inflicting you ache.
Keep in mind that goals additionally will be projections of hysteria. I typically joke with a few of my purchasers and say, “Simply since you went to sleep doesn’t imply your nervousness went to sleep too.”
The exhausting reality is a few psychological well being points can lend themselves to nightmares, significantly numerous types of despair. I’m not saying you probably have unhealthy goals that you’ve got psychological well being issues. However I’m saying that individuals who battle with sure sorts of points report unhealthy goals extra steadily.
If I get caught in a dream, does it imply I’ll die?
That is an previous city fantasy. Many individuals assume in the event that they dream of somebody grabbing or “catching” them – significantly whereas hiding, it means they’ll die in actual life.
In different phrases, they don’t get up.
Actually, that could be a bunch of nonsense. I can perceive why people purchase into this as a result of scary goals lend themselves to scary outcomes. Learn this web page on the which means of demise in goals to be taught extra.
What else may cause goals about being chased?
Other than numerous types of inside battle, there are exterior influences that may impression dream materials. A biggie is medicines.
For those who’ve ever watched these commercials on T.V. the place the narrator talks in regards to the side-effects of a sure med, you’ve little question heard: “[fill in the blank] might trigger sleep disruptions or nightmares in some folks.”
This is the reason you will need to ask your physician questions on any new prescriptions.
Moreover, substances can also trigger folks to have chasing goals. Examples embrace alcohol, hashish, and psychedelic drugs akin to ecstasy. Technically, the “goals” are hallucinations however the individual experiences the content material as a dream.
Are goals portals to a different dimension?
Earlier, I discussed that goals ought to be seen by means of the lens of symbolism. That very a lot holds true. However symbolism shouldn’t be regarded as exclusionary to different potentialities.
Imagine it or not, there are some cultures who consider that goals are a pathway to supernatural communication – openings to different realms of existence that transcend this time and area.
Native Indians, for instance, consider in spirit animals. On this approach, a turtle or wolf showing in a dream symbolizes a life-lesson. Instance: wolves characterize knowledge, turtles – persistence.
The place else can I study dream interpretation?
You can see numerous data on the Web. A few of it’s nice. Others, not a lot. What I encourage folks to do is preserve a dream journal. This helps them to file imagery, which normally is linked to themes. It’s then only a matter of exploring the imagery and discovering their definitions from numerous sources.
Personally, I just like the e-book Understanding the Dream You Dreamed by Milligan (see Amazon). It’s written with out the entire psycho-babble we so typically see in dream-analysis books.
In closing, I’ll go away you with this. Desires could be a great supply of self-insight. Don’t concern them. As a substitute, attempt to be taught one thing about your self.
Have you ever skilled goals about being chased? What do they imply to you?
References:
Chodorow, J. (1997). Jung on lively creativeness. Routledge.
Picture Credit: Pixabay