The Profound Symbolism Behind Drowning in Rivers in Dreams

Dreams of drowning in a river resonate deeply within the psyche, and are often connected to profound emotional experiences. Rivers, as symbols, represent the flow of life, emotions, and the subconscious mind. When one dreams of drowning in a river, it may signify feelings of overwhelm and a struggle against the currents of feelings that can sometimes pull us under.

This dream could reveal hidden fears or anxieties about losing control, navigating difficult situations, or confronting life’s challenges. Cultural wisdom suggests that such dreams might also represent a process of emotional cleansing, where one is urged to let go of burdens and seek renewal. The imagery of water is powerful; in many cultures, water signifies both life and destruction, healing and fear.

Understanding the context of these dreams can provide valuable insights into our emotional states and the journey we are on. By reflecting on our inner world and our personal circumstances, we can decode the messages our dreams convey.

• Drowning in a river can symbolize feelings of being overwhelmed by emotions.
• Water often represents emotions and the subconscious mind.
• The river can signify the journey of life and its challenges.
• This dream may suggest a need for emotional cleansing or renewal.
• Understanding personal fears and stresses is crucial for accurate interpretation.

Symbols

• stream
  • Brook:
  • Anchorman:

    (Anchorman; Announcer; Newscaster) A broadcaster in a dream represents someone who brings news or conveys both true, as well as false stories. He also represents someone who is punctual or someone who keeps his promises. A broadcaster in a dream also could represent a story teller, an advisor, a preacher, a reader, or an expert in investigating the news.

  • Newscaster:

    (Anchorman; Announcer; Newscaster) A broadcaster in a dream represents someone who brings news or conveys both true, as well as false stories. He also represents someone who is punctual or someone who keeps his promises. A broadcaster in a dream also could represent a story teller, an advisor, a preacher, a reader, or an expert in investigating the news.

• sinking
  • Leaking water:
  • Falling in deep waters:

    Failing into deep waters and not reaching the bottom of it in a dream means prosperity and wealth, for the world is a deep ocean. A sudden fall into water in a dream also means joy and money.

  • Rudders:

    (Boat; Human being; Might; Mother; Prison; Star; Salvation; Stress) Seeing a ship in a dream means escape from danger, overcoming adversities, recovering from an illness, or it could represent rain after a severe drought. If one who is experiencing adversities sees a ship or a boat anchored in a harbor in his dream, it means that his adversities will be lifted shortly. If one sees himself pulling it, or driving it on dry land in a dream, it means that he is a hypocrite or a pimp.

    If he rides a ship along with righteous people in a dream, it means that he is guided on the straight path and that his sins will be forgiven. If one reaches the shore and leaves the boat in a dream, it means that he will live in safety and happiness, and he will escape from the danger of his enemies. If one who is dismissed from his work sees himself on a boat in a dream, it means that he will be rehired to occupy the same office and regain his authority, or that he may take DICTIONARY OF DREAMS 385 a dangerous trip during which he may either die or escape from death.

    If one thinks that the ship does not befit his class or rank in the dream, it means that he will face danger. If one’s ship is drowning, and if another ship comes to its rescue in the dream, it means that one will escape from a great danger to fall into the hands of a strong person, or that he will escape from a danger, though should he disobey its captain and abandon the second ship in his dream, it means that he may disobey his leader and go astray. Recovering one’s ship from the deep in a dream means regaining power.

    If the ship in one’s dream is interpreted as power, it means that he will lose his power or authority. If the ship is interpreted as burdens and difficulties, it means that he will overcome them through prayers or giving charity, or taking a medicine if he is ill. If one’s ship drown, and if he sees himself floating in the water holding to a panel or debris from the ship in the dream, it means that he will face the wrath of someone in authority.

    If he is holdings leadership position, it means that he may lose it. If he is a merchant, it means that he may go bankrupt. If he still dies from his trial in the dream, it means that he may be killed, and his death will still be an escape from something he feared most.

    An empty ship in a dream means business profits. Seeing a passenger ship transporting people in a dream means safety. If the ship is floating still in the dream, it means imprisonment.

    To hold to the rope of a ship in a dream represents a religious person who joins the company a pious teacher. Even if one sees himself dropping the ropes, or lowering the anchor in his dream, it means that he will remain in the company of such a person. Riding a ship along with one’s family, relatives and friends in a dream means honor, prosperity and escape from one’s enemies.

    If one sees himself crossing the sea with a small boat in the dream, it represents a danger he will face. Seeing a ship floatingnicely in a dream means happiness. Standing on the shore and watching a ship in the sea in a dream means receiving glad tidings.

    If one sees the ship ascending in the skies in a dream, it represents slow coming benefits, and if the ship is descending from the sky, it denotes fast coming benefits. The beams of a ship represent religious men, faith, holding fast to one’s religion, or they could mean complications. The sails of a ship in a dream represent its captain.

    The crew represents servants. The rowing oars, the rudders, or the propellers in a dream represent the movement of the ship, or the children of its owner. The condition of a ship represents the state of the person seeing the dream or his living condition.

    If one rescues a drowned ship in a dream, it means that he will discover a treasure, or it could mean marriage if one is unwed, or a financial gift for one who works for a governor. If one sees himself as a ship ebbing and stretching as the tide fall in the sea, then if the sea calms in the dream, it means that he will receive a high ranking appointment, leadership, authority and honor. If one sees a ship floating over a sea of blood in a dream, it means adultery.

    If the ship sinks, and if some of its debris and boards remain afloat in the dream, it may mean the death of one’s mother, for one’s mother was once his ship. Buying a ship in a dream means getting married. Carrying oars in a dream means knowledge.

    A flying ship in a dream means the death of its rider. A flying ship in a dream also may represent another type of vehicle, or it could mean a coffin or a funeral. If one dies inside a ship that has sunk in a dream, it means that he will be saved from suffering in the hereafter, and he will also escape from what he fears most in this world.

    If he finds a hole in the ship in his dream, it means that he may escape from drowning. A ship in a dream also represents a heavy built woman. In a dream, a ship also represents the Bridge of Judgement {Sirat) that will be stretched on the Day of Resurrection for the creation to cross into the land of the Grand Gathering.

    A ship in a dream also represents salvation, avoiding ignorance, or overcoming temptation. If a sick person sees himself riding in the morgue of a ship with dead people in a dream, it means that he will escape from the trials of this world. If a healthy 386 IBN SEERIN’S person who is seeking knowledge does so in a dream, it means that he may meet with a spiritual teacher to benefit from his knowledge and wisdom, and to escape from ignorance.

    If an indebted person does so in his dream, it means that he will repay his debts, while for a deprived person, he too will find plenitude and acquire wealth from unexpected sources. If one sees his ship sailing to the shore, then if it becomes amphibious, driving him on dry land in the dream, it means that he will waiver in his faith and deviate from the path of truth to follow innovations, hypocrisy and insolence. If he is not seeking knowledge, it means that he will divorce his wife, then proceed to live with her in sin.

    If he is a merchant, it means that his business will stagnate and he will seek unlawful methods to market his merchandise. In a dream, a ship also represents good deeds, righteous companions, associating with a wise man, a good fellowship, praiseworthy deeds, a handcraft, stagnation of one’s business, fear, hope, salvation, a mosque, a marketplace, one’s father, one’s mother, master, teacher, educator, wealth, a house, an adulteress, a vehicle, one’s wife, or his servant. A ship in a dream also represents a tavern in the sense that one enters it sober and leaves it light headed.

    A ship in a dream also represents the human form and its body represents his body. Its oars represent his hands. Its front represents his head.

    Its contents represent his brain. Its boards represent his ribs, and its ropes represent his veins, etcetera. If one sees a ship sitting on top of a mountain in a dream, it means safety, or escape from a danger, or protection from one’s enemy.

    If it sinks in the sea in the dream, it also means that he is one of the dwellers of hell-fire. If the ship turns into iron in the dream, it means longevity. Eating the wood of a ship in a dream means receiving a sizeable inheritance, or it could mean eating forbidden meat.

    If one sees a ship talking to him and soothing his understanding in a dream, it means that he will listen to the admonition of a wise man. Seeing Noah’s arc in a dream means happiness, joy, festivities, salvation, relief from stress and worries, protection from drown¬ ing, marriage and a presiding position, or victory over one’s enemy.

• waterway
  • Channel:

    (Channel; Water passage; Watercourse) In a dream, a canal represents a woman, money or a scholar. Running a watercourse or a channel in a dream means getting married, building a business, or it could mean finding a job and serving one’s family and community. Seeing a canal in a dream also means sufferings caused by a member of one’s family.

    Water channels in a dream represent servants or housekeepers. A canal in a dream also could signify a lavatory, sewage, a marketplace, or it could mean a shop. Thus, digging a canal in a dream also could mean prosperity and spending money to support one’s family and dependents.

    Blocking a canal in a dream means divorce, separation between husband and wife, cutting off one’s blood ties, leaving one’s homeland, or separation from one’s clan. Blocking a canal in a dream also means quitting one’s job or cancelling a debt, or it could mean closing a business. Seeing a watercourse running inside one’s house in a dream means blessings and prosperity.

    Urinating in a canal or a watercourse in a dream means committing a sin, engaging in unlawfulness or molesting a servant. A canal in a dream also could represent the housekeeper who cleans people’s dirt, a street sweeper, or it could mean a forbidden marriage. A dry canal in a dream signifies cessation of business, unsalable merchandise, a dead market or discord with one’s wife, suffering from a urinary bladder, or having kidney problems.

    If one digs a canal IBN SEERIN S t>» and no water runs through it in a dream, it means deception.

  • Water passage:

    (Channel; Water passage; Watercourse) In a dream, a canal represents a woman, money or a scholar. Running a watercourse or a channel in a dream means getting married, building a business, or it could mean finding a job and serving one’s family and community. Seeing a canal in a dream also means sufferings caused by a member of one’s family.

    Water channels in a dream represent servants or housekeepers. A canal in a dream also could signify a lavatory, sewage, a marketplace, or it could mean a shop. Thus, digging a canal in a dream also could mean prosperity and spending money to support one’s family and dependents.

    Blocking a canal in a dream means divorce, separation between husband and wife, cutting off one’s blood ties, leaving one’s homeland, or separation from one’s clan. Blocking a canal in a dream also means quitting one’s job or cancelling a debt, or it could mean closing a business. Seeing a watercourse running inside one’s house in a dream means blessings and prosperity.

    Urinating in a canal or a watercourse in a dream means committing a sin, engaging in unlawfulness or molesting a servant. A canal in a dream also could represent the housekeeper who cleans people’s dirt, a street sweeper, or it could mean a forbidden marriage. A dry canal in a dream signifies cessation of business, unsalable merchandise, a dead market or discord with one’s wife, suffering from a urinary bladder, or having kidney problems.

    If one digs a canal IBN SEERIN S t>» and no water runs through it in a dream, it means deception.

  • Watercourse:

    (Channel; Water passage; Watercourse) In a dream, a canal represents a woman, money or a scholar. Running a watercourse or a channel in a dream means getting married, building a business, or it could mean finding a job and serving one’s family and community. Seeing a canal in a dream also means sufferings caused by a member of one’s family.

    Water channels in a dream represent servants or housekeepers. A canal in a dream also could signify a lavatory, sewage, a marketplace, or it could mean a shop. Thus, digging a canal in a dream also could mean prosperity and spending money to support one’s family and dependents.

    Blocking a canal in a dream means divorce, separation between husband and wife, cutting off one’s blood ties, leaving one’s homeland, or separation from one’s clan. Blocking a canal in a dream also means quitting one’s job or cancelling a debt, or it could mean closing a business. Seeing a watercourse running inside one’s house in a dream means blessings and prosperity.

    Urinating in a canal or a watercourse in a dream means committing a sin, engaging in unlawfulness or molesting a servant. A canal in a dream also could represent the housekeeper who cleans people’s dirt, a street sweeper, or it could mean a forbidden marriage. A dry canal in a dream signifies cessation of business, unsalable merchandise, a dead market or discord with one’s wife, suffering from a urinary bladder, or having kidney problems.

    If one digs a canal IBN SEERIN S t>» and no water runs through it in a dream, it means deception.

• river
  • Brook:
  • Stream:

    (Brook; Creek; Irrigation; Rivulet; Watering) In a dream, a stream represents the course of one’s livelihood, his source of income, his shop, his trade, travels and the like interests. A stream in a dream also could mean festering wounds, waterskin, watering irrigation, the resting area on the highway, one’s throat which is the watering access of his body, or it could represent life if it is public property. If it is a private property, then it represents the life of the person who digs out such a stream.

    A stream in a dream also represents a good life, or the comfort of its owner. If its water flows over its banks in the dream, then it represents sorrows, crying, or sadness. If one sees a stream flowing through people’s homes in a dream, then such a stream represents a happy life and particularly when its water is colorless and sweet tasting.

    If one sees himself as the owner of a stream, a spring, or a watercourse which he establishes as a charity in a dream, it means that he will become a leader, a president, or happily serve his community. If one cleans a rivulet then finds it filthy again, or finds it filled with trash in his dream, it represents diarrhea. If he sees water flowing under his feet in a dream, then it means dropsy.

    If one sees a stream of water running through a town where people are filling their jars, drinking its water and thanking God for His blessings in a dream, it means that a calamity is removed and is replaced with peace, safety and tranquility. If the people are inflicted with adversities or a drought, then it means prosperity and rains, food, or money and their merchandise will not stagnate. If the water in the stream is murky, or salty, or running outside its canal, then it represents a coming calamity that will cause mass sufferings, or a sickness such as cold in the winter and fever in the summer, or it could mean that they will hear bad news about some travellers, or it could represent a richness which is acquired from an unlawful source, or it could mean that he will receive tainted money.

    If one sees a watercourse flowing only in the direction of his house, then such adversities will be his lot. If one sees a stream flowing in the direction of his house, or garden in a dream, it means a marriage or conceiving a child. A stream of flowing blood rather than water in a dream represents the deviation of one’s 416 113 IN OHiHiIUIN o wife.

    If one sees a stream running off its course, or damaging people’s crops in a dream, it means bad news. Blocking the path of a stream in a dream means separation between a husband and a wife, or avoiding a sinful action between unmarried relatives. If one sees himself standing behind a rivulet in a dream, it means that his wife will inherit him.

    If one sees the water of a stream flowing toward his own home or garden, and if he finds that its water has turned into blood in the dream, it means that someone will marry his wife after him. Drinking fresh water from a rivulet, a stream, or a river in a dream represents the joy of living or longevity. A murky water of a rivulet or a stream in a dream means a fright, difficulties, or a sickness.

    Streams in a dream also represent the veins and the blood that flows through the human body.

  • Pool:

    (Brookk; Pool; Washing basin) In a dream, a pond represents a noble, generous, magnanimous, dominant and a beneficial person. If the pond is filled with water in the dream, it represents a generous and a well respected person. If one takes his ritual ablution from it in the dream, it means that he will escape from danger by God’s leave, and if he drinks from its water, it means that he will receive a financial gift from a person in authority.

    Reaching a pond in a dream means walking into adversities, betrayal and perfidy.

• submersion
  • Torrent:

    (Inundation; Tumultuous outburst. See Flood)

  • Diver:

    (Go under; Submerse) In a dream, a diver represents a spy, an inspector or a reporter.

  • Falling in deep waters:

    Failing into deep waters and not reaching the bottom of it in a dream means prosperity and wealth, for the world is a deep ocean. A sudden fall into water in a dream also means joy and money.

• drowning
  • Drowning:

    Drowning in a dream means falling into sin and incurring the displea¬ sure of God Almighty. Drowning in a dream also means entering hell-fire. If one dies of drowning in his dream, one should fear going astray or following innovations.

    Drowning in the sea, then floating in the process of trying to save oneself from death in a dream means indulging in the business of the world and ±OU 1BN SEERIN’S forgetting about one’s spiritual commitment. It also means attaining success in one’s endeavors and gaining a strong foothold in one’s business. If one does come out of the water alive in his dream, it means amending his life for the better and pursuing the correct course of serving one’s religious life.

    If one sees himself after coming out of the water wearing a green garment in a dream, it means that he will pursue the path of knowledge and succeed in acquiring it. If one drowns and plunges to the bottom of the sea in a dream, it means that he will incur the wrath of someone in authority who will persecute him and cause him to perish. Drowning in a dream also means dying from an illness.

    Drowning in seawater in a dream means revival of one’s faith in God Almighty. Drowning in freshwater in a dream means becoming extremely wealthy.

  • High tides:

    (Ocean) In a dream, swimming in troubled waters or high tides means adversities, or having to face a strong opponent.

  • Tides:

    (Ocean) In a dream, swimming in troubled waters or high tides means adversities, or having to face a strong opponent.

Practical Steps to Address Drowning Dreams

• Reflect on Emotional States

  Begin by taking a moment to journal about your feelings before retiring to bed. Dreams often mirror our waking lives and emotional states. Ask yourself what troubles or worries you may be experiencing currently.

  Are there aspects of your life where you feel overwhelmed or out of control? Clarifying these feelings can bring insights into why you may have dreamt of drowning. It may help to explore these emotions further, perhaps discussing them with a trusted friend or a family member.

  This reflection can lead you toward recognizing patterns in your life that evoke feelings of being submerged or overwhelmed, aiding in your personal growth and spiritual development.

• Embrace Mindfulness and Meditation

  Engaging in mindfulness practices can significantly help in processing the emotions tied to drowning dreams. Take time daily to breathe deeply and clear your mind through meditation. Visualizing calm waters can help reinforce the importance of maintaining emotional balance.

  As you meditate, allow yourself to feel the weight of your thoughts and anxieties, but also envision releasing them like water flowing past you in a river. This practice promotes not only clarity and understanding of your emotions but also fosters your ability to face life's challenges with a renewed spirit.

• Seek Professional Guidance if Needed

  Should recurring dreams of drowning in a river become troubling, consider consulting a therapist or counselor. Professionals can provide tools to delve deeper into underlying issues and promote emotional healing. They can assist in unpacking fears that manifest through dreams, potentially addressing stressors causing feelings of drowning.

  Remember, seeking help is a sign of strength; it shows your commitment to understanding yourself better and leading a more fulfilling life.

FAQs

• What does it mean when I dream of drowning in a river?

  Dreaming of drowning in a river often symbolizes feeling overwhelmed by emotions or life's challenges. The river may represent the flow of life, and struggling within it indicates a sense of losing control. Such dreams may urge you to address your current emotional state or challenges you face.

• Is drowning a common dream theme?

  Yes, dreams of drowning are quite common and can range in intensity. They often reflect feelings of anxiety, overwhelm, or the need to confront deep emotions. It signifies your subconscious urging you to address unresolved feelings or situations.

• Can drowning dreams carry positive meanings?

  While drowning may seem negative, it can also symbolize a call for emotional cleansing—a chance to confront and release heavy burdens. Embracing the struggle in the dream can lead to growth and transformation.

• How can I control my dreams about drowning?

  Improving emotional health and practicing relaxation techniques can help in managing dreams about drowning. Mindfulness, journaling feelings, and therapeutic practices can create a more balanced emotional state, potentially allowing for more positive dreams.

• Are drowning dreams a sign of something bad to come?

  Not necessarily. Drowning dreams are usually reflections of your current emotional state rather than warnings of future events. They can be a call to address feelings and find ways to cope better with life's challenges.

References