Dream symbol

Dreaming of water

Water is perhaps the most universal dream symbol, representing the unconscious, emotions, purification, and the source of life.

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How 4 traditions read it

  • Jungian Analytical
    The unconscious itself. Water condition reflects emotional/psychological state.
    Clear water = clarity; murky water = confusion; flooding = overwhelm.
  • Islamic (Ilm al-Ta'bir)
    Life, purification, knowledge. Clean water is highly auspicious; dirty water warns.
    Drinking clean water in dreams suggests acquiring beneficial knowledge.
  • Hindu/Vedic
    Purification, the primordial substance (ap), emotional realm.
    Rivers are sacred; dreaming of holy rivers like Ganga is highly auspicious.
  • Chinese Traditional
    Wealth and fortune. The direction of water flow indicates fortune coming or going.
    Water flowing toward you suggests incoming prosperity.

Themes that recur across cultures

  • The unconscious mind
  • Emotions and emotional state
  • Purification and cleansing
  • The source of life
  • The feminine principle
  • Depth and mystery

Questions to ask about your dream

  • · What was the condition of the water? (Clear, murky, calm, turbulent?)
  • · Were you in the water, near it, or watching from afar?
  • · Was the water rising, falling, or contained?
  • · How did you feel about the water?

Dreamed of more than water?

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Related symbols

Ocean / SeaFloodSwimmingDrowningRain

Traditional readings, presented as each tradition held them. They are a record of what people believed, not a prediction.