Lions And Other Wild Animals

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01-27-2009, 12:04 AM
illidan

Lions And Other Wild Animals

I have noticed, actually that's a fact for a long time now, that my dreams feature a lot of lions and other wild animals, but mostly lions. They don't appear every night, but still they're a recurring theme, more recurring than other themes, anyway – recurring is actually not really a word I associate with my dreams – but hey, it's all relative. When I search my dream diary (covers about two years now, with some major gaps, I must add) for the word lion I get 25 matches (for "tiger" it's 15 matches, 10 for "bear"). But the point is, it's not really just about the frequency of their occurrences, but more about the way they appear (or maybe just because of the fact that I'm attributing a greater significance to them, by posting here …). I usually get chased by them. Now, you probably think I have a lot of nightmares, but it's not like that. While I may have woken up with a slightly faster-than-usual heartbeat, it's much more annoying than frightening, at least most of the time, when looking back at it now, that is – some of the dreams were quite frightening though and some of them were funny.

I was hoping some one could give me some hints as to what they might mean, or stand for.

In some of the dreams I just get chased by a lion (or tiger or bear) and then I wake up. But sometimes the experience is a little more special. Once I was running from this huge tiger. The beast must have been about two meters long. I was running down a hill and it was following me, but whenever I would stop running and turn around it would stop as well. It was like that game some kids like to play (do you know what I mean?). Now, some of you might be saying now: "Then just stop running, duh!" But as you are probably aware thinking rationally in a dream can sometime be challenging, to say the least. Instinctively I kept running.
Another time, and this is even more weird, I was hunted by a tele-porting lion (female?), or puma, I'm not quite sure (my dream records aren't clear about that either). (I use "lion" now) Yes, a tele-porting lion. As if it wasn't enough that I, not being equipped with any weapons, was at the lower part of the food chain, the lion was even able to teleport at will, decreasing my realistic chances of survival rather dramatically. (I still chuckle whenever I read that dream). I was running over a hillside. I still remember how I felt the puff when the lion materialized directly above me. Then everything turned to light and colors …

There are no lions, tigers or bears around where I live. The last time I have seen one of these animals was in the zoo or the circus when I was little kid. I'm trying hard to remember any incident in my life that has anything to do with wild animals, but I can't find anything that would explain why my mind is so fixated on them.

Does anyone have any idea what they might mean?
01-31-2009, 08:13 AM
dreamdatum

Hmmm... I think tiger or lion are associated with the feminine aspect of ourselves. So I think being chased by tiger may mean that one is afraid of the feminine aspect or side..

Just a thought.
02-02-2009, 03:23 AM
Micki

Don't know what your spiritual upbringing was, but Lion often refers to Jesus (as in the Chronicles of Narnia) or God. Maybe your sensitive to God calling you but don't recognize that as a call.
02-03-2009, 05:59 AM
melizma06

omg me too!
Its wolves for me, and they don't play, they're out to do me serious damage.
ever since forever ive been dreaming about wolves chasing me and attacking me (and it really hurts!) and i've never even seen a wolf in real life. i live in australia so theres no wolves here - ive never had any bad experiences with dogs and i dont think wolves are scary in real life, but i always always dream about them

And its freaky you writing about this, because two nights ago i had this freaky as dream where i was climbing up a hill trying to run away from this crazy cannibal women who was trying to eat me and all these other people that were with me. so i get to the top of the hill, and theres this lion there, and i hide behind a rock and i think its seen me, but it just keeps on walking. then i try to make a run for this building and im running out in the open and i see and elephant there but it doesn't attack me and i run to this building and jump behind the railings.
then i see a bone on the floor and this wild african dog runs up to me, and i was going to throw the bone so it would run after it and i would escape, but i turn around and see a wolf standing there looking at me. so i throw the bond behind the wolf, and both the wolf and the wild dog run after it and im safe and my dream continues on...

really, really weird. Im just happy the wolf didn't attack me this time, but when i turned around and saw it (just like any time i see a wolf in my dreams) i get this automatic feeling of TERROR. like - this is it im going to die, sort of terror. i dunno if thats the same for you.
02-03-2009, 06:34 AM
Micki

Quote:

Originally Posted by melizma06

omg me too!
Its wolves for me, and they don't play, they're out to do me serious damage.
ever since forever ive been dreaming about wolves chasing me and attacking me (and it really hurts!) and i've never even seen a wolf in real life. i live in australia so theres no wolves here - ive never had any bad experiences with dogs and i dont think wolves are scary in real life, but i always always dream about them.

Wolves are usually depicted as vicious hunters/killers. Since there are no wolves where you are, they would be 'unknown' to you. Could they represent the fear of the unknown, or the fear of not knowing how to deal with whatever 'unknown' might sneak up on you?

You aren't threatened by the other wild animals like the lion and African dog who are both flesh eaters. The cannibal woman, also a flesh eater. The elephant is dangerous, but not a flesh eater. Only the wolf terrorizes you.

Could the other animals represent dangers that you know how to handle (you successfully outran the cannibal), and the wolf the dangers you don't know how to handle?

Could this dream have shown you that you can handle the really terrifying dangers as easily as the ones you feel you can manage?

Do any of the animals in your dream have any special significance to you?

Native Americans (and other cultures) believe that animals are totems, or spiritual guides. I don't particularly accept this belief, but I can see where people relate to certain animals or animal characteristics. Do any of these animals represent any of your characteristics, strengths or weaknesses (as per your opinion of what's a strength or weakness)?
02-03-2009, 08:15 AM
illidan

Thanks for all the ideas.

Although the dreams can be slightely frightening, the moment I am awake the fear is almost immediately gone, so it's not really like a nightmare. I don't remember having any nightmare since I was a kid.

Btw, I just remembered that when I was a kid I also had a dream about a lion, I think I had it a few times back then. I might even have had it more often than I know, but back then I didn't care much about dreaming, I didn't even know about lucid dreaming. In the dream there was a lion who chased me and pushed me off a cliff. Maybe I had these dreams more often than I thought and I just didn't remember it.

To be honest I don't really think it has anything to do with god. I am a convinced atheist.

The answer about the my feminine side really made me think. I have three sisters and back when I was a kid I used to participate in a lot of their girly activities, like riding ponies etc.. I sort of grew out of it when I got older and I became rather eager to dissociate myself from this kind of thing.

But I've never associated a lion or tiger with the my feminine side but rather with dignity and power.

Although I had a variety of wild animals in my dreams, I don't remember ever having dreamt of a wolf.
02-03-2009, 05:06 PM
Micki

I'm deleting this because somehow I posted it a second time when clarifying what i was trying to say.
02-03-2009, 05:27 PM
Micki

Quote:

Originally Posted by illidan

. I usually get chased by them. Now, you probably think I have a lot of nightmares, but it's not like that. ...it's much more annoying than frightening, at least most of the time, when looking back at it now, that is – some of the dreams were quite frightening though and some of them were funny.
........
I was running down a hill and it was following me,
but whenever I would stop running and turn around it would stop as well.
Instinctively I kept running.
I was hunted by a tele-porting lion (female?)
I, not being equipped with any weapons, was at the lower part of the food chain,
I still remember how I felt the puff when the lion materialized directly above me.
Then everything turned to light and colors …

I hope this works ... I used the double quote button to reference both of your posts.

If you can suspend your disbelief in God for a few minutes, see if this doesn't make sense. It would be just like a loving God to chase you, but keep a distance if you turned around to challenge His approach. He would never force Himself on you. But He will stick with you. This is why the God representation came to mind. He would, of course pursue you in a way like this just because you DON'T believe in Him. In other words, He may SEEM threatening, but keeps a non-threatening distance.

The other symbolism in that dream could support this idea too.
You are not particularly frightened most of the time.
You are running downhill (possibly taking one or more downhill paths in life? We all do, by the way.)
If you don't believe in God, it would be frightening, as you wouldn't recognize Him for what He is. You would instinctively continue to run.
Being chased by the female lion could possibly be a vision of the more nurturing side of God (who has no gender, but has all the male and female attributes which he divided up between the materialized sexes.)

BUT, IN COMBINATION WITH ALL OF THE ABOVE, HERE'S THE PART THAT REALLY SUGGESTS THE GOD IDEA:
You felt the power of this lion when he/she could appear anywhere in an instant
Rather than hurt or threaten you, everything turned to light and colors. (God being light, enlightenment, love, harmony and the sum total of everything in existence, and the creator of all that exists. These are usually associated as feminine qualities.)
You are amused by this dream rather than threatened, even though you equate this with being on the bottom of the food chain (humbled, aware of your helplessness in the presence of such power.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by illidan

Although the dreams can be slightely frightening, the moment I am awake the fear is almost immediately gone, so it's not really like a nightmare.

...In the dream there was a lion who chased me and pushed me off a cliff. ....

To be honest I don't really think it has anything to do with god. I am a convinced atheist. ...
But I've never associated a lion or tiger with the my feminine side but rather with dignity and power.

Although I had a variety of wild animals in my dreams, I don't remember ever having dreamt of a wolf.

Taking one statement at a time:
These aren't nightmares, but could be warnings to pay attention to what you are brushing off. Something you are meant to be doing with your life, but won't go there because it's leading you to something you don't believe in. So, you don't recognize it for what it is.

You didn't mention how you felt about being pushed off the cliff and that's an important factor. Maybe the idea of believing in God makes you feel like you're being thrown at the mercy of the unknown. Maybe that dream caused you to see, or exposed your existing view of God as a big bully who'd shove you over the edge without mercy.

If you had a strong feminine association for the lion, much of my idea would not apply, but you associate lions with power and dignity (as compared to power and destruction or violence.) This is why God is referenced as a lion... (as in the Lion will lay down by the Lamb.) Everything in Christian teaching involves God's power and dignity, and humans created in His image. (Not that all preachers have done justice to that.) Despite being shoved off the cliff, you still see lions as a symbol of power and dignity, as if you admire these qualities rather than fear them.

My comments about wolves were directed to melizma06 comments about the wolves mentioned in those dreams.

I don't mean to be preachy here as I know this isn't a conversion forum. BUT, if you want an accurate understanding of your dreams you have to consider all possibilities, even if you don't believe in them. So much of your imagery is consistent with this possible interpretation that it's worth considering, even if it's wrong but leads you to the right one.

I don't put much stake in Jung's idea that everyone and everything in a dream is an aspect of the dreamer. But I still consider it when I'm stumped, as this may be true for an occasional dream or just part of a dream.

If you aren't familiar with the Old and New Testaments, dreams are a common way for God to speak to humans. If this is what's happening to you, you are experiencing something very special, and have been all your life.
02-03-2009, 07:18 PM
illidan

Thanks for the reply. I really appreciate your formulating such an elaborate post.

I haven't always been an atheist. I've always been sceptical about the things that were written in the bible, but I used to believe that there was someone almighty. I don't believe that anymore. I am, now, a convinced atheist.
The dream of the lion pushing me off the cliff is a dream from my childhood, so I don't really remember how I felt at that very moment.
Because I don't believe in God, I doubt that he is trying to communicate with me. Of course, that does not mean the lion has nothing to do with my belief. It would be interesting to confront the lion next time I encounter it and I am lucid. I am not a very accomplished lucid dreamer, yet, so this may not be soon.
02-03-2009, 07:59 PM
Micki

Quote:

Originally Posted by illidan

Thanks for the reply. I really appreciate your formulating such an elaborate post.

I haven't always been an atheist. I've always been sceptical about the things that were written in the bible, but I used to believe that there was someone almighty. I don't believe that anymore. I am, now, a convinced atheist.
The dream of the lion pushing me off the cliff is a dream from my childhood, so I don't really remember how I felt at that very moment.
Because I don't believe in God, I doubt that he is trying to communicate with me. Of course, that does not mean the lion has nothing to do with my belief. It would be interesting to confront the lion next time I encounter it and I am lucid. I am not a very accomplished lucid dreamer, yet, so this may not be soon.

I see an obstacle in your statement "Because I don't believe in God, I doubt that he is trying to communicate with me." God, as I understand wants all of his "children" to know and interact with Him. Much like your parents would pursue a good relationship with you. Teenagers often don't see the point of spending time with parents, and parents hound them anyway, even though the kids don't "believe" in spending their time that way. Doesn't mean the parents don't want them around.

So, the lion could still be that kind of pursuit.

Next time when you confront the lion, ask him who he is, what he represents, and what he wants. Insist on a truthful answer. You may find out that your best career is in the zoo.
02-03-2009, 08:35 PM
illidan

Quote:

Originally Posted by Micki

I see an obstacle in your statement "Because I don't believe in God, I doubt that he is trying to communicate with me." God, as I understand wants all of his "children" to know and interact with Him. Much like your parents would pursue a good relationship with you. Teenagers often don't see the point of spending time with parents, and parents hound them anyway, even though the kids don't "believe" in spending their time that way. Doesn't mean the parents don't want them around.

What I actually meant is if he does not exist he cannot communicate at all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Micki

Next time when you confront the lion, ask him who he is, what he represents, and what he wants. Insist on a truthful answer. You may find out that your best career is in the zoo.

I will certainly try to do that.
02-03-2009, 09:15 PM
Micki

Quote:

Originally Posted by illidan

What I actually meant is if he does not exist he cannot communicate at all.

I will certainly try to do that.

Well, if He doesn't exist, then you would have to search for an entirely different meaning. I would start with the lion representing something powerful yet dignified in your life or beliefs. It could be your own soul, conscience, ego, or other characteristic. Obviously, it's a good thing (light and colors, powerful, dignified, non-aggressive yet assertive.)

While I don't believe every dream, or even most dreams are necessarily messages from God, yours seems very special and unique. If you come up empty handed, consider that maybe He does exist, only far different from your childhood understanding and perception.

As we get older and more able to think abstractly (vs black and white) our perception of the Creator should change. A lot of nonbelievers have gone so far as to realize that that perception isn't true, but don't take it a step farther to get a deeper perception.

I find all of this topic to be more closely related to the existence of a God than to be unrelated at all.

Best wishes, and love this dream theme. It's going to keep visiting you until you understand, but it certainly seems like a benevolent one.