Last Updated on October 9, 2022 by theworldofsleepstaff
Dreaming of being caught in an earthquake can be a terrifying experience. An experience that could leave you waking up with your adrenaline pumping and a taste of fear in your mouth, or it could leave you feeling exhilarated.
You may also wake up wondering what it all means.
Below we will be looking at what earthquakes in our dreams could mean. We will discuss how they represent threats to the foundations of our self, inspire and represent fear, as well as represent hopelessness and helplessness and also look at the divine aspects of earthquake dream meanings for those who are spiritual or religious.
Whilst, not every dreamer has a connection to a deity or a belief in one, most of us share the ability to feel fear and worry. These two aspects are usually the most common cause of earthquake dreams. What we will discuss is what those fears and worries may be, and what an earthquake dream meaning could represent.
CONTENTS:
- Earthquakes in Our Dreams
- Spiritual Implications of Earthquakes
- Where We Experience an Earthquake and What That Means
- Types of Earthquake Dreams
- Surviving an Earthquake
- Conclusion: Why the Ground Trembles Within the Dreamer’s Mind
Earthquakes in Our Dreams
An earthquake dream meaning could represent several things that apply to the individual dreamer. It is up to the individual dreamer to find what is most applicable to their current situation. At times it may even be multiple scenarios at play at the same time. So it is important to look at all aspects of your waking life, especially when analysing a dream involving a natural disaster.
Below we will look at some of the most common interpretations around earthquake dream meanings and what they may represent in our subconscious minds.
1. A Threat to the Strength of the Self
When we dream of being in an earthquake, or in the aftermath of one, it often indicates that our subconscious feels there is a threat to the self’s stability.
It may be that we feel our foundational self is crumbling. In a sense, it could be representative of something like our belief in the self-failing.
2. A Representation of Insecurity
Another way to look at an earthquake dream is to think of it as exposing the cracks that have formed in the self. These cracks are representative of our insecurities. It may be that the dream is a way for our minds to highlight some self-doubt we may have or a belief that we may not be good enough in some sense.
3. An Expression of Fears
As with earthquakes in real life, one may look at a dream of an earthquake as being an embodiment of fear. We could be fearful of something in our waking lives that we may believe could be of a catastrophic nature.
It may often be that we fear a potential situation to the extent that our mind may associate it with disaster or impending doom, such as a natural disaster would in our waking lives.
4. An Exposure of Flaws and Faults in the Self
When it comes to guilt, we can often look at what we perceive to be our waking lives flaws or faults. A dream of an earthquake could be the way our mind reminds us that we may be feeling guilt in a sense. This guilt would be related to flaws and faults we see within ourselves.
Alternatively, it could be a representation of a recent choice we made or an action we took in our waking lives. In this case, either the situation has or feels like it may turn into a disaster and we could be feeling that it may be due to flaws or faults we have within ourselves.
Often this is a skewed view we have of ourselves; where we tend to subconsciously blame ourselves even when we know rationally it was either a situation beyond our control or that we are faultless in this position.
5. A Feeling of Helplessness or Vulnerability
Another representation of earthquake dream meaning could be a way of our mind attempting to tell us we feel we have no control over a situation.
This situation may be making us feel helpless in our waking lives or invoke a sense of vulnerability. This may be a present situation that is developing, one that is approaching or has passed already.
Spiritual Implications of Earthquakes
In the case of dreams about earthquakes, we need to take a look at spiritual links in different cultures and religions.
Whilst there are exceptions to the rule, the most common associations when it comes to an earthquake dream meaning for people who are religious are those around power, anger, rage or punishment received from a god or gods.
Power
In one sense an earthquake is believed to be a representation of the power of the divine. In the case of a dream connected to someone who is connected to a belief system, it could be an expression of the mind in regards to what it feels is divine power.
It may be that we believe that our belief system is attempting to show us that we need to trust in its capability. While it is a destructive power, in the case of these dreams we can look at it as an expression of what we may believe our religion or spiritual realm has as ability.
That the power expressed within this dream is a representation of our trust in our beliefs. Consider if you feared the earthquake in your dream or whether it gave you a different sense.
Anger and Rage
Just as with an expression of power, in some cases, an earthquake dream may be seen as an expression of anger. That’s because in some cultures and religions it is believed that an earthquake is a way for the divine to express their anger at humanity or the actions of an individual.
It may be that you feel strongly that the God or Gods you may be worshipping is/are angry with you and that this dream reflects that anger.
Punishment
Lastly, a common belief is that an earthquake is an expression of punishment from the divine. So in the case of an earthquake dream, it could be that we may be feeling our deity is punishing us. Be it for our actions or perhaps that of others.
If you are religious or have a spiritual side to yourself it may be worth considering your belief system and if these interpretations apply to you in some way.
Where We Experience an Earthquake and What That Means
Below we will look at areas in which earthquakes in dreams may occur, and a few common scenarios about what the area can mean.
1. An Urban Environment
Urban environments in dreams usually represent our waking social ties and connection with our community. We can take a closer look at what a dream of an earthquake in an urban environment means by looking at where the destruction occurs:
The City
If you dream of a city in ruins after an earthquake then we need to look at not only the scale of destruction but also the size of the city to find the best dream interpretation.
Cities in our dreams are usually representative of our social bonds. The scale of the city and its destruction can be seen as a way regarding how we feel that we may have let our social ties weaken and decline.
To dream you are watching a city being destroyed by an earthquake speaks of how we feel currently about our social bonds. We may be feeling that we need to put in more effort socially before all becomes lost in our waking lives.
Alternatively, it could represent that we may be feeling that we have too many social obligations and we cannot keep up. Therefore the ruined city in such a dream would speak of a fear of losing one’s connections to others by trying to balance too many people in one’s waking life.
Buildings
Buildings in dreams are normally representative of one’s physical body. The height of the building could also indicate what we feel is our understanding of ourselves or our successes.
So to see a building destroyed in an earthquake could mean that we feel our physical body, inner understanding or successes are failing and falling in our waking lives.
Should the building collapse all at once we could look at it as our mind attempting to tell us that we may be feeling like we are failing at our goals. Perhaps we may be feeling like we have gotten side-tracked and now our aspirations are collapsing out of our control.
Alternatively, a building could also represent our relationship with another in our lives and that we may be feeling subconsciously like we are on the verge of collapse in this relationship.
Roads and Bridges
Dreaming of the destruction of a road or bridge during an earthquake relates to dreaming of the destruction of a city. In this case, however, it would be referring to a single connection, or multiples, depending on the number of roads being destroyed.
Often it represents our belief that in our waking life a social bond with another person may be breaking or has perhaps already been severed.
2. A Rural Environment
Rural environments tends to be more representative of growth within the self when it comes to dreams involving these places.
Farms and Isolated Areas
So looking at what it means to dream of a rural area and then an earthquake happening there could mean a few things:
Firstly it could be the mind’s way of telling us we feel our growth in our inner self is being destroyed or failing. It may be due to actions we have taken in our waking lives, or even being blocked by other individuals.
Secondly, it could mean that we believe we may not be fully developing the potential we have. Perhaps our subconscious feels that by neglecting this potential we may feel we have, we are allowing it to fall into ruin.
3. Governmental Buildings Collapsing
When we dream of any form of government, or even governmental buildings, it can represent one of two things mainly.
On the one hand, it may be indicative of our view of society in general. So seeing a governmental building being destroyed in an earthquake could be an expression of the mind’s belief that the society you finds yourself in may be collapsing. It may be that it is an expression of a belief we may be holding in regards to society at large. Perhaps we feel there is no hope that it has collapsed already, may be collapsing at present or will collapse very soon.
Alternatively, it could be a reflection of your belief in what you feel may be in charge of your waking life. Therefore in this case we can take it as perhaps being indicative that we may be feeling a total collapse in our waking lives of how we govern ourselves or may be governed by others. This doesn’t necessarily have to apply to being governed by politicians, but it could also refer to family, friends or even your boss.
4. Your Home Being Destroyed
In dreams where our home is destroyed by an earthquake, it usually indicates that we feel our stability and security are being destroyed in our waking lives.
It tends to be indicative of our needs and desires and when destroyed it may be that we are feeling subconsciously that those needs are not being met to the point where we may feel we are experiencing a disaster within ourselves.
5. Floors Or Foundations Collapsing
The floor or a foundation in dreams usually indicates one’s support system and how secure one feels in it. It can also be a representation of one’s beliefs and the system thereof. Whilst there are more meanings to dreams of floors, this is the most applicable one in this context.
In a dream where a floor or foundation is affected by an earthquake, it tends to mean we may feel the above-mentioned aspects are crumbling.
Types of Earthquake Dreams
1. Taking Cover
If you manage to take cover or shelter yourself during an earthquake dream, we can usually see this as the mind’s belief that you will overcome the above-mentioned challenges where they apply to you.
2. Being Injured
When we dream of being injured during an earthquake it sometimes relates to having experienced a loss of some sort in one’s waking life.
It may be that you feel a part of you is missing and your subconscious is showing you this by having you experience an injury during an earthquake.
3. Being Electrocuted During an Earthquake
Dreaming of being electrocuted usually means you feels your actions may lead to ruin.
Therefore in this case should you dream of being electrocuted in an earthquake dream we could say it may be reflective of a belief that you feels the actions taken may be the destruction of the above-mentioned aspects of earthquake dreams.
Surviving an Earthquake
What it means when we survive an earthquake in our dreams, and some of the actions we may take or have taken, are discussed below.
1. Rebuilding
When we dream of rebuilding after an earthquake we may be feeling that the destruction of whichever aspect of our waking life that has plagued us may now be at a stage where we believe we are capable of fixing it.
2. Being Rescued
In a dream where we are rescued during an earthquake we may look at this as our subconscious trying to tell us that even though we are stuck in a disaster in our waking lives, we may believe that there is help or assistance.
It could be that we are aware of the help available, but for some reason we are unable or unwilling to reach out to it and are hoping that it may come on its own.
3. Surviving
If in your dream the dream focuses more on how you survive after an earthquake we could take that as indicative of how well we believe we may be able to overcome the above-mentioned challenges.
The extent of how well we survive or even thrive may be a sign of how confident we are within ourselves in believing that we can overcome the obstacles set out by earthquake dreams.
Conclusion: Why the Ground Trembles Within the Dreamer’s Mind
The main takeaway we can take from dreams of earthquakes is that they are often related to our fears and worries. Most often these are related to our social bonds with those around us or even the bond we have with ourselves.
Even though they are a frightening experience to have, a dream of earthquakes can be seen as an early warning system that something has gone awry or feels like it will soon.
Most importantly, we need to look at the scale of destruction, where the earthquake occurred and what happened to us during the earthquake. When we take those aspects and combine them we can start to have a deeper understanding of what a dream so terrifying could actually mean.