- The theme water and weather has 18 symbols in the dream dictionary.
- The most searched symbols of the theme are tornado, water, flood.
- Every symbol is read three ways: folk dream books, psychology and sleep research.
- The details of the dream, the colour, the behaviour and how you felt, change the reading.
- Dream interpretation is a tradition of reading symbols; it does not predict events.
What water and weather mean in a dream
In the 20th century psychology joined the tradition. Sigmund Freud read dreams as the expression of repressed wishes, Carl Gustav Jung as the psyche’s attempt to restore balance. Modern sleep research shows that the content of dreams is shaped largely by the day’s impressions and by sensations in the sleeping body.
If you cannot find the exact word, start from a theme. Inside each theme the symbols are grouped and compared with one another.
Most searched dreams about water and weather
TornadoWater and weatherA dream about a tornado is traditionally read as sudden upheaval: plans overturned, a household in turmoil. Psychology reads the tornado as emotion that has become too strong to contain, and research finds storm dreams rising in anxious periods and after real severe weather.WaterWater and weatherA dream about water is traditionally read by its state: clear water means joy and prosperity, muddy water danger and gloom, rising water a struggle. Psychology reads water as feeling and the unconscious, and research finds water among the most frequent dream settings in every culture.FloodWater and weatherA dream about a flood is traditionally read as trouble that sweeps plans away, and water rising in the house as a struggle against a bad influence. Psychology reads the flood as emotion that has broken its banks, and research counts floods among the disaster scenes of typical dreams.DrowningWater and weatherA dream about drowning is traditionally read as being overwhelmed: by debts, by feelings, by a situation that has closed over your head. Psychology reads water as emotion and drowning as losing yourself in it, and research shows breathing and sensations from the sleeping body can enter dreams as water.TsunamiWater and weatherA dream about a tsunami is traditionally read as an overwhelming change that arrives from outside and cannot be stopped: a great loss, a great upheaval, or, in the older books, a flood of feeling. Psychology reads the wave as emotion that has grown beyond the dreamer’s control, and research counts tidal waves among the most common catastrophe dreams, rising with stress and with news of real disasters.EarthquakeWater and weatherA dream about an earthquake is traditionally read as upheaval: Miller ties it to business failure and distress from turmoil. Psychology reads the shaking ground as the loss of what the dreamer stood on, a job, a home, a certainty; research counts disasters among the typical dreams that rise after real ones.SnowWater and weatherA dream about snow is traditionally read as a pause and a cooling: Miller says snow brings the appearance of trouble without real misfortune, and melting snow turns fear into joy. Psychology reads snow as feelings frozen or a fresh start; research adds that season and the news shape such dreams.RainWater and weatherA dream about rain is traditionally read by the sky it falls from: a clear shower brings pleasure and prosperity, rain from dark clouds brings worry. Psychology reads rain as feeling released, and research shows weather in dreams often mirrors the dreamer's mood and the sounds of the sleeping room.OceanWater and weatherA dream about the ocean is traditionally read by its surface: calm water is propitious, lashing waves mean trouble in business and at home. Psychology reads the ocean as the unconscious itself, and research finds large bodies of water among the most common dream settings.
All symbols: water and weather
DrowningA dream about drowning is traditionally read as being overwhelmed: by debts, by feelings, by a situation that has closed over your head. Psychology reads water as emotion and drowning as losing yourself in it, and research shows breathing and sensations from the sleeping body can enter dreams as water.EarthquakeA dream about an earthquake is traditionally read as upheaval: Miller ties it to business failure and distress from turmoil. Psychology reads the shaking ground as the loss of what the dreamer stood on, a job, a home, a certainty; research counts disasters among the typical dreams that rise after real ones.FloodA dream about a flood is traditionally read as trouble that sweeps plans away, and water rising in the house as a struggle against a bad influence. Psychology reads the flood as emotion that has broken its banks, and research counts floods among the disaster scenes of typical dreams.IceA dream about ice is traditionally read as coldness, risk or a situation frozen in place; walking on thin ice is the classic warning. Psychology reads ice as feelings held in check, and thawing as release.LakeA dream about a lake is traditionally read by its clarity: still, clear water for happiness and peace, muddy or turbulent water for upheaval. Psychology reads a lake as contained emotion, and research ties dream scenery to the dreamer's recent mood.LightningA dream about lightning is traditionally read as a sudden event: a flash of news, danger or insight, often of short duration. Psychology reads it as a jolt of emotion or a sudden realisation breaking through.Muddy waterA dream about muddy water is traditionally read as danger and gloom: clear water brings prosperity, muddy water trouble, mistakes and illness. Psychology reads it as feelings that have been stirred up and cannot be seen through, and research finds water is one of the most common dream settings.OceanA dream about the ocean is traditionally read by its surface: calm water is propitious, lashing waves mean trouble in business and at home. Psychology reads the ocean as the unconscious itself, and research finds large bodies of water among the most common dream settings.RainA dream about rain is traditionally read by the sky it falls from: a clear shower brings pleasure and prosperity, rain from dark clouds brings worry. Psychology reads rain as feeling released, and research shows weather in dreams often mirrors the dreamer's mood and the sounds of the sleeping room.RainbowA dream about a rainbow is among the most hopeful in the traditional books: a promise of better times, happiness for lovers and success after a hard stretch. Psychology reads it as hope returning after strain, and research finds such pleasant images less common than threats.RiverA dream about a river is traditionally read by the water: clear and flowing for good fortune, muddy or rushing for conflict. Psychology reads the river as the course of your life or your feelings, and research ties dream scenery to the dreamer's recent concerns.SeaA dream about the sea is traditionally read by its mood: calm water for peace, rough water for upheaval. Psychology reads the sea as the unconscious, vast and only partly known, and research notes that water scenes often follow the dreamer's own emotional weather.SnowA dream about snow is traditionally read as a pause and a cooling: Miller says snow brings the appearance of trouble without real misfortune, and melting snow turns fear into joy. Psychology reads snow as feelings frozen or a fresh start; research adds that season and the news shape such dreams.StormA dream about a storm is traditionally read as trouble approaching, a quarrel or a shock, with shelter from the storm read as escape. Psychology reads it as emotion gathering faster than the dreamer can contain it, and research links weather dreams to waking stress and threat rehearsal.TornadoA dream about a tornado is traditionally read as sudden upheaval: plans overturned, a household in turmoil. Psychology reads the tornado as emotion that has become too strong to contain, and research finds storm dreams rising in anxious periods and after real severe weather.TsunamiA dream about a tsunami is traditionally read as an overwhelming change that arrives from outside and cannot be stopped: a great loss, a great upheaval, or, in the older books, a flood of feeling. Psychology reads the wave as emotion that has grown beyond the dreamer’s control, and research counts tidal waves among the most common catastrophe dreams, rising with stress and with news of real disasters.WaterA dream about water is traditionally read by its state: clear water means joy and prosperity, muddy water danger and gloom, rising water a struggle. Psychology reads water as feeling and the unconscious, and research finds water among the most frequent dream settings in every culture.WindA dream about wind is traditionally read as change and the forces that push you along or against you. Psychology reads wind as an unseen influence, and your reaction to it shows how you meet change.
Questions people ask
What does it mean to dream about water and weather?
It depends on the symbol and the details. Folk dream books give each symbol a fixed reading, psychology asks what this image means to you, and sleep research reminds that dreams rework the day. Open a symbol for all three.
Does the same symbol always mean the same thing?
In dream books, mostly yes. In psychology, no: the same image can mean different things to different people, and your feeling in the dream is the key.
What if my symbol is not here?
Use the search. If nothing comes up, describe the dream in a few words on the search page; the editor reviews suggestions and adds the symbols that people ask for.
Sources
- Miller G. H. Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted, 1901.
- Freud S. The Interpretation of Dreams, 1899.
- Jung C. G. Man and His Symbols, 1964.
- Artemidorus. Oneirocritica, 2nd century.
- Hall C. S., Van de Castle R. L. The Content Analysis of Dreams, 1966.
- Schredl M. Dream research: an introduction, in various editions.
How this page is made
Each symbol page sets three readings side by side and names where each comes from. A symbol is published only when its page has a full description with sources. Search volumes decide which symbols are written first.