swimming

Universal Landscape: Moving with effort through an emotional transition.

Dreaming Lens: Were you swimming or were you watching someone else swim? Was there a specific purpose or destination involved, or were you swimming for pleasure? How difficult was it to stay on your course? What sort of body of water were you in? Were you swimming above the water or down deep fully immersed?

Personal Focus: Water represents the emotional realm of our feelings, both conscious and unconscious. Swimming is specifically about progress and making your way through the emotional territory in your life. The intimate connection suggested by being immersed in water makes this an image that reflects your personal emotional journey as an individual. The effort of propelling yourself forward is completely self-motivated and generated exclusively by your own body. This reveals how effectively, or ineffectively, you are pushing yourself through an emotional challenge in your life.

The ease, pace, and depth of your swim offers a great deal of texture for you to investigate. The harder you have to work, the more effort is required to arrive at your destination of emotional growth. How fast you are moving will inform you of the speed of the process you are undergoing. The level of immersion communicates the emotional territory through which you are traveling—being on the surface reflects the emotions you are aware of, whereas swimming underwater implies deeper areas of feelings that reside in your unconscious mind.

The body of water you are in plays a strong role in arriving at an accurate interpretation. Small amounts of contained emotion connected to single issues in your life will be reflected by images of man-made constructions, such as pools or spas. A natural body of water expands the symbolic meaning to processes that are shared with others. The ocean represents the collective unconscious and an emotional connection to the human race. A lake might be more personal, but is reflective of your life as a whole. Water that flows, such as a river or a stream, connotes issues of emotional flow and the expression of your feelings.

Swimming upstream might mean that the current challenge is significant and requires effort. Moving with the current or tides could indicate that surrender to the emotional shifts is taking place. The fear of drowning can represent being overwhelmed by the transition you are in. Swimming laps might point to facing a recurring emotional issue that you are confronting over and over again. Competitive swimming could indicate that your struggle is both visible to others and may be producing elements of performance anxiety.

Example: ‘I looked at a large pool where a river surfaced.

A woman swam in it and was going to enter tunnels leading away from it. As I watched I saw some huge croco­diles swim towards her. With great speed and confidence she swam away, obviously being able to match the threat’ (Laurie V). Laurie explored the dream and found the swimming ex­pressed his growing confidence in meeting feelings which in past years had led to depression.

Generally, swimming shows confidence in dealing with the son of impacts, anxieties or emotions which cause some peo­ple to go under’, either in relationships, running a family or business, being able to meet the many influences, urges and thoughts in which we exist; expressive motivation, trusting oneself, life, and our sexuality. Swimming against cunent, tide: meeting opposition, either from within or others; moving against general opinions; feeling difficulties. Swimming un­derwater: taking awareness into what was unconscious. Swimming with other people: sharing common feelings, goals, etc.; connections with others. Diving in: taking the plunge in a new activity, relationship or way of life. Hanging about, not getting in: hesitation about a change or something new in life. Idioms: in the swim; swim against the tide; sink or swim.

See pool.

(Employment, Knowledge, Prison) If a man ofknowledge sees himself swimming in the ocean in a dream, it means that he will attain his goals. Ifhe enters the water of the ocean then comes back to the shore in a dream, it means that he will commence his path of seeking knowledge then abandons it. Swimming in a dream also means going to jail. Swimming on sand in a dream means that one may be incarcerated; that his living conditions in his jail will be constricted, and that he will suffer in his prison from hardships equal to the difficulties he encounters during his swim in the dream.

If one sees himself swimming inside his own house in a dream, it means that he will work for a ruthless, wicked and an unjust employer who will entrap him in his service through a business deal. Consequently, God Almighty will help him out of his entanglements.

If one is afraid of swimming in the dream, it means that he is scared of someone in authority.

If he runs away from swimming in a dream, it means that he will escape from him.

If one sees himself entering waters where he can swim successfully in a dream, it means that he will engage in a major project,lead an important job, or acquire authority and power. Ifone swims on his back in a dream, it means that he will repent for a sin.

If he swims in the sea and finds its water stagnant in the dream, it means that he will serve someone in authority, though his job will bringhim nothing but trouble and the wrath of his employer. Ifhe still manages to cross the sea in his dream, it means that he will escape from dangers his employment could inflict upon him.

If he swims with fear in a dream, it means trouble, imprisonment, or a sickness he will endure depending on the type of needed efforts or distance he has to cross. Should he think in the dream that he will not be able to make it, then it means his death.

If he shows courage during his swim in the dream, it means that he will be able to escape from such a dangerous job. Troubled waters in a dream mean adversities. Swimming successfully across troubled waters in a dream means overcoming one’s adversities. Any sea or agitated waters in a dream represent the authorities or the state, whether it be a swamp, a lake, a pond, 424 a sea, or an ocean.

If one sees himself drowning in a river, or a lake, then ifhe is carried by others and laid on dry land motionless like a fish in a dream, this also means trials and adversities. Ifone is saved from drowningbefore he wakesup from his sleep in the dream, it means that he will triumph over his trials. Otherwise, ifhe dies from it in the dream, it means that he may die from such adversities. Ifduring his swim one meets a ship that pulls him out ofthe waters, or to which he holds or grabs, it also means escape from adversities.

If one drowns in the dream, it means that he may die as a martyr, though having previously indulged in many sins.

To walk on water, whether it is the sea or a river in a dream means good spiritual standing, religious assiduousness and a strong faith and determination. Walking on water in a dream also could be interpreted as ascertaining something about which one may have doubt, or placing one’s trust in God Almighty before embarking on a dangerous trip.

(Also see Air)