What Does it Mean to Dream About Running and Hiding from Someone?

Have you ever had one of those crazy dreams where you’re running and running, trying to hide from someone chasing you? 

Yeah, those can be pretty freaky! Lots of people have dreams like that though. 

There’s actually a deeper spiritual meaning behind dreams about running away and hiding from somebody.

The Scenarios

In these types of dreams, you might be getting chased by a stranger or scary monster that’s threatening you. 

Or maybe you’re desperately trying to find places to hide and keep out of sight so the pursuer doesn’t catch you. 

Sometimes you’re just running away from a certain place or situation that feels really dangerous and inescapable when you’re dreaming it.

What It Symbolizes

While every dream means something different for each person, here are some common spiritual meanings:

Avoiding Fears & Worries

The chase and hiding usually represents you trying to run away from fears, anxieties or overwhelming emotions you’re facing when you’re awake. Like, if you’re stressing about a big test or tensions at home, your dream could symbolize you wanting to escape from dealing with that.

Dodging Conflicts or Issues

Does it feel like you’ve been avoiding resolving a problem, argument or tough decision lately? The dream might mean you need to stop running from that and confront it head on.

Feeling Threatened or Unsafe

If the dream makes you feel really vulnerable and unsafe, it may symbolize something or someone in your life that poses a danger or threat you need to deal with somehow. Like an unhealthy relationship or situation.

Wanting an Escape

With all the pressures of school, activities, chores and responsibilities you have as a teenager, it’s natural to want a break sometimes. Dreams about running away can simply mean you’re craving an escape or vacation from all your duties for a bit.

Why You Might Have Those Dreams

There are a few common reasons people experience chase and hiding dreams:

Traumatic Experiences

If you’ve gone through really scary or abusive things in the past, that shapes your unconscious mind and could be why your dreams involve being threatened or hunted.

Mental Health Struggles

People dealing with anxiety, depression, PTSD or other mental health issues tend to have more recurring dreams about fleeing and hiding. It relates to their inner emotional state.

Big Life Changes

Major transitions like moving, parents divorcing, entering a new grade – any of those big life upheavals can breed uncertainty that comes out in chase dreams.

Unresolved Issues

If there are unhealed emotional hurts, unaddressed problems or conflicts with friends or family you’ve avoided, it can manifest through these types of dreams urging you to stop running from it.

How To Work Through It

So what can you do about recurrent hiding or chase dreams?

Manage Stress Better

Finding healthy outlets like exercise, art or talking to someone you trust can help process the anxieties fueling those dreams.

Build Confidence

Part of it may be about developing more self-esteem, inner strength and courage to face your fears or challenges head-on instead of trying to escape them.

Let Some Things Go

Sometimes we panic about things that are beyond our control. Learning to accept what you can’t change can eliminate the need to “run away” from it.

Seek Guidance

If the dreams are really intense or you struggle with constantly avoiding difficult stuff in life, it may help to talk to a counselor or trusted mentor to guide you through it.

The Deeper Message

The next time you wake up from one of those chase or hiding dreams, try to look for what deeper part of yourself it might be urging you to stop running from. 

Once you get real with yourself about the fear, struggle or problem you’ve been avoiding, you can work on letting go and facing it with bravery instead. 

Earning that self-mastery can lessen the anxieties making you want to escape in dreamland too. So pay attention to what your subconscious mind could be trying to tell you!