dream symbol

Desert Dream Meaning

Dream interpretation from 33 unique sources about Desert

Your waking feelings about the desert will be significant here; that which is a terrible ordeal for one person may symbolize romance and escapism for another. Likewise, a desert island may have a romantic associations for some people, whilst for others it can mean isolation, an intense desire for privacy or a cry for solitude to end in waking life. A dream of being alone in a desert may signify emotional isolation or being surrounded by a sea of emotions, and dreams of being with someone in the desert can indicate that this particular relationship is coming to an end. Such dreams can also suggest the need—if you are to survive—to consider very carefully a course of action you are about to take. Bear in mind, too, that the desert’s vast expanse and rich underground life may represent an invitation to seek out the mysteries of life beneath the surface.

Any dream that focuses on sand may have been highlighting the sands of time, which may be running out for you in certain aspects of your waking life. Quicksand, like bogs and swamps, reveals the uncertainties that can be found in even a seemingly firm reality.

If you are seeking out an oasis in your dream, it may represent the inner fears and insecurities that you may have to deal with.

When you are resting at an oasis, positive future business and monetary ventures may be around the corner, although it might simply be a sign that you are in need of a vacation. [1]

It represents death, aridity, and nonexistence.

If you dream of being in the desert, without water and suffering from the heat of the sun, it means that you feel lonely, unloved, and unmotivated. Therefore, you must start giving to others in order to receive later. But if the dream involves a pleasant feeling it announces that you expect significant possibilities and creative projects. On the other hand, the desert has always been seen as a favorable place for divine revelation and meditation. This is because the desert can also be defined as “pure abstraction.” (See also: AIR, YELLOW, SAND)

This dream could signify a time of spiritual settling and beginning. Great historical figures, like Jesus, the Tibetan Lamas, and the Hindu Wise Men, stayed for long periods of time secluded in desert lands to get closer to their true nature. Distanced from mundane distractions, they recognized their divine interior. Your dream expresses the same sentiments [2]

Vision: Walking in the desert: professional success will come only slowly and with much effort; withdrawing from other people will bring loneliness. Seeing a desert: you are being deprived of something, or you are going to be very lonely for a while.

Depth Psychology: Your life is lacking feelings and intuition; you use too much logic and reason.

The desert is a symbol of desolation and impotence. Your barren soul is desperately in need of water (emotions and feelings!). Do you believe that you are in a hopeless situation? Going into the desert: you will thirst— for affection maybe. Are you chasing a fantasy? Are you lonely? A desert dream wants to give you a “mental” push: think about what changes you could make to restore happiness and productivity to your life. Analyze your present situation honestly (take a close look at the rest of the symbols in the dream)—things can only get better! [3]

At times a desert in a dream symbolizes the unconscious and represents the dreamer’s sense of separation from it. Deserts are generally barren with little vegetation or animal life.

The desert in your dreams could be bringing up issues of stagnation and periods of little growth in your life. Also, the desert could represent your loneliness and feelings of isolation. However, if you live close to the desert or love the desert, this may be a positive symbol.

For some the desert may be a place where they can commune with nature and feel a sense of peace. [4]

Dreams of the desert symbolize “no-man’s land”, the draught before the rain, and the darkest hour that is before the dawn. You may be experiencing hardship, loneliness, trial and tribulations, and a loss of passion and a sense of self because you are not who you used to be and you are not yet who your are becoming. Your dream is giving you the message to not give up five minutes before the miracle, because once you make it through this dry spell, you will be greatly rewarded with the character strength and the wisdom you learn and earn. [5]
or wilderness Loneliness, literally being deserted; lack of emotion or satisfaction; no creativity or growth in one’s life; dry intellectualism; death; sexual barrenness. Occa­sionally as the symbol in the Bible of wandering in the wilder­ness, which depicts the human sense of having no real mean­ing or direction, of being a wanderer in the infinity of time and decision, it shows the difficulty of being self responsible and making decisions in the infinity of choices, and of honouring the self in such decisions. [6]
The desert in dreams represents the unconscious mind.

To dream of wandering through a gloomy and barren desert, suggests that losses and sad emotional times are ahead for the dreamer.

If a young woman dreams of being alone in the desert, her health and reputation is being endangered by her indiscreet behavior in real life and she should be more careful.

If you dream of finding an oasis in the desert, you are feeling smothered or not getting the kind of attention you want in a real life relationship. [7]

Deserts may be fairly straightforward symbols for a sense of barrenness, poverty, lack, exhaustion, loneliness, or even death. On the other hand, as the unsettled “wilderness,” deserts often represent the unconscious, particularly the shadow self. Deserts have a wider range of meanings for someone from the desert Southwest than for someone from the East Coast.

As with all dream symbols, the atmosphere and setting of the dream indicate which meaning is appropriate. (See also: S). [8]

There may be an obvious lack of passion and life force in your life right now. In a desert, you have to look deeper for the signs of life that are actually there, so a dream that takes place in a desert may be calling you to do just that. Do not take the surface appearance of things at face value. Look below the surface and you will find that there is more going on than meets the eye.

A dream desert is also inviting you to irrigate and fill your life with more emotion and passion. [9]

1- To dream of being alone in a desert signifies a lack of emotional satisfaction, loneliness or perhaps isolation.

Dreaming of being in a desert with someone else may show that particular relationship is sterile, or going nowhere.

2- We may need to consider a course of action very carefully if we arc to ‘survive’ in our present circumstances.

3- A desert can symbolise desolation and abandonment, but also a place of contemplation, quiet and divine revelation. [10]

Deserts symbolize your unconscious. Since deserts are generally barren, dreaming of one could symbolize issues of stagnation lack of growth in your life. Also, the desert could represent feelings of loneliness and isolation. If, on the other hand, you have a particular affinity for deserts, then dreaming of one may be a positive symbol for you, presaging a period of serenity and oneness for you. [11]
A desert may reflect feelings of isolation, being in a place that has no interest for you or a desire to get away and have some time to yourself. Or it could be hinting at things you have deserted or left behind. Although we think of deserts as barren places, they are in fact teeming with underground life, so is your life a bit like a desert— desolate on the surface but rich underneath? [12]
A mentally or emotionally harsh environment.

A characteristic you associate with deserts or with a particular desert (hot, dry, lifeless, empty, interesting, exotic, etc.).

Something with a desert-like characteristic (such as an empty landscape or a person with a dry sense of humor).

See also: L, scape, Hot, Dry, Dry Up, S, Dust, Depleted, Sparse, Scarcity, Rural, Region, Location [13]

(See also: Camel, Oasis, S) Spiritual dryness.

A retreat to find and understand the sacred, as both Moses and Jesus did in the wilderness.

If you are alone or lost in the desert, a type of desertion dream.

A very dry abyss wherein one may either lose or find oneself.

An unforgiving situation over which you’ll have little control once you’ve entered into that domain. [14]

A desert, with its desolate and arid terrain, represents difficulties, hardships, and a general lack of resources for sustaining life. In a dream, a desert may represent a lack of fertility in life, such as financial difficulties, or even in the body, indicating infertility for: he man or woman wishing to conceive a child. [15]
In bloom, and/or in clear sunny weather, a dream featuring a desert predicts contentment and good success in your efforts; but if the weather was bad or if there was a sandstorm, you can expect some immediate difficulties due to hidden opposition, but the outcome will be better than you expect [16]
Psychological / emotional perspective: Desertion implies that all support has been removed or rejected so the idea of deserting a post, task or friend suggests a sense of inadequacy. Experiencing ourselves as having been deserted signifies being left to our own devices. [17]
To dream of wandering through a gloomy and barren desert, denotes famine and uprisal of races and great loss of life and property.

For a young woman to find herself alone in a desert, her health and reputation is being jeopardized by her indiscretion. She should be more cautious. [18]

To dream that you are travelling across a Desert, or a wide open space, signifies difficulties concerning some cherished plan.

It is particularly bad if you encounter bad weather or other troubles.

If the sun is shining, then the final outcome will be successful. [19]

To dream that you are walking through a desert suggests bad luck and deprivation. Your good name could be under assault. Deserts are symbols of emptiness, void of hope, infertility, and a sense of being alone. [20]
When the dreamer is in the desert, thirsty and worn, there is need for assistance to salvage the dreamer’s possessions. This may be purely a change of mental attitude or may mean rehabilitation. [21]
Symbolic of a cursed or spiritually dry area, Jer. 51:43.

The desert can also symbolize a place of insolation for a season in someone’s life [22]

Travelling across a desert shows the inevitability of a long and tedious journey. Accompaniment of sunshine indicates successful journey. [23]
1. Forsaken;

2. Hopeless;

3. Temptation;

4. Supernatural provision. Jer. 17:6; 50:12, 39; Is. 21:1; 27:10; 33:9; 40 3; Ps. 107:4-5. [24]

Loss of friends and wealth are shown by this dream (Artemidorus); loneliness and isolation are plainly symbolized. [25]
A desert can symbolize desolation and abandonment, but also a place of contemplation, quiet and divine revelation. [26]
1. Isolation, retreat.

2. A need for solitude and space, cleans­ing.

3. Loneliness.

4. Sorrow and shame. [27]

A place in one’s life that is desolate because of spiritual drought; see “drought” [28]
To find yourself in a desert is a sign that you are searching for knowledge. [29]
Stagnation, no growth. Time to get on with your life. [30]
(Waterless plain) Seeing a desert in a dream means escaping from difficulty to ease, or bidding farewell to adversities to meet with opportunities, or it could mean repenting from sin, reversing the course of one’s business from loss to profits, or it could mean recovering from an illness.

If one sees himself poor and walking into a desert land or a ruin in a dream, it means his death. Walking through a barren land in a dream means engaging in a futile business or a benign affair. Walking in a plain in a dream means reaching ease in one’s life, receiving honor or engaging in good deeds depending on how far one walks in that plain during his dream.

A desert in a dream represents joy and happiness, depending on how vast it seems and how green are its plants in one’s dream. [32]

lucky numbers: 03-04-16-19-35-45

bad weather, crossing a, in: intuition, feelings, logic and reason must work together.

sandstorm: impotence to activate your cherished plan.

being thirsty in the: a drink of energy wil push you to productivity.

island: romantic isolation in barren cheerless place.

lost in a: bring your own protection from the empty isolation.

others crossing a: friends are depriving you of companionship.

stranded in the: are being baked in horrifying seclusion.

traveling across a: with slow, painstaking effort you wil succeed.

walking in the: withdrawing from people enhances loneliness.

with others, crossing a: accord among friends, if you are resourceful. [33]

What Do You Think About This Dream?

Sources and Authors

  1. The Element Encyclopedia by Theresa Cheung [Back to dream]
  2. The Big Dictionary of Dreams by Martha Clarke [Back to dream]
  3. Dreamers Dictionary by Garuda [Back to dream]
  4. The Bedside Dream Dictionary by Silvana Amar [Back to dream]
  5. Strangest Dream Explanations by Dream Explanations - Anonymous [Back to dream]
  6. A Guide to Dreams and Sleep Experiences by Tony Crisp [Back to dream]
  7. My Dream Interpretation by myjellybean [Back to dream]
  8. Dream Symbols in The Dream Encyclopedia by James R. Lewis and Evelyn Dorothy Oliver [Back to dream]
  9. Complete Dictionary of Dreams by Dr. Mıchael Lennox [Back to dream]
  10. Ten Thousand Dream Dictionary by Pamela Ball [Back to dream]
  11. Tryskelion Dream Interpretation by Pagan - Anonymous [Back to dream]
  12. The Element Encyclopedia by Theresa Cheung [Back to dream]
  13. The Curious Dreamer’s Dream Dictionary by Nancy Wagaman [Back to dream]
  14. The Language of Dreams by Patrica Telesco [Back to dream]
  15. Ariadne's Book of Dream by Ariadne Green [Back to dream]
  16. The Complete Guide to Interpreting Your Dreams by Stearn Robinson - Tom Corbett [Back to dream]
  17. Dream Meanings of Versatile by Versatile - Anonymous [Back to dream]
  18. Ten Thousand Dream Interpretation by Gustavus Hindman Miller [Back to dream]
  19. Mystic Dream Book by Internet Archive - Anonymous [Back to dream]
  20. Dream Symbols and Analysis by DreamForth [Back to dream]
  21. Psycho Dream Interpretation by Ella Freeman Sharpe [Back to dream]
  22. Christian Dream Symbols by Tyler Wolfe [Back to dream]
  23. Indian Interpretation of Dreams by Indian - Anonymous [Back to dream]
  24. Dream Dictionary The Biblical Model by Vincent Wienand [Back to dream]
  25. The Fabric of Dream by Katherine Taylor Craig [Back to dream]
  26. Dream Meanings of Versatile by Versatile - Anonymous [Back to dream]
  27. New American Dream Dictionary by Joan Seaman - Tom Philbin [Back to dream]
  28. Dream Dictionary Unlimited by Margaret Hamilton [Back to dream]
  29. Gypsy Dream Dictionary by Raymond Buckland [Back to dream]
  30. The Dream Books Symbols by Betty Bethards [Back to dream]
  31. A Dictionary of Dream Symbols by Eric Ackroyd [Back to dream]
  32. Islamic Dream Interpretation by Ibn Seerin [Back to dream]
  33. Zolar’s Book of Dreams Numbers and Lucky Days by Zolar [Back to dream]

What does DESERT mean in a dream?


At times a desert in a dream symbolizes the unconscious and represents the dreamer’s sense of separation from it. Deserts are generally barren with little vegetation or animal life.The desert...

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An oasis in a desert can represent: Relief, or a desire for it.A break from something challenging in your life or mind (a situation, worrying, etc.).Rest or relaxation.Abundance, or receiving...

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A dream can be interpreted on various levels, often extending beyond its literal meaning. Typically, the literal interpretation is not the most accurate one, but it largely depends on the...

Learn more about the meaning of Levels Of Dream Interpretation

(see Desert, Sand)Metaphorically, prickly situations that require careful handling.Protection and safety.The needles on this plant may speak of your own need for protection, or possibly they represent the armor you...

Learn more about the meaning of Cactus

If a person sees himself traversing through wasteland, wilderness or desert in such a manner that he does not get lost it means he will remains steadfast upon the religion...

Learn more about the meaning of Traversing Through Wasteland, Wilderness Or The Desert

A rural setting (such as the countryside or a remote desert) could represent: An actual place that shares characteristics with the rural dream setting.A feeling of peace or serenity.Distancing yourself...

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A dream can be seen on many levels. There is a literal meaning which is usually not the correct interpretation. But it depends upon what you ask for. For example,...

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(see Ani?nals, Desert, Sand)Being a desert creature, camels often represent a dry spell in our lives when we must have patience. Additionally, there is a subtle caution here not to...

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All the spiritual as well as material comforts of life are promised in a dream featuring this lovely desert plant in bloom.

Learn more about the meaning of Yucca

To dream of a Mirage in the desert signifies the loss of the one friend in whom you have trusted.

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Whether the sand you dreamed of was on a beach, in your food, or in your shoes, it is warning you to be wary of a new acquaintance who will...

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Great danger in life. Faithful friends will desert you. Thunder from a distance indicates that you will overcome troubles.

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To dream of an echo, portends that distressful times are upon you. Your sickness may lose you your employment, and friends will desert you in time of need.

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To dream that you fall into an abyss, denotes illness to yourself that you will lose the attention of your lover that your husband or wife is unfaithful that your...

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The winter symbolizes sterility, sleep. The message is simple: you should reflect and plan for your future activities, taking advantage of this time of isolation. (See DESERT, COLD, and ICE)

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Drying due to natural evaporation can represent: Loss or disappearance.Shrinkage.Transformation.A process of reduction, or a dwindling supply of something.See Dry Up, Dryer, Absorbing, Desert, Hard Object, Eroding, Decreasing, Depleted, Sparse

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(see Church, Holy Ground, Monastery, Temple) A place or situation that offers you complete acceptance.Protection and safety from someone or something perceived as wishing you harm. Needing to take a...

Learn more about the meaning of Sanctuary (refuge)

The sun shining upon the dreamer indicates good fortune or goodwill.The sun is also energy, especially the life energy that gives one health and makes crops grow. Alternatively, excessive sunlight...

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Emotional isolation and loneliness.The place where fear and temptation and ghosts reside.See T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land. Withdrawal and asceticism. Symbol of the peak experiences that will lead toward...

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The wilderness in dreams refers to the place where wild emotions and uncontrolled urges and drives reign, and suggests coming to terms with them.The wilderness, in addition to the so-called...

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Historically, figs have represented abundance and fertility, as well as sensuality and sexual desires. They can be considered an oasis in your journey across the desert, an oasis that should...

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Psychological / emotional perspective: Occasionally we all need to recharge our batteries, and to dream of an island can help, or warn us, to do this.Dreaming of a desert or...

Learn more about the meaning of Insects Island

The color black represents fear, the absence of light, and ignorance.It is also associated with death, pain, and sadness. When this color predominates in a dream, it means you are...

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To see this beast of burden, signifies that you will entertain great patience and fortitude in time of almost unbearable anguish and failures that will seemingly sweep every vestige of...

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lucky numbers: 03-04-13-20-30-43being a: are too independent to maintain your position at work without a battle. on a pilgrimage: with faith you can walk the desert; without it, you fry....

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lucky numbers: 2-15-21-26-29-30as a boutonniere: settle for expedience; your vanity wil not be satisfied. striped, a: your attentions wil be refused. bluish red: gain prosperity through others. man dreaming of:...

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The idea of lack or of having to do without something (or a fear of such).Simplicity.A sparse environment can represent: a perceived lack of abundance somewhere in your life, a...

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Dreams of flying are usually dreams of good omen. Success in love is foretold to those who have pleasant dreams of this kind, as, for instance, soaring easily above country...

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This dream shows the need to constantly move forward without being attached to earthly affairs. A procession is also reminiscent of Israel’s great exodus and the desert journey. Every procession...

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Drying due to evaporation can represent: Loss or disappearance.Shrinkage.Transformation.A process of reduction or a dwindling supply of something.Something that is dried up, or that has lost all of its moisture,...

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Natural regions and settings in a dream whether they are mountain ranges, valleys, or deserts, are dream- scapes that bnng out the landscape of the soul for conscious understanding Mountain...

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lucky numbers: 08-10-15-18-19-39catching a: a self-inflicted injury precludes your rival from chal enging you ful force. hearing croaking of: pleasure awaits, but you are too rash and foolhardy to accept...

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(see Desertion)Isolation and solitude, sometimes by choice. In these moments remember that even Moses had to spend time alone to find his destiny (see Desert).Being shipwrecked by, or stranded in,...

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lucky numbers: 01-10-20-24-38-45marrying a rich woman: your cherished desires wil crumble to emotional sorrow. aged, young girl: unconscious desire to be emotional y alone while among friends. sister-in-law: have moved...

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Heat or something hot can represent: Energy.Increased activity (as heat involves molecules vibrating faster), or a need for decreased activity.Pressure or stress.Excitement.Being too hot can result from actually feeling too...

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lucky numbers: 06-14-20-36-37-49amusements, for: wil quarrel with friends over what makes you happier. charity, for: affairs wil improve after a long while until the next need surfaces. children, on: wil...

Learn more about the meaning of Spending

Crossing a street, river, or other boundary can represent: Passing from one phase to another in your life.A new beginning or fresh start.Crossing a large area (such as a desert)...

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