dream symbol

Diving / Drowning / Floating / Swimming Dream Meaning

Dreams of diving, floating and swimming usually hint at your current emotional state or the need to tap into the resources of your unconscious mind.

If you are diving into water in your dream, this represents trying to find parts of yourself that have been repressed.

Dreams in which you are floating in warm water safely and calmly are amongst the most comforting and secure you can have. They may reflect a longing to be able to coast effortlessly through life, letting worries wash over you. But if you felt uneasy, such dreams may be mirroring your concern that you lack direction and power in waking life, and are just treading water as opportunities fly past you.

If you have a dream in which you are swimming calmly and happily through calm waters, this suggests a positive attitude to your waking life, as things are going well, or ‘swimmingly’, for you, and you feel in your element, be it at school, work or home. If, however, you dream that you are struggling against a current, it suggests inner conflict and the force of opinion against you in the waking world. In your dream, did you swim with the tide or continue with your struggle? If you found yourself out of your depth when you went swimming, this may mirror a sense of being out of your emotional depth. Drowning suggests that your emotions are overwhelming and engulfing you.

If a lifeboat appears, you believe your unconscious can throw you an emotional lifeline.

Where water is contained in a space, such as a bath or swimming pool, it signifies controlled emotion and restraint. A dream shower or bath in which you wash yourself may refer to a need to cleanse your emotions of negative influences, whilst a Jacuzzi may have sexual connotations. Being in a swimming pool may remind you of the importance of relaxation. A surreal underwater scene, in which you meet and interact with family and friends, may suggest that you have been too busy to take the time to connect emotionally with loved ones. It might be wise to slow down and devote more quality time to them in the real world. [1]

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Sources and Authors

  1. The Element Encyclopedia by Theresa Cheung [Back to dream]

What does Diving / Drowning / Floating / Swimming mean in a dream?


Dreams of diving, floating and swimming usually hint at your current emotional state or the need to tap into the resources of your unconscious mind.If you are diving into water...

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Swimming or floating in a pool can represent: Freedom from your usual limitations (or a desire for it).Taking a break, or a desire to escape from your responsibilities for a...

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Moving forward or making progress in your life.Effort toward achieving a goal.Freedom from your usual limitations.Excelling at an activity or in an environment that doesn’t come naturally to you (since...

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also see Swimming1- When we are drowning in a dream this usually indicates we are in danger of being overwhelmed by emotions we cannot handle. We are fearful of allowing...

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You floating (such as in a body of water) can represent a feeling of or desire for: Freedom.Feeling unburdened, unlimited, or without a worry.The idea of buoyancy or “rising above.”...

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Diving into water can represent: A new beginning, starting a new process or project, or entering into a new phase or area in your life.Becoming deeply involved in something.An ending,...

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To dream that you see yourself swollen, denotes that you will amass fortune, but your egotism will interfere with your enjoyment.To see others swollen, foretells that advancement will meet with...

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Water connects to emotional issues.A swimming pool is a humanmade construction that contains a small amount of water that is used for recreation and relaxation. In this way, a swimming...

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A body of water such as an ocean, lake, or pond can represent: The context of your life, “your world,” or the setting and situations within which the your life...

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Subconscious.Hidden or unknown.“Other worldly” or detached from reality.A desire to escape reality or take a break.The environment of your inner life at the time of the dream (for example, clear...

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See River, Sea, Ocean. This dream symbol can be interpreted on five different levels:(1) on the sexual level(2) on an emotional level where your own emotions are perceived as undifferentiated...

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To dream of scuba diving in clear water, signifies an end to an embarrassing situation. Although you may experience some temporary setbacks, things will surely look up. This dream can...

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To be submerged beneath the sea in a diving bell or diving suit signifies that you will find yourself in a predicament over which you have no control, but which...

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Symbol: Dreams about bathing and swimming are always symbols of cleansing and renewal.Vision: Dreaming about swimming outdoors: everything is looking up because you are gaining strength and endurance. Taking a...

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A dream of standing on a diving board, symbolizes a serious temptation or ordeal with which you are or will soon be faced.If you were unable to jump, you are...

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From a spiritual perspective floating in dreams is often a precursor to out of body experiences. In lucid dreaming we can learn to control flight, and to astral travel (deliberately...

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Dreams about floating objects suggest that you are feeling a lack of connection or a need to become more grounded. Also see “Telekinesis.”

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To see floating ribbons floating in your dream is lucky, signifying pleasant friends and love relationships.

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If you are hovering or floating in the sky and looking down on earth this may represent feelings of optimism and success—the world is at your feet. However, as floating...

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For an accurate inter- pretation of a swimming dream, all the details of water, weather, and other conditions, such as loca tion, etc., should be cor- related to the action,...

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