If you do recognize your personal monster, you might also want to try and engage it in a dialogue. A classic way to interpret a difficult dream such as this was devised by Dr Frederick Perls, the distinguished Gestalt therapist. Take two chairs and place them opposite each other. You sit in one and imagine your dream monster or enemy in the other chair. Move between the chairs as you first ask and answer the questions. Try asking your dream monster what it wants, why it is in your dreams and why it is chasing you. The process may take some time, but eventually you (as the dream) may deliver a message that speaks to you. When that happens, you may find it easier to face your fears and interpret your dream. By understanding nasty nightmare animals, as well as people, places or things, you may be able to harness their energy and take back into your self those parts of your personality you have been trying to disown.
Animals in dreams reflect the animal or instinctual part of your nature, so if the fierce animal terrorizing you in a dream is a tiger, lion or snake, consider what this animal represents to you and what it says about your psychological state. Are you confining, restricting or subduing an important part of yourself? If you begin to get answers to these questions, you may find that the animals in your dreams become less fierce and threatening. It might also help to draw or write a description of your animal. Of course, your personal associations to the specific animals is of great importance here.
If your shadow—the part of yourself that you keep hidden—appears in your dreams as a monster, fierce animal, murderer, vampire, werewolf, ghost or other sinister threatening being, this may be a positive thing; it is your dreaming mind’s way of reintroducing the parts of yourself you are repressing in an effort to make you whole.
See also: ANIMALS; SPIRITS AND GHOSTS; SURREALISM AND FANTASY. [1]
It is recommended that you face whatever these monsters represent in your emotional life.
According to old books on dreams, to vanquish a monster in a dream means that you will overcome our enemies and become more important. The ancient peoples of Tibet believed that the most terrible monsters were divine guardians. Therefore, they symbolized those inner powers of being that could deter and defeat ignorance. [2]
2- When, in everyday life, events get out of proportion we often have to suppress our reactions. In dreams we cannot do this and so our minds create some way of dealing with the problem. Often the colour of the monster (See also: Colour) will give us some indication of what the problem is, thus a red monster would indicate anger (possibly uncontrolled), whereas a yellow one might suggest resentment.
3- Fear of death and all that goes with it.
A monster can highlight a more childlike fear, and can be looked at thus. [3]
If you overcome your fear, you will find in your unconscious all you need to complement your conscious ego. (In legends monsters guard treasure sought by a hero; in religious myths they guard mana-f\Hied things - sacred objects / places. Psychologically speaking, you are the hero, seeking your self; the sacred place is your inner core; ‘slaying’ the monster is bestowing love on a feared and repressed desire / drive / emotion, and so transforming it into a creative factor in your conscious life.) All that is now unconscious is destined to become conscious. That is why you have to Svrestle’ with the ‘monsters’. [4]
The monster in your dreams could be your fear, bad temper, negativity, smoking habit, or anything else that is hurtful and needs to be changed.
The way that you deal with the monster in your dream is generally symbolic of the way you are dealing with the corresponding negativity in your daily life.
If you wake up from this dream and are very frightened, just remember that your mind created those images and that their purpose is to teach you something about yourself. [5]
See also: the monster as a friend who has come to teach you something, bring you a gift. Picture the monster immediately upon awakening; imagine it unzipping its monster suit, and a little being steps out with a gift for you—insight. Remember all aspects of the dream are you. [6]
If we vanquish the monster, it is said that we must take care not to kill it, since we may be killing off part of our personality. Equally it should not be allowed to overcome us; self-survival kicks in and we will normally wake up before it does. [7]
A real-life situation in which you felt threatened or pursued.
A person or thing with whom you associate a certain characteristic of the monster (such as a monster’s red color representing the red pick-up truck that hit your car last week).
A monster coming after you can represent: a physical, emotional, or mental threat (or fear of one), An indicator of a Toxic Dream.
See also: Deformity, Werewolf, Vampire, Zombie, Ghost, Mythological Character [8]
See also: Demons, Mysterious Creatures. [9]
Slaying a monster: Becoming the hero for your own life; transforming fear into victory and creativity (See also: Sword).
Repressed drives and ambitions that need to be expressed. [12]
The monster may represent a side of your personality that makes you uncomfortable. This dream often means that you would do well to consider a change of direction, or give up a bad habit that’s unhealthy for you. [13]
To slay a monster, denotes that you will successfully cope with enemies and rise to eminent positions. [15]
See also: NIGHTMARES; SURREALISM AND FANTASY [18]
2. Deep fear of someone. [21]
2. Fear. 1 Sam. 17:11. [22]
facing a: are being confronted with some ugly and scary aspects of yourself.
of a: success is yours, if you redirect your hatred to constructive goals.
in the sea: expect emotional misfortune for subduing parts of your nature.
on dry land: reduce fear to acceptable proportions by writing a description of it.
being killed: turn and face your enemy.
pursued by a, being: your sorrow and pessimism overwhelm those you meet.
attacked: are depressed at inability to complete the project you initiated. [25]