Chased

Being 'Chased' in a dream represents avoiding or not wanting to face an unproductive part of yourself. This is one of the most common dream experiences, and it is almost universally misunderstood. Most people wake from a chase dream believing that something external is threatening them -- a monster, an attacker, a shadowy figure. But every dream is about the dreamer. The thing chasing you is not external. It is a part of your own consciousness that you are running from. What you are running from is an aspect of yourself that you do not want to look at. It could be a habit you know is destructive but refuse to address. It could be a truth about yourself that is uncomfortable to acknowledge. It could be a life lesson that keeps presenting itself but that you keep avoiding. It could be an emotion you have been suppressing rather than experiencing and processing. Whatever it is, it is a part of you, and it is chasing you because you refuse to turn around and face it. Pay attention to what is chasing you, how fast it is moving, and whether it catches you. The nature of the pursuer reveals the nature of the aspect you are avoiding. A shadowy or faceless figure reflects an aspect you have not even identified yet -- you are running from something you cannot even name. A known person reflects a familiar quality you recognize but refuse to deal with. An animal reflects a habitual thought pattern you are avoiding. The speed of the chase reflects the urgency -- the faster the pursuit, the more pressing the need to face what you are running from. When a chase shows up in your dream, it is time to stop running. Turn around. Face whatever is behind you. The lesson will never stop chasing you -- it will follow you through dream after dream, night after night, until you have the courage to confront it. And here is the universal truth that every person who has ever stopped running discovers: the moment you turn around and face the thing chasing you, it loses its power. It was only terrifying because you were running from it. Face it, name it, address it, and it transforms from a pursuer into a teacher.