Many people believe that dreams can offer insights into our subconscious and reveal useful information relating to our emotional state.
If you’ve been having vivid or intense dreams, it’s worth analyzing the nature of the dream and thinking about what it might tell you about your inmost feelings.
A dream may reveal something that is missing in your life that needs addressing or give you an answer that you didn’t know you were looking for.
As Layne Dalfen, dream analyst and author of the ‘Have a Great Dream’ series explains, ‘a dream is [a] conversation you’re having with yourself about a very specific current issue that you’re attempting to solve.’ The art and science of dream interpretation can help you make sense of your dreams.
Have you recently dreamt about swimming in some context and want to know what it could mean?
Swimming has long been a popular leisure activity but is primarily a means of survival.
In this article, we will examine all the possible meanings that can be attributed to a dream about swimming.
But first, let’s take a look at the type of dream that you may have had.
Table of Contents
Type of Water
Dreams about swimming or being immersed in water can come in numerous different forms, and often relate to our emotions.
You may not think it, but the type of water that features in your dream is likely to be significant. Try to recall the setting of your dream.
Were you swimming in a lake, river, sea, or swimming pool? Were you in control during the dream?
If you found yourself swimming against a current in the sea, for example, you may be feeling uncertain or anxious about the future.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Many people find that keeping a dream journal can help to process emotions and reflect on dreams.
Keeping a written record of your dreams may reveal some interesting patterns or help you uncover possible hidden meanings.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself that may help you to make sense of your dream about swimming:
- Was the water hot or cold?
- How did you feel during the dream? Were you anxious and frustrated, or calm and peaceful?
- Where were you swimming? Were you in a public or private area?
- Were you in diving, sinking, or struggling against a force?
- Did the water seem clear or murky?
- How do you feel about swimming generally?
Possible Meanings
Swimming as a Symbol for Emotion
Water is often perceived to be a symbol of emotion, so if you’ve been dreaming about swimming, it is likely that the dream will reveal something about your emotional state.
Dreams like this can often represent a journey or process and suggest that you are trying to navigate your way through different emotions. Take the time to reflect on current events in your life. Are you trying to work through an emotion or process new information?
The quality of the water itself may offer an insight into what that emotion is. If you are swimming through dirty or murky water, for example, you might be trying to work through difficult feelings or emotional challenges in your life.
You may be feeling troubled, overwhelmed, or in an uncertain place. On the other hand, if you find that the water is clear, smooth, or blue, you may be experiencing more positive emotions, such as a sense of peace, accomplishment, or relief after facing tough times.
Swimming as a Symbol of New Beginnings and Rebirth
Many people associate the water element with birth and new beginnings. Water is frequently used during a baptism ceremony to mark and celebrate new life.
Dreaming about swimming can mean that you are currently experiencing something new in your life, or that a part of you longs for a change or a fresh beginning of some kind.
Thinking about the context in which you were swimming can sometimes offer possible explanations on what types of things are new or evolving in your life.
If you are swimming alone, for instance, in a private swimming pool perhaps, you may find that you are going through a period of personal growth or development.
If you’re swimming in a busy or crowded pool, however, you may be looking to start over and establish new friends or social contacts.
Swimming as a Symbol of Playfulness
For many of us, swimming represents a fun or playful activity that can be enjoyed with family or friends or while on holiday.
Try to reflect on how you felt in the dream. If you found that you were playfully splashing in the water or playing games, this might be a sign that you need to take some time out to do something fun in your life.
Modern life is often stressful and demanding, and you may be yearning for the freedom and innocence of your childhood when you were free to play and explore.
Swimming as a Symbol for Survival
Swimming is, of course, not just a leisure activity, and is often an important means of survival.
Many young children are taught the basics of how to float and breathe for as long as possible until they can get to safety or help reaches them. If you are not a confident swimmer or don’t enjoy swimming in everyday life, your dream may well be about survival.
If you dream that you are struggling to swim to safety or are trapped underwater somehow, for example, you may be feeling overwhelmed or unsure how to overcome challenges in your life.
Final Thoughts
Dreaming about the act of swimming through a body of water is a common dream that can have multiple meanings, many of which often relate to a particular emotional state.
If you’ve experienced any dreams about this it’s worth reflecting on the location of the dream, how you felt during it, and whether you were alone or surrounded by fellow swimmers.
Consider whether you were swimming peacefully, struggling against a tide or current, or diving into an unknown body of water, as each can offer a different insight into your inmost feelings.
Water is often considered to be a symbol of new life or potential, so if you’ve been dreaming about moving through a lake or swimming pool, you may be experiencing something new in your life that you are trying to process or understand.