To dream of being strangled – what does it mean? (Dream interpretation suffocation / strangulation)
Dream interpretation strangulation/suffocation
Suffocation in dreams is not a rare thing to dream about. There are several angles to it; these are reviewed below.
Dreams about suffocation can mean that you are simply too busy. Similar to dreams about drowning, dreams about suffocating can symbolize that your current (hectic) life style will quite simply be the death of you.
If you find this interpretation relevant to your situation, it is critical that you take your dream seriously – you simply cannot keep up anymore, and your brain and body needs you to slow down.
Dreams about being strangled as an image of something within yourself that is ”strangling” you/hinders you from thriving and developing. This interpretation is the most common – you can even dream that you are strangling yourself!
…a very clear indication that you in a some way – in what you say, think or do – limit yourself in a way that is “killing you” (that is to say mentally, because you lack vitality).
A 30-year-old woman for instance repeatedly dreamt that a very old woman was going to strangle her. At this point in her life, she was single and often stayed at home and isolated herself, and because of previous experiences, she did everything she could to avoid contact with men, who were actually interested in her.
It was clear from the dream that she, way too early in her life, had habits more suited for an old woman. In the same way, there may be things within you that are quite simply “strangling you” and which therefore prevent you from realizing your true potential; things you may be unaware of.
In addition to this, it may also be the case that your current life situation, how you see yourself, your social circle, or your job, is “killing you”. There are numerous things – within yourself and in your surroundings – that can “strangle” you and prevent you from unfolding and developing.
Finally, there are also cases which suggest that a dream about being strangled simply can occur because you are having difficulties breathing during your sleep – perhaps you have been uncomfortable, or you may have a physical disability that makes it difficult for you to breathe.
Also read: Why I no longer interpret dreams for free
Have you had a dream about strangulation or suffocation? Please share your experience in the comments below.
NB: Dream interpretation is not easy – especially because dreams are always 100% individual. For this reason the above scenarios might not be relevant to your suffocation dream.
Michael
I dreamt where a close friend was strangulating me in a dream before I woke up. What could that mean?
Hi Ukachi – thank you for your commment. Did you read the blogpost above? You can ask yourself – is my friend in real life trying to limit me in any way (outer interpretation), or is it maybe how you relate to that friend (maybe you compare yourself to him/her, and in the process you limit yourself by always comparing/trying to be like him/her – that would be one inner interpretation of the dream). Best regards – Michael (p.s. also consider my easily understood online course Unlock your DREAMlife helping you to understand your dreams – providing a framework, and the questions you can ask yourself about the dream in order to arrive at a meaningful interpretation of the dream).
I just had the strangest dream ever, that caused me to come to this article. I just had a dream that I was in church (I don’t go to church), and in the middle of it, someone had walked in.. for some reason, I didn’t turn around and check who it was, but everyone else stopped what they were doing, and all stared in silence. As I sat there looking ahead, with everyone turned around, I could hear footsteps creaking on the hardwood floor, getting closer and closer. My hearing began to get blurred, as I started hearing static, and a loud hum.. as the thing/person approached me, it got louder and louder. Once behind me, I for some reason realized I was wearing a red beaded necklace.. the thing/person put a necklace around my neck, that happened to be a black beaded necklace. As it did so, I reached up and ripped off both necklaces.. as they broke and beads went flying, I felt the person grab my throat from behind and slowly apply more and more pressure, to the point where I couldn’t breathe. I was sitting there fighting for my life as everyone stared. I looked at the thing, and it appeared to be a person in a large robe, with a skull mask on..
It was the strangest dream, and it had me wake up in that moment, to me touching my throat and feeling as if it was real. Minutes later, I still feel like I was being strangled in real life..
I had a dream around 5:30 this morning, just before getting up for the day (it’s now 7:45AM)…
I was lying in bed next to my husband (just as I was at the moment of the dream), and a person in black (covered head to toe; could not see him/her) walked around our bed (I saw them), leaned over me and wrapped something around my neck pulling it tightly (husband still sound asleep) and I quietly stopped breathing and he left.
So much now to process…shared with my husband and all he could do was remind me it was a dream and hold me. Thoughts, anyone?
I am engaged to be married for the second time in my life. I was married once before for almost 15 years before I found out my “stand out military husband “ had been secretly molesting my daughter . I was mortified and shocked and humiliated as his pictures were in the News paper ..
It’s been 8 years since my divorce and I’m engaged again and very peaceful and happy .
In my dream a man in bed with me that I thought was my fiancé snuck up behind me and attempted to strangle me to death but as I fought him for a breath bleeding and screaming it turned out it was my ex husband that was the one with his hands on my throat . I screamed and sobbed for my parents but they couldn’t or wouldn’t help me .. I was going to die and I couldn’t help myself or my son a sleep down the hall.
The dream was so vivid I woke up terrified and touching my neck to make sure it was ok ..
I have noticed as I get closer to my wedding or even discuss marriage my ex husband pops into my nightmares .. can you help me . Does this mean I’m making a mistake ?
I had a dream that there were thin ties around my neck, the kind from a halter top. I was wearing something of the sort but there were 10, maybe more of these ties hanging around my neck. Thinking they were tied up at the back I tried to pull them to get them off, but some were wrapped around and I started to strangle myself. I desperately tried to pull them off only making them worse. So I started to try untying them from behind although I couldn’t see what I was doing (however in saying this, all though I was the one experiencing it I was also seeing it from the outside too). All the while I was calling for help, but my voice was muffled and no one could hear me. I could see people around but no one noticed me. I saw these three old ladies up ahead and started to run towards them for help, still crying out for help and trying to untie the ties. There were two men also up ahead to the left. I was really starting to struggle to breath and almost dying as I was nearing the women. The men were also near me, I could see them talking, and coming from the left, almost to cross my path, but it was like they couldn’t see me and right there before all of them I managed to untie the all the cords and free myself. I collapsed onto the ground in front of them in exhaustion and relief, free and breathing. I feel like I was going to collapse anyway regardless if I was dead or alive, but I managed to save myself. That’s when I woke up.
I was dreaming that an intruder was trying to get into my house. He had his hand around my throat and was choking me. I suddenly woke up choking on my own spit. My mouth was full of saliva. Craziest dream I’ve ever had.
I dreamt of having an interview with a very wealthy man and I was to request for anything I needed but forgot what to request, coming out I told some of my mates about the interview, on a sudden they started strangling me almost to the point of dying then a lady walked in and they left me, but waking up I found out my neck was in a position which could cause difficulty in breathing.
I had a dream that satan was choking me and anytime I said someone’s name in the Bible he would go away then come back after a while. I have dreams like that sometimes not all the time and I say something related to the Bible and he goes away.
I had a cocaine problem. This one night I was laying down in bed after taking some and instead of feeling the buzz, i blacked out. The devil had a chockhold on me and I was being dragged down to hell. I was in a black abyss during the ordeal. I was trying my hardest to resist but I was too weak and then just told my self to give up. I then had an immense sense of peace and the devil lost his grip and i floated to an upright position seeing 3 lights and then i woke up completely fine. I honestly believe I overdosed and died and the devil was taking me for all my sins, God has given me another chance and even though I struggled a little after that experience I have now been clean and my life has taken a complete 180. I never remember dreams or anything but this has stayed with me and always will.
Wow Anton! This is a fantastic dream – and truly illustrates the healing abilities of dreams – and the very spiritual side of them. Thank you for sharing! Best regards – Michael
I had a weird dream a little while ago. Afternoon nap. It was me but in the future and I woke up
,in my dream, from a nap and had to go to the USPS. I end up in my car with my dog headed to
the usps then end up at the mall. In my dream its really hot
outside so I take my dog inside with me to the mall. I am looking at beds for some reason and realize I never went to the mail. I try looking for my car but forget where I parked and this nice security guard comes up to me to tell me where I parked. He laughed as I got tangled up in my dogs leash and said “its okay I domt think you are a craZy dog lady” like eberyone in the mall thought when I brought my dog
in. So im in my car and make it home, never stopping at the mail. I am about to get comfy when a man just appears in my house and I have to tell myself in my dream that it is not real. He ends up choking me then disappearing as I reiterate that it is not real. He then disappears for good long enough until my now boyfriend who is older like in the future comes home. Also my dog now is grey indicating he is older andy dream take place in the future. We sit down to eat and the man reappears but only
I can see him and my bf continue with his dinner that we were eating and watching tv in the living room. The dissapearing man continues to choke me again but it looks as if im choking on food to my bf bc only I can see the man. This time me telling myself this isnt real is not working. I am afraid in that moment that my bf thinks I’m crazy bc I am talking to the man to stop choking me. I then fall back onto thr glass coffee table and my bf now realizes this is real and I’m either crazy or
telling the truth bc he still cannot see the man. The man then eventually stops and pushes my bf aside. My bf is freaked bc he can feel someone but cannot see them. The man then leaves out the door convienently enough when my friend that was expected to come, comes in while hearing all the commotion inside and the man brushes past her. She freaks out too bc she cannot see anything but feels being shoved to the wall. During this whole time I do not see my dog until my friend comes in the door and the man leaves. My dog runs from the hallway and jumps on the couch near the fromt
window as the dissapearing man drives away. Only I and the dog
see the man leave. The dream seemes so real and same layout asy apartment now but just a house and bigger. I too could see my reflection in the car window from getting my dog down for the mall and was older. The man had brown skin and curly hair. I was so weird it felt like dejavu. The choking seemed to go on forever in my dream. Anyways I do not know what the heck this means but thought it was very off bc i usually never remember my dreams or have any dreams and this one was very vivid with very descriptive details. Like daily basis things you would not notice in everyday life but I did of that future me in my dream. Like my reflection from the car, me looking back at my dog in the rearview mirror, and me walking in the mall.
Dear Miranda, thank you for your highly interesting dream! I have however deciced to no longer help out here (for free), as I simply cannot keep up with all the comments/dreams I get (currently 420 uanswered comments). Instead I encourage you to book a personal session with me. Or refer to my 3-step guide on interpreting dreams (mailed to you when signing up for my newsletter).
I’ve always wanted pets. A do to be specific, So today as I’m laying in bed (asleep) I feel a do jump up on my bed. I knew that in reality I don’t have one and was in my conscious mind thinking, shit! That is a big dog. The dog didn’t lay next to me, In my King sized bed it laid on me (I’m about 5’4 ) It was so big it took up the length of my body. I’m thinking to myself I can breath but it’s cutting my oxygen. Just as I’m thinking this, it lifts its paws (almost like it’s getting comfortable) and begins to choke/strangle me. I didn’t panic or try to fight. I just kept slowly sieving in air. I felt when I rolled on my side and the feeling stopped. (I woke up) I was annoyed and I tried to speak (I’m awake now) I tried to say “really, in my sleep?” I couldn’t even talk. I really felt like I had been chocked.
I dreamt that I was being strangled by a very large person/being. He, she or it had me up against a wall and was way too strong for me to escape the grasp. This person or being was invisible so I could not see who or what was doing that to me. Waking up screaming was how I was able to escape.
I had a dream, where i was with 3 girls, we were fairy-like and could fly wherever we pleased…a group of men in black suits tried to catch us and keep us in captivity…we entered through an indian worn down shop with patchy roof to lick a special crystal? That would help us defeat the evil men..I took consumed too much of the crystal and i became sluggish (i was drugged) and as we were about to fly away, the evil men were at the back of the shop and caught me by the neck before I could fly through the patchy roof! The 3 fairy friends had no idea I’ve been trapped and flew without me, they noticed soon after but it was too late..he had me in his clutches..he was strangling me.. i coulnt breath, (now this might be hard to explain but-) My eye sight was fading back and forth to the dream world and to the real world…I woke up to my eyes rolling back..i was desperately trying to wake up but i was too sleepy…The thing is..my DREAM self tried to wake my in real life me…My eyes were rolling back and twitching? My mouth was opening and closing..as if i was getting strangled in real life as well? (Only, i didn’t feel any pressure on my throat.) At the hands of the man in the black suit.. i so desperately to wake the real me up and once i did..i was scared to sleep again..eventually i did..but i can’t remember my last dream after this one…I’m still spoken up about how i was rolling my eyes back desperately trying to wake up..I’m unsettled by my experience.
I’ve just woken up from I guess the most terrifying dream ever. First of all I’d like to mention that it was vivid and I was in my body while having the dream ( Even in the dream I couldn’t see anything since my eyes weren’t fully open yet a little part of them was). In my dream a dark figure was strangling me and was talking to me, but I couldn’t hear anything. Throughout the whole nightmare I knew that it wasn’t real… So I decided to tell the dark figure that I knew but I instead said “I saved you” or “You saved me”. Since I was still asleep it was only some mumbles that were heard but the dark figure replied with: “I can hear you” (which I now realise that it sounds way more scarier than it did before).
The strangling was so realistic that even my ears began aching in pain (normally if you are choked your ears start hurting).
I woke up absolutely calm with a ringing noise in my ears and my neck feeling sore as if I was actually strangled (I wasn’t in real life though)
So I have three questions:
1. Why was my dream so vivid?
2. Why did the strangling actually hurt?
3. What does this dream mean?
I had a dream that I or husband we were inter changing from being the person being strangled. Sometimes I felt it was me sometimes I seen it was him. Anyway. I was being strangled by the shirt collar and At first I thought I could breath and tried to cope, then it became unbearable and my neck began to swell. I asked for help to unbutton the 1 button. We finally got button undone, now this didnt releive the strangulation as I thought it would, was having major difficulty breathing, then realized had to remove the collar all together around my neck as it swelled and the cause of the strangulation. Then I woke up
Last night I had a dream I was being strangled and it woke me up and I actually couldn’t breathe and struggled to catch my breath. I didn’t say anything to my roommates (I live in a quad) and my roommate randomly asked me if I slept okay. I told her “not really” and she said she had a nightmare that woke her up that she was watching someone being strangled and was so scared. I freaked out and told her in my dream that same exact night I was the one being strangled. I have no idea what this means.
I had a dream where I knew nobody in it, all just passers by. And I would begin to talk to them and then suddenly Amy necklaces would begin to strangle me. Slowly at first then they would become tighter. I was always able to pull them off but then I would put them right back on. It was as if I was tying my own noose.
I just moved to a new city and don’t know anyone here. Lately I’ve been isolating myself and just been hanging out at home with my dog.
There’s nothing me holding me back from exploring and making new connections. I’m just tying my own noose.
I for as long as I can remember my dreams that are vivid some reoccurring but every single one of my dreams from early childhood to early adulthood I’ll have become a reality in my life the one that keeps haunting me is the dream where a very physically fit man with no face comes up from behind me put his hands around my throat and starts choking me in my dream I’m gasping for air sometimes as others watch sometimes alone he likes to come more when I’m alone I tend to not sleep much because the dream scares me I feel as though these dreams do occur when in my actual life I’m not meeting my potential I’m kind of at a standstill or in a stale or stagnant moment in my life I don’t ever die in my dreams but usually just close enough and then I actually awake in real life usually screaming feeling kicking and Swinging with my fist