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.
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When trying to understand your dreams it is important to know that your dreams are… your dreams. As such, you are the best person to figure out the true meaning of your dreams.
However, it is important to learn how to generally approach your dreams. Dream dictionaries like this one are only a supplement, and if you want to fully utilize the potential of your dreams, you should start at a different place.
My online course “Unlock your DREAMlife” gives you a great foundation for understanding (and recalling) your dreams.
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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.
Dream dictionaries are a very helpful tool when interpreting dreams. However, generally learning how to approach your dreams, will give you a better foundation for understanding them. My online course “Unlock your DREAMlife” teaches you how to much better utilize – recall and understand – your dreams.
Return to the index of dream themes and symbols:
Dream interpretation A-Z ↵
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
Last night I dreamt that a voodoo type woman was trying to strangle me; I wanted to call out to my partner for help but I couldn’t speak; the woman asked me if I was scared, and I was very scared until she asked the question, at which point I got a grip of myself and said “no” and woke up…
Hi, I was dreaming that someone is trying to strangle me, I can’t breathe and I can’t move or shout for help. It was dark but I can see the person strangling me, it was weird because I can’t see his face, but I know it’s a guy. This is the second time it happened to me. The only difference this time was that my Mom was there beside me telling me that I can overcome that nightmare. As soon as she says that, I was punching the guy and told myself it was only a bad dream. I experienced sleep paralysis twice before and the only way to get out is telling myself it’s only a dream. This is starting to bother me now. Any thoughts? Thank you.
I dreamed of my daughter who is 21 in real life but in the dream she was about 10yrs old i was inside a new house i just built on a big property and 3 friends of my sons screamed out to me from outside that something was wrong with her, i ran to see her laying on her back legs kicking in the air convulsing ,one of the boys said he tired a ribbon around her neck but it tightened and he couldnt get it off, i ran to try and break it off her neck and as i did it tightened so tight her neck went into be about a few inches wide as i screamed for someone to get the scissors i could feel her neck closing in and the ribbon disappearing and she was gasping for her last breath it really disturbed me as that night i dreamed continuously about 3 dead family members,it woke me up gasping myself and really disturbed me like a night mare.
I had a rather scary dream that can sound rather silly when I talk about it now.
I was dreaming that I was somehow fighting something using my phones gallery knowingly searching for rainy storm images, this while walking at a fast pace.
I eventually reached this kitchen where by boyfriend was sitting in the opposite end. I went and sat down on the other side opposite to him. I then looked to my right to see my reflection in a microwave, then noticed a scary baby like figure hovering behind me. I immediately stood up and looked behind me only to see nothing. That was when I started to be strangled by this invisible force. My boyfriend looked puzzled as he could not see why I could not breath. I then prayed and fell down as he rushed to help me. This was definitely a very deep sleep and felt so real. I then woke up with my boyfriend trying to console me as I was crying loudly in my sleep.
What could a dream like this mean?
Thanks
I had a dream that I was in my english class and that I was talking to someone I knew but then I got strangled by my english teacher
Firstly I need to say, I suffer from night paralyse terrors regularly. Been months since I had one though..
I had a dream last night, I was laying in my bed – waking up being strangled. I couldn’t see anybody, and the strangle wasn’t suffocating. I could breathe as normal.
I could definitely feel the thumbs on my throat and the fingers felt cold, and I also couldn’t move. I realized it was a dream and I had to wake up somehow. I then suddenly thought about a guy I never even think about or even see. (this guy is a friend that lives in another country. if we text once a month, it’s a lot) And immediately I woke. I saw it was 2 am, and I then tossed and turned. Every time I wanted to doze off, I could feel the presence of the strangler – waiting for me.
Hello,
I was dreaming that I was in an apartment by the sea (not my home), alone. Perhaps I was vacationing alone? Unsure. It was grey outside, but I had the windows opened and there was a slight breeze. I wasn’t doing anything in particular, but I knew that suddenly I wasn’t “alone” anymore. There was a negative entity there, and I suddenly felt like it was trying to suffocate me. I was fighting for my life, and trying to scream and get away but I couldn’t.
In my dream, I felt that I KNEW I was dreaming and that if only I could scream loud enough, my spouse could hear me and rescue (wake) me. I tried to scream but it was muffled. I tried and tried and my throat hurt, but I kept trying to scream. I was suddenly awakened by my husband who heard me moaning (he was in another room). I was petrified, hyperventilating. My dog was napping with me but he didn’t wake me. It has been several hours since I’ve awakened and I am still really troubled by it, and my throat is sore!
I’ve researched “suffocating” dreams and it doesn’t seem to fit the bill (I am currently home on sick leave, recovering from surgery; I have a good job, lovely home and wonderful husband- honestly, not feeling overwhelmed in any way).
Thoughts? Thank you.
Hi Kyla,
And thank you for your comment, Apologies for my late reply, but I receive many comments every day, and I simply cannot keep up with them. That is also why I have decided to no longer do interpretations for free. Instead I offer the following options: http://www.michaelrolsen.com/dreamcoaching. Best regards – Michael
I usually don’t remember my dreams, well last night I dreamt I was being suffocated by something evil. To look at it straight on, it looked normal, but out of the corner of my eye I could see an evil contorted face… Vaguely remember a hood. It was on my side or my back, I can’t quite remember. I didn’t wake up gasping for air but I did wake up shaken. Any ideas?
Hi Isaac,
And thank you for your comment, Apologies for my late reply, but I receive many comments every day, and I simply cannot keep up with them. That is also why I have decided to no longer do interpretations for free. Instead I offer the following options: http://www.michaelrolsen.com/dreamcoaching. Best regards – Michael
Hi, I had a dream where a virus was strangling me from the inside out. I knew it was killing me but I couldn’t seem to tell anyone about it.
Hi Taylor,
And thank you for your comment, Apologies for my late reply, but I receive many comments every day, and I simply cannot keep up with them. That is also why I have decided to no longer do interpretations for free. Instead I offer the following options: http://www.michaelrolsen.com/dreamcoaching. Best regards – Michael
I had a dream last night that I was being strangled while I was laying down in the dark. But the room had the moon light shining in. All I could see was someones arms and hands strangling me from the back. It switches from that to zombie dreams.. what could this mean?
Hi Steeley,
And thank you for your comment, Apologies for my late reply, but I receive many comments every day, and I simply cannot keep up with them. That is also why I have decided to no longer do interpretations for free. Instead I offer the following options: http://www.michaelrolsen.com/dreamcoaching. Best regards – Michael
So i had a dream i was somewhere outside , and i had a black shirt on and it was straggling me. I would try to pull the shirt away from my neck but if was very impossible .. I would try and try and i would think i fixed the shirt from chocking me but then i would feel it chocking me again. I just found out im pregnant the saturday that just passed..
Hi Lizmaine,
And thank you for your comment, Apologies for my late reply, but I receive many comments every day, and I simply cannot keep up with them. That is also why I have decided to no longer do interpretations for free. Instead I offer the following options: http://www.michaelrolsen.com/dreamcoaching. Best regards – Michael
Hi! I was wondering if maybe you could help me with this one:
I was dreaming that my brother entered my room and laid over me like he has always done. Ever since he was born he lays his back transversal to my chest, obviously as he became older he became heavier as well.
So, in my dream, I was on my bed and he (now 20) comes and lays over me. And I start suffocating. And I try to tell him that I can’t breath but instead I just laugh, not a creepy laugh but a normal laugh. And the longer I feel like I’m running out of oxygen the more I laugh.
I woke up gasping for air and with my heart beating like crazy. It took almost two minutes to calm down.
I have a perfectly healthy relation with my brother. We are close, but to too much that it becomes suffocating. We trust and respect each other.
I was wondering if this has another meaning?
Thanks in advance!
Hi AM,
And thank you for your comment, Apologies for my late reply, but I receive many comments every day, and I simply cannot keep up with them. That is also why I have decided to no longer do interpretations for free. Instead I offer the following options: http://www.michaelrolsen.com/dreamcoaching. Best regards – Michael
Had this dream where I was security guard looking after a indoor swimming pool, looked like more like a night club where I work in real life, but in the dream I was pulled by female lifeguard into the water and she started to strangle me at first I did not resist thinking it was fun and games but I could hold my breath and the water was crystal clear and I had to defend my self by resisting and getting myself out of the pool. I don’t know whether Its the club I work and I have this crush with one of the waitress there.
Hi Angelo,
And thank you for your comment, Apologies for my late reply, but I receive many comments every day, and I simply cannot keep up with them. That is also why I have decided to no longer do interpretations for free. Instead I offer the following options: http://www.michaelrolsen.com/dreamcoaching. Best regards – Michael
So I woke up screaming from a bizzare dream I had this morning around 2… so in my dream I was sitting inside my car waiting for someone, with the windows down. Suddenly this guy comes to try and steal my cellphone from my seat… but before he does that he pushes his finger in my mouth causing my so suffocate. I tried screaming for help but no one could hear me. The guy just kept on pushing harder and harder so that I can’t scream anymore or breath. I don’t know if he did get it right to take my phone or not. Not a good dream to wake up to… why would I have these dreams?
Hi Marlise,
And thank you for your comment, Apologies for my late reply, but I receive many comments every day, and I simply cannot keep up with them. That is also why I have decided to no longer do interpretations for free. Instead I offer the following options: http://www.michaelrolsen.com/dreamcoaching. Best regards – Michael
Hello!
So I had dreamed I was being choked by a man. They were very angry at me. I could see their face before it happened. He looked furious at me and ready to attack me. He did. The man in my dream was a stranger and yet, he seemed almost like a discarded or forgotten part of me/part of someone I had interacted with during a past life as there was a similarity/familiarity about him. As he attacked me I felt I had died died so I had an out of body experience in the dream. My spirit had gone to grab a crowbar (I chose a smaller than standard crowbar) to neutralize the person trying to strangle me and when I had returned, the man had been pried off of me and was already dead before I got the chance to use the crowbar. I woke up feeling angry and confused. Suddenly, some systemic dysfunctions I had been having with my family and my significant other had sprung into the front of my mind.
Hi Victor,
And thank you for your comment, Apologies for my late reply, but I receive many comments every day, and I simply cannot keep up with them. That is also why I have decided to no longer do interpretations for free. Instead I offer the following options: http://www.michaelrolsen.com/dreamcoaching. Best regards – Michael
I’m 14 and I’m in a long distance relationship. My boyfriend lives in New Mexico and live in the UK which makes it really hard for us. I had a dream in which I was at his house and lying in his bed (dressed) as he was cuddling me from behind then out of nowhere he just strangles me and I wake up crying. I told him about it and he said that he would never try hurting me so I carried on with my life as usual but it still bothers me. Do you have any idea of what it could of meant?
Hi Dorothy,
And thank you for your comment, Apologies for my late reply, but I receive many comments every day, and I simply cannot keep up with them. That is also why I have decided to no longer do interpretations for free. Instead I offer the following options: http://www.michaelrolsen.com/dreamcoaching. Best regards – Michael
I had a dream last night that my brother was trying to strangle me over a fight we had about something that I dont remember. When I woke up, I couldnt move, but I remember pleading him to let me live. I couldnt breathe at all except for little breaths, not enough to really inflate my lungs at all. But when I woke up, for like 10 seconds I couldnt move my body, but immediately after I was pulled from sleep I screamed his name, I was sort of awake but I was dreaming and I only yelled in my dream, its confusing, and terrifying.
Hi Kyra,
And thank you for your comment, Apologies for my late reply, but I receive many comments every day, and I simply cannot keep up with them. That is also why I have decided to no longer do interpretations for free. Instead I offer the following options: http://www.michaelrolsen.com/dreamcoaching. Best regards – Michael
Hi, I had a dream I was walking up a hall way to a lift with a college. Just as I reach the lift he starts to strangle me. I am frightened to be in a room or in a situation myself with another male now.
Hey Micheal i just had a dream of me being at my dad place on computer and me and my buddy i work with were there it was OK but my dad came in from putting another co-worker off the computer and my father and me arguing a minute than i try to explain to buddy that this his house and stuff cause he mad my dad kick off our co-worker who than start arguing with me but as i talk my voice get quieter and harder to speak but it look like he understood me completely than he get up i feel a nerving feeling then he grab his jacket or whatever try to strangle me then i woke up. The reason i was surprised is he was fire from my work place while ago and we had no negative tense relationship so why he strangle me? I look up that it either mean 2 thing i uncomfortable while sleepy or that as lifestyle goes i mentally or in general killing myself slowly and Holding myself back from potential from what i look up but wonder if you can identify why i had it Thank if can Micheal.
Hi I just had a dream that my boyfriend had a new friend it was a girl but I always thought it was a boy, for some reason we were all hanging out and this person would stay for hours in the room and it was starting to frustrate me so I kindly told the person to leave. Somehow I realized it was a girl so for some reason I was very upset. I told her to leave and she still wouldn’t, instead she started choking me! Somehow I got off and choked her instead and she passed out for a few seconds, when she woke up she said something about being obsessed with my boyfriend and choked me again, it felt so real… I woke up from the choking on my dream and my neck felt like I was actually choked. My boyfriend didn’t do anything to defend me in my dream…. I’ve heard that when you die in a dram you wake up right away… If that’s true, it means I died being chocked on my dream… What does that mean???
Some background info: Me and my boyfriend have a great relationship we trust each other and he doesn’t really have a lot of friends he hangout with so i don’t know why I had that dream! I used to see him every day but about a month ago I had to move to a city 3 hrs away and I don’t see him as often anymore.