What does it mean to dream about being in prison (dream interpretation / analysis – prison)
Dreaming that you are in prison is often a sign that somehow, somewhere in your life, you are trapped, or limited in doing what you want to do, or being who you are. Either through your own actions or thinking (inner interpretation), or through someone (a real person or your surroundings) preventing you from this (outer interpretation).
When you are the one locking yourself up in prison, you need to be searching for how your own limiting beliefs, thoughts about yourself or others, or your actual behaviour, currently are preventing you from e.g. being who you really are. This might be thoughts like; a person like me doesn’t wear clothes like that, or doesn’t attend yoga classes – or whatever it might be that you really want to – but prevent yourself from doing, just because it doesn’t match the idea you have of who you are supposed to be.
–
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.
–
OR – is it someone – or something – outside yourself, that right now hinders your personal development, or in other ways prevents you from being who you are, and doing what you really want? It could be your job, a friend, or even your partner locking you up in prison. But before you fall into the trap of quickly (i.e. a bit too fast) blaming your surroundings, then be honest to yourself; could it be your own limiting beliefs that prevents you from breaking out of prison, and being yourself, also in the presence of others?
In many relationships in turns out, that projection is very active. This could be blaming the other for your own faults, or assigning highly attractive traits or skills that you yourself have to the other, without realising that these traits or skills are your own. So in this relation you might see your partner, friend or maybe colleague as enormeously creative, humorous etc. – while these are all your own traits, traits that you currently don’t live or fully use.
Also examine the dream very closely; how do you feel in the dream, or what exactly are you doing in the dream? If you sit inside a prison playing guitar (or painting, or being a geek about something), feeling enormeosly sad, this might be an illustration of how a very important musical (/creative), or “geeky” side of yourself is currently trapped inside you, typically because you don’t let this side come out. The dream would tell that you need to let this side out of prison, or you will forever feel that somehow you are not fully being who you are.
This type of dreams typically occur in periods where we feel sad, but not knowing why. Consciously we might be saying to ourselves that we have “everything”, but in spite of this, we are inexplicably sad. If for one or the other reason we keep important sides of ourselves hidden, we will almost guaranteed walk around feeling sad.
If you dream that some one else is in prison, and that you are the prison ward, this might be illustrating how you right now are preventing this (real) person from being who he or she is (outer interpretation), or that whatever this person represents within you (i.e. a side of yoursef) is currently “imprisoned” (inner interpretation).
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.
Also read: Why I no longer interpret dreams for free
Michael Rohde Olsen
Return to the index of dream themes and symbols:
Dream interpretation A-Z ↵
P.s. – Dream interpretation / dream analysis is not always an easy thing, and when you dream of being imprisoned, this almost by guarantee means something else for you than it means for someone else who also dreams of being imprisoned. A given interpretation of a dream is only correct insofar that the person who had the dream feels truly struck by that interpretation.
I keep having the same dream of me going to prison and I keep trying to escape, I never go far but I try and get to my family and then I get caught and I wake up.
Hows it going, im on here because i been having dreams or nightmares idk what it is but i kno im in prison, being accused of something but idk what. Im at a court but then i end up waking up once im back inside prison. Its happened to me a couple times already, it kinda scares me a little because im afraid of leaving my 9 year old daughter behind. I just hope these dreams dont mean any bad signs,
I had a dream I was being sentenced to jail for 2 months and a baby I don’t know whose baby had to be turned into which was strange I am not sure what the baby did but my fiancé drove me and the baby there when I get there it was more like a open prison and tons of women younger women were incarcerated I don’t recall seeing anyone my age and I will be 40 but I do recall them taking hours to process us and we waited and waited and me and him talked so long and I realized they hadn’t even assigned me it was so strange and then I woke up but me and him cried and I was cradling the baby and I just remember me telling him omg I will be in jail for my 40th bday. I am not sure if he has anything to do with this dream in my waking life but him and I got into a argument on 9/6 and I have yet to hear from him he won’t answer my calls and texts and I have been so stressed out ugh so with that said I have been up researching trying to see what this dream means for hours trying to make this make sense. Wow it felt so real and because it felt so REAL I’m so thankful it’s not! I just want to know what the heck does this even mean?! Someone HELP!
I dreamt That I am in courtroom and That I am sentendced for The murder (That i havent Done). In The prision I have female roomate and She doesn’t believe That I am not a killer.My family visits me all The time , but I can’t really Talk to them.Also,in That dream I have a child and he Grows up during my time in prision.
I had a dream that I was in prison. While being in there, I was talking on the phone to my mom, ask her about my bond money and she kept telling me they haven’t posted it yet. Then I ended up getting sad, she asked me what’s wrong? And I said nothing was wrong. Then , after that, I woke up out of my dream.
I just dreamed that i was being convicted of a judge for something and that i had to say good by to my children that i was going to prison for 17 years and it made me feel helpless for my twin 3 year old daughters and i need to go tell them that daddy was going away for a while and that he loves you so much and it brung tears to my eyes in my sleep. It was vivid and i dont normally have dreams i remember.
Hi Randy – what a dream! It is hard for me to know what this dream might portray, as I don’t know much about you and your life situation. I of cource notice the 17 years – and you could ask yourself – has anything happened in my life where I am going to be “held captive” for 17 years (mentally or “physically”). An immediate thought from my side could also be the realization, that you will be held captive in the role as a father until your twin daughters move away (some day…). Being a father of two little kids, this can surely be experienced as a prison sometimes. If this could be a meaningful interpretation to you, the key would then be to acknowledge that this is how you feel, and instead of keeping yourself in that prison (complaining about how tough it is, maybe even blaming you daughters unconsciously) – you need to work on trying to get out of that prison. But if could of course also mean so many other things – interpreting dreams requires time spent on trying to discover different angles of the dream. Best – Michael
Jose, go build a closer relationship with your mom. Pray and cancel in the name of Jesus every tricks or plans anyone may have agInst you. Be careful and wise with any decision you may have to make
i dreamt of being in prison and i was an inmate. there’s this woman who tried to escape twice and it felt like i was close to her but we never talked to each others. the second tries she succeeded i guess because i woke up lmao.
Hi Liyana – thank you for your comment and dream. It is difficult to give you any input on it, as I don’t know much about your life situation. You might be asking yourself these questions (just ideas again without knowing much about you!); what is the woman symbolizing – what side of yourself, project or people in real life are escaping (or want to escape) the (mental) prison you find yourself in in your life right now? Best – Michael
Its 8:30 am now, been googling about this dream for an hour now. It just felt so real and I was crying in my sleep.
I dreamt that i was going to prison for seven years. The scenario, is the moment before, where I resist and go on a hideout. Finally the whole neighborhood goes searching with the police. My family being questioned and searched. I decide that I should come out and give up and not make hurt anymore. I still do not know what I have done to go to jail. Upon surrendering, I find that everyone’s got a beef with me, I felt broken. My mother was the only person who was really sad and found in that moment that she’s the only one crying. I felt bad and disgusted about keep a “Hi, I’m okay” contact with her for the last couple of months(in my real life).. In the dreams, she was crying and in the last minutes talking about how things will be different 7 years later and if she will ever get a chance to see me again, whether I’d be able to survive in this society after 7 years. I felt devastated. Starter crying and felt the tears on my face and pillow. woke up in shock and here I am.
I never usually care about for my dreams. Infact this is thr first vivid dream i’m having in years.
HOLY S&%$!
I rarely remember my dreams, but this time was so realistic. I felt like if I was putting myself in prison. First time i scaped, the second definetly i saw myself being arrested. Total feeling of I know what to do, but something keeping me and i definetly need to break it. I know it has a strong meaning of relashionship for me.
Last night I dreamt about being in prison for something I didn’t do and also got my friend in prison and I had a 37 year sentence
I saw my self in a dream sleeping suddenly a small boy came to still from me and I ran after him, after some battle with him, I found myself in the prison and after examining everything I was to be released from the prison but couldn’t forgive the boy for the bodily injury he has caused me, so I attacked him when I saw he was still having the weapon with you, I succeeded in collecting the weapon from him and I stabbed him in the stomach and I was to be released from the prison, so I was called to get my release letter that will serve a pass from the gate, why I was receiving the release letter the news break that the small boy had died of the stabbing and one of the warder knows I was the one who stabbed the boy, although at that point have already collected the release letter and I left the prison just for me to be re arrested by the warder after I’ve left the prison. Please I need interpretation
My dream was that I went to prison but I don’t know what crime I had done, but in prison there was a fight I had to get in volved but it was sorted, then I had the urge to go home and never do what I did, and then I was presented to the head officer and he said I could go sweaming with the girl that swam every day for 3 hours a day, crazy dream but felt soo real…
I saw myself in prison
In my dream I had my family support and I was with my best friend but ultimately I was sent to prison for a crime I may or may not have done. I made friends in prison and everything was okay. I wonder what this means?
In my dream I had my family support and I was with my best friend but ultimately I was sent to prison for a crime I may or may not have done. Ultimately I made friends in prison and everything was okay. I wonder what this means?
I dreamt of my boss being sent to the prison. It was like a procession thing.. (going to the prison) Along with a relative of mine.. What does that mean?/
Dreamt being in a prison with two other pipo who I don’t really like but they left me there n I got out after
Thnx a lot bcz trully my partner stops me from being with mi friendz en also doin things my way
i saw myself and 2 of my friends in jail then my friends left me alone in a cell and trayed to avoid me then i started falling in a hole and i couldnt get out they were whatching me falling and do nothing
I dream that i was in jail.but i didn’t know it until after i dump a bag out on the bed and two men came in the door and one had a big stick.i put up my hands and then one said your type offence.then i woke up.