Breathless Dream Interpretation

Universal Landscape: Diminished life force. Panic.

Dreaming Lens: Were you breathless or gasping? Was someone else having difficulty breathing? What was the cause of the breathlessness? Was it connected to anxiety or physical exertion? Was the environment lacking oxygen? Were you in dangerous circumstances? Were you being helped or assisted?

Personal Focus: The breath of life is also the physical representation of our level of serenity. When breath is slow and nourishing, we are at ease. Any elevation of breath indicates that we are either in fear, emotional reactivity, or intense physical activity. Each of these has very distinct differentiations. A fear response is internal and is generated by chemical reactions in the brain. These moments of anxiety usually have more to do with irrational thoughts than what is actually occurring in your world. A moment of emotional reactivity is more likely to connect to another individual or outside situation that is contrary to your expectations, therefore, resulting in disappointment and feeling out of control. Physical activity that impacts the breath is visceral and is frequently connected to exercise and, therefore, to self-care. On the opposite side of this is becoming winded by virtue of a physically exertive effort to escape from danger. While this is still in the realm of caring for one’s self, it adds the element of threat to the mix.

The essence of any meditative discipline is the control of the breath. Furthermore, all high-performance athletes, from dancers to football players, understand that channeling their movement through their breathing is what produces excellence and mastery. In this way, it is clear that your personal relationship to breathing is a direct barometer for your level of mastery, serenity, and effectiveness. The loss of breath, therefore, is symbolically connected to a diminishment in your ability to master life itself.

If a physical activity is making you breathless in a dream, it could indicate that burdens in your life are overwhelming you. If there is no clear explanation for your lack of breath, your unconscious mind may want you to know that your inner equilibrium is off. If this is the case, you must investigate and find the cause of the disharmony. Whatever challenges life is bringing you, your unconscious mind may simply be reminding you to not forget to breathe.

(Out of Breath)

You are having difficulty connecting with your life force. Underlying feelings of anxiety or panic may be inhibiting you from being fully functional.

The breath of life is also the physical representation of our level of serenity. When breath is slow and nourishing, we are at ease. Any elevation of breath indicates that we are either in a state of fear, emotional reactivity, or intense physical activity. Being out of breath in a dream may indicate a heightened fear reaction.