Imagine carrying a heavy suitcase through an airport. You think you need everything inside, but it's weighing you down. Dreams about killing someone are like that suitcase — startling, heavy, and often misunderstood. While they may seem dark and terrifying, these dreams aren't predictions or hidden murderous urges. They often point to inner conflicts, suppressed emotions, or deep transformations wanting to happen.
In this article, we will unpack the many layers of what it can mean to dream about killing someone, whether accidentally or intentionally, and how these dreams may, surprisingly, hold messages of healing and growth.
2) Aboriginal Perspective
In many Aboriginal traditions, dreams are seen as conversations with the spirit world. Dreams involving death or killing are not literal but symbolic, often signaling the death of an old self, habit, or belief system — much like how snakes in dreams can symbolize transformation. Killing someone in a dream might represent the need to "kill off" something that no longer serves you — a harmful relationship, a limiting belief, or even an outdated self-image.
Aboriginal cultures encourage dreamers to look at their dreams not with fear but with curiosity. What is dying within you? What new aspect of yourself is being born?
3) Process Work Perspective
From a Process Work lens, every part of the dream — the killer, the victim, the emotion — represents aspects of your own inner landscape. Dreaming about killing someone could signal a struggle between two parts of yourself: one that wants change and another clinging to the past. It’s like an internal revolution where old identities are being challenged by emerging parts that crave freedom.
The emotions during the act are key. Fear, anger, relief, or guilt each point to different internal processes.
4) Main Exploration: Different Scenarios
- Accidentally Killing Someone: Reflects a fear of unintended consequences. You may need to slow down and reassess your choices.
- Killing Someone in Self-defense: Suggests a need to defend personal integrity or escape a powerless situation.
- Covering Up a Murder: Points to guilt or denial over something you’ve tried to repress.
- Killing With a Knife or Axe: Symbolizes the need to remove something with precision (knife) or finality (axe).
- Going to Jail for Killing Someone: Reflects guilt, fear of punishment, or societal pressure.
- Killing Someone You Know: Often about dynamics or traits they represent that you want to outgrow.
- Killing a Stranger: Represents unknown or hidden aspects of self that are being challenged.
- Someone Trying to Kill You: Indicates feeling threatened, needing to reclaim power.
- Killing a Boss or Bully: About reclaiming autonomy and overcoming fear.
- Being a Serial Killer: May reflect bottled-up dissatisfaction or repetitive destructive patterns.
5) Examples
- Marie, 42: Dreamt she accidentally killed a colleague she resented — it pushed her to deal with suppressed anger.
- Elena, 39: Dreamt of killing faceless people — helped her realize she was shedding outdated social roles.
6) Practical Tips and Exercises
- Dream Journaling: Keep a notebook and record dreams and feelings.
- Emotion Mapping: Connect dream emotions to real-life feelings.
- Role Play: Take turns being both killer and victim to explore deeper meaning.
- Letting Go Ritual: Write and burn what you need to release.
7) Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Am I a bad person if I dream of killing someone?
A: Absolutely not. Dreams are symbolic and not literal desires.
Q: Should I confront someone I dream of killing?
A: Not always. First explore what they symbolize internally.
Q: Can dreams about killing indicate a big life change?
A: Yes. They often signify transformation and personal evolution.
8) Sources
- "The Hidden Meaning of Dreams" by Craig Hamilton-Parker
- MindBodyGreen: “What It Means To Dream About Killing Someone”
- Psychology Today: “What Dreams About Death and Dying Mean”
- DreamStudies.org: "Killing Dreams: What's the Hidden Message?"
- The Cut: "What Dreams About Murder Reveal About Your Psyche"
- Aboriginal Dreamtime Teachings (Creative Spirits)
- Processwork.org: Introduction to Dreambody Theory
