Dream About Zombies? (Interpretation & Spiritual Meaning)
Dreaming of zombies can be fun and exhilarating – or it can be downright scary. However, one thing’s for sure, and that’s that this dream is likely to have some kind of deeper meaning.
Understanding such a dream might not always be so easy though, so to help, in this post, we answer the question, what does it mean when you dream about zombies?
What kind of symbolism do zombies in dreams have?
Zombies have their roots in Haitian folklore, but the modern Western concept of a zombie largely dates back to the 1968 movie Night of the Living Dead.
This means that zombie dreams are a relatively recent phenomenon since the idea of a zombie simply wasn’t part of the Western collective consciousness until only a few decades ago.
However, since then, a plethora of horror films, video games and novels have appeared featuring zombies, and nowadays, seeing zombies in your dreams is nothing unusual – but what characteristics do they have that create the symbolism of your dreams?
In popular culture, zombies are almost impossible to stop. They’re already dead, so you can’t kill them – which means they could represent a situation that you are powerless to prevent.
They are also incredibly scary, which means they could symbolize some kind of fear you have that you can’t escape from.
Zombies are also usually represented as mindless and unthinking, so zombies in a dream could be related to how people nowadays seem to be becoming more zombie-like, just repeating the same things every day without doing anything differently.
The zombie apocalypse is a common end-of-the-world theme, so your dream might be related to the end of something – and perhaps a sign that something is going to end badly.
Finally, another theme often related to zombies is survival – so your dream could also be related to this.
Some common ways to interpret dreams about zombies
Having looked at some of the possible symbolism zombies can have, now let’s look at some of the more common ways to interpret a dream about zombies.
1. Being pursued by fear or anxiety
In so many familiar scenes from zombie movies, we see the protagonists fleeing from the inexorably advancing zombies that chase them down, wherever they hide.
The people being chased are invariably – and understandably – terrified by the experience, and as a result, a dream about zombies may represent us being chased by fears, worries or anxieties that we can’t escape.
Perhaps you’re aware of a certain situation that’s developing from which you can’t escape that is causing you more stress or anxiety the closer it becomes.
For example, maybe you think you have a serious illness, but you are putting off going to see a doctor because you don’t want to know the truth – or perhaps you have done something terrible, and soon, people are going to find out.
Or it could be that something is going to happen in the future that you are terrified of but that you can’t escape from. An example of this might be that you have to give a speech in front of hundreds of people, but you have a phobia about public speaking.
This kind of dream may be related to all kinds of areas of your life, but the best advice is usually to understand where your fear is coming from and to face up to it rather than running from it -because as long as you keep running, like a horde of zombies, it will just keep coming.
2. Running from your problems
A similar interpretation is that you have some kind of problem in your life, and instead of trying to deal with it in the correct way, you are just trying to bury your head in the sand and hope it will go away.
For example, perhaps you have got yourself into some kind of financial difficulty, and now you don’t know where to turn.
However, as we’ve said, the zombies won’t stop coming – and your problems won’t go away by themselves.
As a result, this dream could be a message that you need to first admit to yourself that you are facing some kind of overwhelming problem and then you need to face up to the problem instead of always running from it.
It might not be easy to face trouble directly, but until you do that, it will continue to pursue you – and your dream about zombies is also telling you that deep down, you know this to be true.
3. Running from negativity
Another possibility is that the zombies in your dream represent negativity, and your dream is telling you that you are trying to escape from negativity so that it can’t overwhelm you.
Have you been having negative thoughts recently? Have you been doubting yourself or feeling that you have no real worth?
In this case, the swarming zombies could represent your negative thoughts trying to overwhelm you and drag you down with them.
However, the dream should also remind you that you shouldn’t give in to negativity, so you need to keep running and you need to keep fighting to keep the negativity of the zombie army at bay.
4. A need to escape from your mundane existence
Sometimes when all we do is work, eat, sleep, repeat, we can feel like our minds are rotting and we are just turning into zombies ourselves – so dreaming about being pursued by zombies could be a manifestation of this.
This means your dream could be telling you of a subconscious desire to change things up and to make your life more interesting again.
Of course, we all have bills to pay, and we all have our responsibilities, but it’s also important not to be consumed by the monotony of the daily grind.
Instead, we all need to find things that give us pleasure in life – otherwise, we just lurch through each day like so many zombies.
If you think your dream could be related to this, try to find more time for leisure and activities that you enjoy – and try to work on achieving a healthier work-life balance.
On the other hand, your dream could be telling you to make some more significant changes to your life – like looking for a new career or moving to a new area – just to keep things fresh and exciting.
5. A bad habit you can’t stop
The unstoppable zombies pursuing you in your dream could represent a bad habit that you just can’t kick.
An obvious example is smoking, but it could be so many other things – and you’re the only one who can work out what your dream refers to.
However, the fact that you’re having this dream could mean that you know you need to give up your bad habit, and although it might feel impossible, your habit can still be defeated, just like the zombies eventually are in almost every movie they appear in.
6. A need to escape from somebody or something
A common theme in zombie-related dreams is escaping, and your dream could be a message that you want – or need – to escape from a person or situation.
An example of this could be that you are in a toxic relationship, but however hard you try, you just can’t get away.
In this case – or anything similar – your dream could be a clear indication that you need to reach out for help because the situation you are in is not healthy and it’s not where you want to be.
7. A desire for more excitement in your life
People who like zombie movies watch them because they love the thrill and excitement they bring, so dreaming about zombies attacking you could represent a desire for more excitement in your life.
Instead of spending every evening at home watching TV or playing video games, perhaps you could consider taking up an exciting new hobby.
There are so many options, so why not think about whether there’s something you’ve always wanted to try – and then go out and do it!
8. Killing zombies – overcoming your difficulties
Zombies in your dream could represent some kind of difficulty you have in your life, so if you dream about killing them, it could represent you overcoming your difficulties and achieving success.
However, if you dream that you are shooting zombies but they are just not dying, it could mean that you feel your problems are insurmountable.
But remember, if shooting the zombies isn’t working, maybe you need to try another approach – and if the way you’re trying to deal with your problems isn’t helping, then maybe it’s time to tackle things from a different angle.
Take the time to interpret your dream and uncover its deeper meaning
It’s possible that you dreamed about zombies just because you watched a zombie movie before you went to bed, but if not, it’s worth taking the time to interpret your dream to find out what it was trying to tell you.
To do this, spend time analyzing your dream through deep thought and meditation and applying it to your current life situation. Then, by trusting your intuition, you will be led to the correct interpretation of what you saw.