Good morning Jerry!

Last night I dreamed that I was being attacked by a bear.

The dream began, (as far as I can remember,) with me telling someone a story about a time when I was attacked by a bear at the zoo. As I tell the story it is as though I am reliving it.

The bear climbs out over the railing that is keeping it in captivity. It steps onto the pavement in front of me. It is very angry and displays its aggression. Then it comes after me. It stands up on two legs and scrapes its big paw across my shoulder, creating big gashes in my shoulder. Then it is tranquilized by someone working at the zoo.
Of course, I am frightened, but not as frightened as I would actually be if this were to happen - there is a certain level of calmness.


At this point the dream returns to where I am standing and telling the story, which turns out to be at the zoo, outside of the bear exhibit. There are a lot of people around.

Just like in the story, the bear escapes from captivity again. It turns to me, as though it remembers me, and chooses to come after me out of all of the people there. I try to run away, but it pursues me. The pavement that I am running on is broken up - there are pools of water surrounded by pavement.

I dive into one of the pools to escape the bear. Someone yells to me that going in the water is a bad idea. The bear continues to pursue me. I realize that he/she is very hungry. I get out of the water. All of the people who are there cause enough confusion and distraction that the bear is not able to catch me.

A zoo worker tries to tranquilize the bear, shooting it with a tranquilizer gun. The bear is affected, but not knocked out.

I hear an effeminate scream from behind me, and turn to see that bear has bitten a small man, again on the shoulder. I grab the man and take him with me. We dive into one of the pools and I am swimming, trying to save myself, and the injured man. We exit the pool again, and the bear attacks a woman in her 50s. Then I woke up.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 28 Fresno, CA

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Female

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

Mellinda,
The 'telling of a story' is the inner communication between the unconscious and conscious. This is what dreams attempt to do so the dreamer can realize/understand those emotional aspects that are in conflict and need attention/resolution. 'About a time' may suggest a time period or a particular experience the dream is focused, something that may have left an 'imprint' on the psyche that in later life has a controlling aspect. The 'reliving' could be part of the 'influencial' experience that you continue to 'relive' in the present day. Or in the future.

The bear would be the primary symbol that needs an interpretation. It would be an aspect of you and/or your life. My sense is it represents something within the unconscious that is hard to 'shoulder', something that has been 'tranquilized' and 'caged' within the unconscious {zoo}. What exactly it is may be revealed as we go deeper into the dream.

There is a fear of this aspect but letting it out would mean greater fear of having to confront it. As long as it is 'confined' or 'held in' to the unconscious and not made conscious you can live a 'calm' existence. Or its seems that way. You are consciously 'fine' as long as it is held within the unconscious, as long as you do not 'exhibit' this 'bear' nature which is an 'aggressive' part of yourself.

There is one particular aspect about yourself that you can not escape. Your defence is to keep in captivity, restricted to the unconscious so the conscious self is not harmed. Unconsciously it continues to pursue you, that pursuit being the unconscious dream trying to help you confront and resolve the emotional issue. You have temporarily restrained this issue from consciously affecting you. You are the 'zoo' keeper' keeping this emotional aspect confined. A repression of this 'aggressive' emotional issue.

The 'effeminate' scream and the small man may suggest an undeveloped or inaffective masculine aspect. It could represent a part of your psyche and/or a real person {more likely a part of your animus qualities} that is wounded. There is conscious confusion over this emotional issue.

The woman in her 50s who is attacked man be a good clue to the identity of the bear symbol. Having looked back over the dream and putting the pieces together the possibility of the bear representation could symbolize the cycle of life, getting older. Have you recently given thought and introspection to getting older?

If not that then it would be a deeper issue that you have repressed. Defining the bear would be left to you since it is a 'thing' in your life that threatens you. Only uou can determone what that might be.

Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 61 Murfreesboro, Tn. USA

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Male

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

Jerry,
I am sorry that it has taken me a while to reply.
I have been struggling a bit with what the bear symbolizes. I feel that it could symbolize many different things. Perhaps it is the same frustration that we have discussed in earlier dreams. Perhaps it is my sexuality - I have never been with a man who is wild and eccentric enough for me sexually. I'm really not sure.
The day before I had this dream, I confessed to my sister what I believe was my very last secret. It was far easier than I had imagined it would be, and it felt good to finally tell someone about the shameful thing that I had done as a child. Perhaps the dream had something to do with this?
The night after I dreamed about the bear attack I had another dream about zoo animals. Maybe this could help explain some of the meaning.
In the dream I am spending time with my ex-boyfriend as friends. I am having a really great time, and feel very affectionate towards him, but not sexual. I lose track of the time and realize that it has been days since I last checked my phone. I see that my husband has been writing me and trying to call. I feel horrible about not having written him and reassured him that everything is fine and I love him. I am trying to write him back or call him when it begins to downpour. There are all of these zoo animals running through the street in fear of the storm. A giraffe and an ostrich are running past me when the ostrich falls to the ground. The giraffe picks him up and puts him on his back like a soldier helping a fallen soldier in war. I try to seek cover and am desperately trying to contact my husband, but I can't get a signal. I am filled with the awful fear of losing him.
I feel that these two dreams are somehow related, but I don't know how.

Many thanks in advance for your generosity and time.

Mellinda

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 28

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Female

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes