I Am Curious about the Dolphin Dream Symbol

by Richard Wilkerson, Dream Educator

Question: I am curious about the symbolism of dolphins. I often have dreams about water and water creatures, such as whales and other sea-life. But one summer I had a dream where I was playing with dolphins and having so much fun. In my dream I am lying on my back on the floor of my living room with my arms crossed over my chest. I feel myself transforming into a dolphin, my arms melting into my body, my body gliding in the water. I woke up having the sense that I would have become the dolphin if the dream had continued. I was terrified but also felt seduced by the feeling of my metamorphosis into this other creature. It was so real that some part of me still believes I would not be here as a human if I hadn't awaken when I did. Do dolphin dreams mean something special?

Dolphin dreams are not only quite common, but usually quite delightful for the dreamer. Although the particular meaning of your dream will be unique to you, some examples of dolphin symbolism through history may enrich the dream image.

Not only are dreams, dolphins and dissolving a part of the symbolic grouping of the Greek god Dionysos, but there are found dolphin and dream stories throughout Western history. Dolphins are found in many grouping of the gods, including Apollo, Poseidon and Athena. Generally speaking, the dolphin is seen by the ancient Greeks as a guide to worlds unknown.

It doesn't escape observation that since dolphins keep people from sinking too deeply into the sea in waking life, that they can also do the same in dreams. The exploration of the boundaries of what it means to be human and non-human are commonly mediated by dolphins.

Researcher Trisha Lamb Feuerstein has been studying the connection between dolphins and dreams for years and has noted several interesting themes. One is that dolphins will often communicate they will *always* be there to protect the dreamer. One dreamer reported dreams of dolphins (and whales) when she is going through a crisis and finds they soothe and calm her.

This kind of communication is often reported as deep, wordless, telepathic, profound, reassuring and anciently wise. It can extend to other deeply moving experiences which can put the dreamer in contact with a deep spiritual nature. Awakening from these dreams is often described as serene, peaceful, happy, energized and blissful.

In some of the dreams, the dreamers become a dolphin and feel what it is like to have a dolphin body, but not usually dolphin consciousness. They are accepted as a member of the dolphin social group and invited to return.

Dolphins seem to emerge for humans in countless forms and offer us many opportunities. Dream dolphins allow us to feel connected to the world of nature and spirit, and can guide us into waters that would normally be to deep for us to travel.

For more on dreams and dolphins, visit the Trisha Feuerstein's Cetaceous Creatures Site:
Dolphins, Whales, and Dreamtime, A Research Report by Trisha Lamb Feuerstein (San Francisco, CA: DreamGate Publications, 1996)

About the Author:

Richard Wilkerson is general editor for The Internet Dream E-zine, Electric Dreams, and director of DreamGate, the Internet Communications and Dream Education Center. He writes the Cyberphile column for the Association for the Study of Dreams Newsletter.

Originally published 2/20/98
Revised 04/27/2009 by Marlene M. Maheu, Ph.D.

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I had a lovely dream last

I had a lovely dream last night in which i was somewhere like scotland with some people and everyone was involved with chatting and socialising but not looking at the view and i look out to sea and two beautiful whales jumped out of the sea and there were also some dolphins in the water and one was a golden one and i shout at everyone to look in an excited state. It was a wonderful dream and i woke up in a really blissful state, i also had a very significant dream about swimming with dolphins when i was in my early 20's,which also involved my loved ones who had passed away and the dream was full of love, what ever your dream means i hope that you will take it as a lovely sign as i certainly have.

I deliberately googled golden dolphin dream to read if anyone else had had the dream with one in and i hope that you dream has made sense to you now, all the best.

andi | Thu, 11/05/2009 - 22:04

Hi, last night in my dream i

Hi,

last night in my dream i saw atlteast 5 to 6 dolphins sailing in water. and the best i saw and actually felt was one dolphin came to me and kissed me. Morning when i opened my eyes i was feeling so so happy i donot know why......

I am 31 years first time in my life i have dreamt of dolphins. I have never seen them in real. I dont have any connection and never thought of them. I am too surprise to see such an unsual dream..

Please write me if somebody has to say on this.

Thanks a ton

lavina

Lavina Punjabi | Tue, 07/21/2009 - 07:24

Dolphins

"Man is the dream of the dolphins. - Enigma

Dolphins symbolize Sirius.

It's so interesting to see some teachings saying that we are all in (at least) Sirius dreaming to be born in a man on Terra-earth, which is as an interactive dream reaching to us from far away spirally coming to us from down below just like beginning to be listening to a radio from the very beginning. We have two parallel experience modes occuring simultaneously. In our carbon-based life form man mode, because the mind matrix of our born man on the radio we are dreaming can not stand the aggregate experience flow passing through our Sirian head, we do, and simultaneously don't experience what we are experiencing at that very moment behind the veil - the archetype mind and angelic mind and ketheric and possibly the monadic mind experience if our solar logos atom has passed the great bear - orion passage.

Just like it is pictured in the movie Matrix.

Terra-earth is Sirius Sounds' underwater dub an interface reality... An experiential interactive hell-o halo for educational and existential reasons while eXperiencing the mystery of what it is to be coming from nothingness and much more simultaneously but each of us as one individuated immortal.

Right now you are listening to that radio. Whether you are dreaming not to be or to be, you are.

Anonymous | Thu, 06/04/2009 - 17:19

group of dolphins and a crocodile

whoever wants to interpret my dream....though im not really sure whether to react or what...i'm still worried about my dream...in my dream, i saw group of dolphins in a shore. They were really scared because the big crocodile eats them one by one...i was really pity with the dolphins but i can't do anything...then i woke up...after taking a bath, i saw my sister's pen holder, with 2 dolphins floating design...then i remembered my dream

Anonymous | Mon, 06/01/2009 - 08:14

dolphins dream

hi I dreamed about a group of dolphins swiming and one was a golden one.

Anonymous | Thu, 05/07/2009 - 10:10

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