What It Means When You Dream About Running, According To Our Professional Dream Analyst

When you have especially lifelike or recurring dreams, it's not only natural to wonder what created this imagery in your unconscious mind — it can be downright helpful. Analyzing your dreams and sleep patterns is important for your health. For instance, while regularly having exceptionally vivid dreams may be fun, it could actually be a sign of rest-disrupting conditions like sleep apnea. But dreams aren't just a reflection of your physical health. Many people also think that there may be a more meaningful component to the nature of dreams, reflecting deep aspects of our subconscious minds, such as hidden needs or desires (per Healthline). This has led to a growing field of dream analysis and interpretation.

Of course, the meaning of your dreams will depend on your own unique life and circumstances. But dream analysis does address some common themes and tropes. For example, what does it mean if you dream about running? To find out, we spoke exclusively to professional dream analyst and author Lauri Loewenberg, who revealed that running dreams are among the top 10 dreams she hears about from clients.

Depending on the details of the dream in question, Loewenberg suggests that common meanings can include avoiding stress or responsibilities, pursuing a goal, or a clash between your logical mind and your instinctual side. It all depends on what type of running dream you're experiencing.

Running can take many forms in your dreamscape, from dashing toward a goal to fleeing from a threat. Loewenberg tells us that dreams about running away from something are especially common. But what does it mean if you dream of being chased, and why is this scenario so widespread? "This dream is often caused by avoiding something you don't want to deal with in real life, such as a difficult confrontation or a particular responsibility or obligation," Loewenberg explains. "Sometimes ... we are running from something threatening, such as an explosion or a quickly expanding sinkhole. These dreams are more about the need to distance yourself from an unpleasant situation."

So, what about running toward something? As Loewenberg tells us, dreams about running after something — like a departing plane — may be a sign of need and desire. "In these dreams, time pressure is the dominant feature. It boils down to the need to obtain something before it's too late in real life. This could be a degree, a promotion, an opportunity, a romantic partner, even a weight loss goal."

According to Loewenberg, running dreams may also be a way for your subconscious to get in touch with its wild, instinctual side. "Another pretty common running dream is running on all fours, like an animal. This dream can be a message that additional input is required to meet your goal ... [or that] you need to move forward with your gut instincts rather than over-thinking."

While running dreams show some general trends and meanings, it's also important to think about the specific circumstances in your dream. "As with any dream, the details matter and provide more clues and guidance for you," says Loewenberg. Fortunately, she has some specific tips to help you analyze running dreams in particular.

"First and foremost, how well you are escaping from the threat or heading toward the goal will directly reflect how well you are avoiding your perceived threat or accomplishing your intended goal in real life. So pay attention to how much of a struggle and stress it was for you in the dream," Loewenberg suggests. In other words, your unconscious struggles may mirror any friction you're experiencing in conscious attempts to reach your goals.

"Secondly, take note of how you felt in the dream as well as your thought process ... as both of these will apply to something in your real life you are dealing with right now," Loewenberg adds. For example, if your dream self knows that the bus you're chasing is the last one to your destination, it could be a sign that you're worried about a once-in-a-lifetime chance in your waking life. So, take the time to consider any dream thoughts or conversations that may contribute to its meaning. As Loewenberg says, "Once you make the connection, you can be sure that is the issue your dream is trying to help you with."

Once you've identified the message of your running dream, what's next? Loewenberg suggests using your dream meanings to reexamine your behaviors and make changes in the real world. "If it's a running-away dream, ask yourself if your continued avoidance in real life is going to ever put an end to the issue. Most of the time, facing it and dealing with it is what your subconscious wants you to do. If this is a frequent and lifelong recurring theme for you then odds are that avoidance is a recurring behavior pattern and is something your subconscious wants you to correct," Loewenberg says.

You can apply a similar approach to dreams where you are the pursuer. "If it's a running-toward-something dream, ask yourself what you can do or what you may need to change in order to finally obtain the goal you are after," Loewenberg recommends. "Remember, it's showing you how well you are currently doing in your real-life pursuit."

While dreams may not provide specific instructions to make changes in your life, they can be a helpful lens to reexamine your reality. "Sometimes dreams will give clear advice and answers to your current issues but most of the time they provide a different perspective to you so you can better understand your struggles, behaviors, relationships, and goals ..." says Loewenberg. "Remember, dreams are your built-in helpers. They are messages from you, to you, about you, in order to improve you."