Symbolic representation of a murder dream, destruction and aggression

Dream Meaning:Murder

Murder in a dream is an intense symbol for destruction, for the end of something, and for the aggression that dwells within us. It connects the fear of death with the urge for change. Freud interpreted it as an expression of the death drive, Jung as a symbol of the shadow, spiritual traditions as transition between states.

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Dream Interpretation by Freud

Freud interpreted murder in a dream as an expression of the death drive (Thanatos) directed against the ego (Freud, 1900). Murder is the radical form of aggression.

Killing someone oneself shows, according to Freud, repressed hostility that is not expressed in waking life. The victim is often a part of one's own personality.

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Freud, S. (1900). The Interpretation of Dreams. Franz Deuticke, Vienna.

Dream Interpretation by Jung

Jung understood murder as a symbol of the shadow, as the part of the personality that should be destroyed (Jung, 1964). Murder is the attempt to let go of what no longer serves.

Whoever is murdered is often an old aspect of one's personality that dies. Jung saw the invitation to confront the shadow.

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Jung, C. G. (1964). Man and His Symbols. Doubleday, New York.

Spiritual Interpretation

In spiritual traditions, murder is considered a transition between states, the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. It is the destruction of the old.

Dreams with murder are read as an invitation to let go of a part of one's personality and make room for the new.

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Bulkeley, K. (2016). Big Dreams. Oxford University Press. Fromm, E. (1951). The Forgotten Language. Rinehart & Company, New York.

Cognitive Continuity

According to Domhoff, murder in dreams reflects aggression and conflicts in waking life (Domhoff, 2003). It appears when the dreamer feels confronted with hostility.

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Domhoff, G.W. (2003). The Scientific Study of Dreams. APA. Domhoff, G.W. (2018). The Emergence of Dreaming. Oxford University Press.

Neurobiology & Emotion

According to Walker, REM sleep activates emotional memories and aggression processing (Walker, 2017). Murder dreams arise when the brain links aggression with emotional conflicts.

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Walker, M. (2017). Why We Sleep. Scribner. Walker, M.P. & van der Helm, E. (2009). Overnight therapy? The role of sleep in emotional brain processing. Psychological Bulletin, 135(5), 731-748.