Lightning Dream symbol Meaning
Wondering what it means to have a dream about lightning? Lightning is a naturally occurring weather phenomenon that we have all likely witnessed many times. In this post we’ll explore what lightning means in our dreams and a little bit about the lightning bolt symbol.
To understand what your dream about lightning means, it is helpful to first think about what causes lightning to happen naturally in the atmosphere.
A brilliant flash of light is created when two electrically charged regions in the atmosphere (clouds) or the ground briefly equalize themselves, thus causing the lightning flash as well as the thunder clap heard shortly after.
Lightning strikes approximately 44 times per second on planet earth. Some places get more lightning than others, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Venezuela, Singapore and Central Florida.
Lightning Bolt Symbol Meaning
We often see the lightning bolt symbol in our everyday lives. It appears when there is a danger of electric shock, often times in user manuals or even on the product itself.
When we see lightning bolts in our dreams, it is often an indicator of something shocking that has happened or may happen in our lives. It catches us by surprise and tells us to ask ourselves to consider the risks and whether or not we may be prepared when making a decision.
Now that we’ve talked a bit about what lightning is, let’s explore what it can mean in your dreams.
What it Means to Dream About Lightning
Here are some common dream themes we see when lightning occurs during one of our dreams.
Destruction, Renewal, Rapid Changes
If you’ve ever seen lightning hit anything, you know it can be quite destructive. But destruction is not always a bad thing. Traditionally in the tarot the Tower card shows a structure being hit by lightning causing it to catch fire while people can also be seen falling from the top.
This illustration represents destruction of something in your life to make way for something better. The tower must first come down, so you can rebuild. This symbolism holds true for our dreams as well.
If you see something physical get struck by lightning in your dream, this could be representative of something in your life you need to rebuild or reconsider. Is there something that is no longer serving you that could benefit from a new perspective? Is there some sort of rule or belief system you are holding onto that may need reexamined?
A lightning strike can also represent a shocking turn of events. Has something surprising happened in your life? A sudden change you weren’t expecting? A dream of lightning may simply be your subconscious acknowledging this shock, inviting you to review how you feel about it.
Energy, Inspiration, Awareness
Dr Frankenstein harnesses the incredible power of lightning to give life to his creation. Benjamin Franklin conducted numerous experiments involving lightning to understand the connection between lightning and electricity.
The Navajo Indians believe that lightning is an important and powerful part of their healing rituals. These are all fine examples (even the fictional one) of how when harnessed properly, the power of lightning can be used in positive ways, to create or improve, not just to destroy.
Being struck by lightning in a dream could symbolize being struck by a sudden flash of insight or inspiration. You could be about to have a realization about a problem in your life, and how to solve it. Or perhaps a new exciting creative or business idea. This flash of inspiration could mean many things, most likely positive.
The flash of light can also represent your awareness. The sudden illumination of something in your dream could be prompting you to pay attention to it. Was your eye drawn to something in the dream when the lightning occurred? Consider this symbol an important clue when interpreting this dream. For more insight on what this could mean, check out the dream dictionary to browse through all of dream symbols.
Pressure, Tension, Explosive Emotions
Lightning in your dreams can represent your feelings and your inner state of emotion. A sudden flash of light can seem quite explosive whether you see it hit something or not. Lightning happens so fast and is gone just as quickly.
Witnessing this phenomenon in your dream could indicate you have something building pressure inside you, or a situation in your life where the tension is escalating. You may fear this will have a stormy end, and it may if you don’t address the emotions or situation in a timely manner. Consider what is causing pressure in your life and if there is anything you can do to let off some of that steam.
“Another secret of the universe: Sometimes pain was like a storm that came out of nowhere. The clearest summer could end in a downpour. Could end in lightning and thunder.”
― Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Common Examples of Lightning Dreams & Their Interpretation
Now that we’ve covered some common themes it may represent, let’s take a look at a few dreams scenarios you may have found yourself in that involve lightning.
You are struck by lightning
If you dream you are struck by lightning, this could be symbolic of personal change or growth. You may be going through a time of physical transformation (weight loss/gain, a healing journey, gender transition, etc.) or you could be experiencing internal shifts. Although it would be unpleasant to be struck in your waking life, being hit by lightning in a dream is usually indicative of something positive.
Lightning strikes something near you
To see a tree or structure near you get hit by lightning could represent volatile emotions you are holding inside. Are you holding in anger, resentment, frustration or grief? You may need to find a way to channel these emotions somewhere before they burst forth in an uncontrollable way.
If you see a tree struck by lightning, you may wish to see our dream interpretation for trees for further insight in what this dream means.
Something is illuminated by lightning
When a flash of lightning shows you something specific in your dream you are being invited to turn your attention to that thing. If it shows you a specific person, you may want to consider your feelings towards them and the role they hold in your life. If you are shown an object, you may need to dig deeper into what that object symbolizes before you can truly understand what you are being invited to pay attention to. You may even already know intuitively what the object represents to you.
To understand more about what your dream means, ask yourself these questions:
- How do you feel about lightning in everyday life?
- Do you have any personal associations with lightning?
- What other symbols appeared in the dream?
- Are you going through any major changes right now?
- Is there something you are neglecting in your life?
- Are there beliefs in your life that you need to reconsider?
- Have you recently been struck by a bolt of inspiration?
See Related Dream Symbol: Tornadoes and Storms
Did you have a dream about lightning? Tell us about your dream and what it means for you in the comments section below!
