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!
I dreamt I was riding a bike along a pathway with other people and all of a sudden a thunderstorm began. I looked up and everything slowed down and as I was looking up I could feel this electric charge coming right at me and I could feel this jolt of lightning go through me. I fell off my bike but no one was aware of what happened. I got back up I had little flames and smoke and I kept riding my peach colored bike and went into this store but still no one noticed I was on fire or smokey I was fine tho and called my dad.
I dreamt I was in a room with some people and lightning strikes me dead. Am kinda scared
I had a dream I was watching my 19 month old son sleeping he was on a bed in the living room and the a flash of white light came from the bedroom and the door flew open and then a few moments later my husband came thre the door. I think I had the dream cuz I’ve been trying to leave my husband I’ve reached a point where I hate him I’ve told him to leave but he’s literally ignoring me and treating everything like a joke like everything is ok but it’s not. I’m not haply haven’t been happy for years we been together for 7 Years now with 2 kids. I haven’t packed his stuff and forced hom to leave but maybe that time is coming.
I had a dream where It was raining heavily,there was thunder and lightening.I was struck by lightening then started praying in the dream.
What do that means
I had a dream that there was these 2 huge towers and everytime the lightening hit them they illuminated so bight so I wanted to get closer and I did there was hot sparks flying of the towers and they hit my head so I knew to stay away as I could feel the burning sensation from the sparks.. the two towers where at the front and the back of my parents house one was closer and the other was further away.. the lightening kept hitting the towers and no one could see it only my hairdresser who was in the house at the time..
Had a dream.. where I was struck by lightning while drive my car and both occasions although I was struck buy lightning.. my car stopped and after a few minutes started again and I was able to drive it. For me this symbolises luck – being lucky to be alive and lucky to continue on my path. I think it also symbolises and it will alluminate something special and surprising to come as I felt confident by the event
I dreamed my adult daughter was running through a field towards me. She had her arms outstretched and she was smiling. She looked very happy. It started to to rain in a downpour. Lightening struck in front of her and traveled a distance to get to me. I watched it come but could not move. I felt it hit me and was paralyzed. Then I woke up
I always like to think dreams are our subconscious telling us how we really feel about what’s going on in our real lives. I just had a dream that I was putting my daughter in her car seat, and walked around to the front of the truck, then out of no where I got struck by lightning. From alot of things I’ve read about the “symbolic” meaning, I’m going to take it as a good thing. Ive read that it represents a positive change, or sudden change in your life. I feel like this dream accurately represents how my life is, and is going. I’m going through a custody battle (hense why I saw my daughter in my dream) I feel like strapping her in the carseat in the dream represents keeping her safe. And part of the reason for the custody battle is because I want to keep her safe. Then me being struck by lightning.. I feel, does represent the drastic, yet sudden positive change that this custody battle will bring to my life.
So I had this dream where the lightning struck my son as I was holding him but it was more like he was absorbing the power from it or it may have been feeding it to him. I don’t know it was really weird and I’m so confused. Please help!
I dreamt of being in my house and there was a lighting storm raging outside without thunder or lightning strikes
I had a dream where I was In my house and I herd thunder then, I kneeled down and started to pray it wouldn’t hit the house then just as the lightning was about to strike the house God made a barrier/shield and protected me and my family.
I had seen where a newborn was laying in the middle of calm waters with a beautiful glow surrounding her like a sunset glow
A symbol of a lightning bolt on her chest glowed
My daughter is expecting a baby soon
I felt strength and power but Uncertian of meaning
I’ve been plagued by the same dream for well over a decade where I am literally being chased by lightning as if I’m fleeing from Zeus himself. The route changes each time the dream visits me but I always take shelter from the storm in a building and I wake when the building is illuminated by a singular large bolt. Upon reading this page I hypothesized it was me fleeing drastic changes, I run into this building that gives me the s”safety” of complacency only to lose it as well.
I Dream about lightning hit the roof of my house and it’s burning, I couldn’t understand it is first time I dream about something like that, also in my dream I saw a land-line and somebody leave a message which is my uncle said he left his documents in my home and after that I heard he talked to other people and later on the land line I saw the profile of my ex husband profile in Facebook, I accidentally open it and I think I called someone but I didn’t know who was it.
And In the roof of my neighbors they put cement and before it dry they wrote a word and name some word I recall is love and thinking I couldn’t remember the rest.
I dreamed last night that my husband and I were on an evening walk and there were dark storm clouds overhead. We were walking downhill toward a college campus, and saw a woman in the distance, walking in the same direction as us. Then, lightening struck me, I was lifted off the ground as if I was levitating. I saw my husband’s shocked and worried look as I slowly lowered. He tried leaning down to help me, but a passerby stopped him because I was still fully charged. FREAKY!
I saw a dream in the morning around 6:25am lightening fall in my parents house and I’m married now but in my dream everyone preparing for my marriage and this is marriage day where is darkness but there is too much raining and lightening falling in my parent’s house and I saw my dead nani alive and I’m trying to save my mom and nani in my dream what does mean of this dream
I’ve been having a recurring dream for the past few months. Its not the exact same every time because im always in a different environment, but for some reason I’m being chased by lightning that spawns out of nowhere from the sky. One dream it was trying to get home running through random neighborhoods. I knocked on someone’s door to escape the lightning & they let me in. I peeked my head out the window then the lightning struck me inside this room. I remember it burning my entire side of my body with intense pain. I even woke up feeling the pain where I was shocked in the dream. The other night, there was a lightning orb floating in some park/school like area. I was also trying to get home, but the lightning ball was preventing me from going in the right direction. A dream a month or so ago I was walking through a forest & found a random neighborhood of cabins. There was invisible electric strings that was shooting lightning out at me & keep in mind the lightning physically hurt really bad in my sleep. For some reason, lightning keeps finding me in my dreams recently & trying to hurt me or something and I’m unsure why…
I have recently gone through a lot of changes in life & many of the symbolism behind dreaming about lighting I can totally relate to, but it is odd that the lightning won’t let me get home. Like I’m unable to go back to my comfort zone anymore & the lightning forces me out of my comfort zone. At one point it even felt like the lightning was a thunder spirit trying to force me to a new point in life instead of allowing me to go home to my comfort zone
August 27, 2021.
I also dreamed of lightning. Dark clouds suddenly appeared near the area where I am and there is one above me. Lightning struckted all over the place and I was hitted too. I was able to endure the pain of burns in my dreams but when I woke up, I can still feel the pain cause by the lightning for a minute. Same as you.
I dream that i was sleeping in the nnightin my bed and out of nowhere this lightning struck me and blood started to run out of my mouth and about a minute after another struck me same place and blood started to run out of my mouth. Believe me i don’t know the meaning of this dream and i would like your help with it please and thanks.
Omg last night I had a similar dream, me and my sister were walking down the main road by where i live, it was a sunny day so we were in best tops, all of a sudden it went black there were clouds everywhere in the sky, and my sister said the storm has started so we started running to get to shelter because I am petrified of thunder and lightening, but we didn’t make it to shelter, we got opposite the post office and I got struck in the back by lightning, I was fine from the first one, the second one came and got struck to the floor and body started jerking around, and then it all cleared, I was still alert and my sister is screaming for help, everyone comes running over and I woke up in real life to really sharp shooting pains in my back where the lightening hit me in my dream,
I had this dream recently where it featured a lightning strike. I was in a vehicle with my mom, and it strikes somewhere near us. Also, it said there may be a tornado warning in the area. (Although, a tornado was never shown.) I think we were driving on a lane. There it was, the lightning coming out of the sky. Now, I’m not really certain if this occurred. I think it had hit something but probably affected us as well.