Spider Dream Meaning and Symbolism

//

dreameditor

Did you wake up from dreaming about a spider or spiders last night? Yikes! This can be a scary dream if, like me, you are afraid of these eight-legged little terrors with their beady little eyes.

The good news is that you’re not alone in having this frightful dream, and after all, it was just a dream and you’re not currently in a bed of spiders (I hope!).

Since you’re dreaming about spiders, you’re probably wondering what this means – what is your brain really trying to tell you? To understand this and how it relates to your current day to day life, we must investigate the context of the dream to see what the symbolism of the spider means for you.

Just keep in mind that how you personally feel about spiders (scared of them? love them? think they’re gross?) plays an important part in defining the true meaning of the spider in your dreams.

What Does It Mean To Dream About Spiders?

For a lot of people, dreaming about spiders is basically a nightmare because a lot of people are scared of them, like with snakes. Count me among the people who would not be happy to be dreaming about spiders instead of pleasant things.

You may not want to hear this, but dreaming about spiders isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, there are some positive characteristics attributed to spiders that can actually make a dream about them a good thing.

I know, sounds crazy, right? But it’s true!

Spiders and Our Shadow Selves

If you pop the television onto the National Geographic channel, then there’s a good chance of finding a nature show talking about the value of spiders in the world’s natural eco system. Though they look like creepy little speed demons with far too many legs to be anything but evil, spiders actually play a vital part in day to day living.

We often see spiders that these creepy things that dwell in the shadows and are up to god knows what. I think it’s safe to say that we associate them with negative feelings and emotions.

So, if we’re dreaming about spiders, then what does that say about ourselves? Maybe that we’ve got some darkness in us as well, which means some negativity and negative feelings.

It’s possible that the disgust that we feel at the thought or vision of a spider is actually how we feel about ourselves at the time that this spider appears to us in dreams.

Maybe what we’re really afraid of is ourselves.

Some Common Dreams & Possible Meanings Of Spiders In Dreams

Ready to figure out just what the heck that spider dream has to do with your waking life? Below are some of the most common possible interpretations of what the spider appearance in your dreams actually means.

So, after having a dream with a spider (or spiders) in it, you should take the time to try to remember as many details about it as you possibly can. This is where a dream journal becomes a valuable tool for you.

Think about things like the overall feeling of the dream, if there were any prominent colors in the dream, if you interacted with anyone else in the dream, where the dream took place, etc. These are the sorts of things that help you interpret the meaning of the spider dream.

Through writing down the details of the dream, you’re not only better able to understand and interpret the meaning of it, but you’re also able to better manage that fear because you’ll likely discover that it wasn’t actually anything to be fearful of at all.

How did the spider make you feel in your dream? This is something that you should really consider carefully and deeply. Don’t just rush to say scared if you are scared of spiders, because the dream may have brought up other feelings as well. And if you have a tarantula as pet, then don’t rush to say that you love spiders.

Here are some guided questions to help you interpret this dream: Did it give you a feeling of dread? What about despair? Did you feel scared? What about calm and relaxed? Or maybe happy?

How this spider made you feel in your dream tells you something very important – it gives you a clue as to how you feel in your waking life about a specific situation.

What type of spider was in the dream? This may seem trivial but the different types of spiders carry different meanings. For instance, a black widow spider carries a far more sinister meaning that your average garden spider.

If you’re not sure what type of spider it was, then you should do some research to find it and learn a bit more about the arachnid. This is true even if you do recognize the little 8-legged bugger.

Maybe you’ll learn that it’s a protective type of spider, or that it’s a harmless spider.

Did you dream of a really big spider? Often this type of spider dream means that something in your life is growing into a big problem, or that something in your life has finally reached the point where it’s too big to ignore.

Did you dream that a spider was eating you? Man, talk about a terrifying dream, eh? When a dream like this presents itself, it likely means that you are being gobbled up or swallowed whole by some situation or feelings in your life. There is some situation that is just become too much and you’re definitely in over your head. Often this is due to feelings of grief or anxiety that you’ve been experiencing.

Did you dream about a spider weaving a web? Even though I don’t like spiders, their orb weaving ability is pretty cool to watch. And if you’re dreaming that you’re seeing this in action, then it likely points to a feeling of being connected or that you’re trying to connect things together. Maybe you should look deeper into this situation to find the connections.

Did you rescue a spider in your dreams? Maybe your dream had you in your own home and safely rescuing and putting a spider outside instead of killing it? This dream could be giving you a solution to a problem. Or it could be telling you to give yourself a break and go easy on yourself if you’re in the middle of something difficult and you’ve been hard on yourself – or even if you’ve just been killing yourself at work, it could apply as well.

Did you kill a spider in your dreams? This dream could be giving you a solution to a problem where you end up being victorious in the end. Or it could be telling you to stop being afraid to to deal with things that you’re afraid of or even of something dark in your life (or yourself).

Did a spider chase you in your dreams? As terrifying as this sounds, this is actually a common theme for many people who dream about spiders. It often signals that you’re running away from something that you feel like you have no control over in your waking life.

Did you dream about several spiders? You’re feeling overwhelmed. Does your mind have you dreaming not only of one spider, but several spiders? This is the perfect way to symbolize the feeling of being overwhelmed and having to deal with too much at once. Often the stress that is cause this stems from multiple people or situations.

Did you dream about spider webs or cobwebs? This often signals that you’ve got something in your life that you’re neglecting, something that is being left to gather dust and cobwebs. Take this dream as a signal to pay more attention to whatever it is that you’re neglecting.

It’s also important to take note of where the spider appears to you in your dream. For example, if the dream takes place in an attic, then it might symbolize neglect or locked away memories of the past.

Seeing Spiders That Aren’t There When Waking Up

For some people, waking up from sleep is something that is a bit more scary than sleep deprivation. You see, upon waking there is a small number of people who see spiders that are not there.

If you are having these hallucinations, then do not think that you are alone as it is actually a rather common phenomenon in a subset of the population.

The first thing that you need to know is that you are not crazy when you are hallucinating spiders upon waking. Just because you are hallucinating and seeing something that is not really there does not make you mentally unstable.

In fact, what you are experiencing is likely just something called – Hypnagogic Hallucinations. This conditions is just as scary as seeing those spiders that aren’t really there.

With hypnagogic hallucinations you experience a type of sleep paralysis where you think that you are awake and seeing things (like spiders or an old hag) but your body cannot move no matter how hard you try. According to some research, these hallucinations are related to narcolepsy.

However, other sources mention that stress may be a mitigating factor in the appearance of these hallucinations.

The honest truth is that doctors really are not sure exactly what causes people to experience hypnagogic hallucinations. And, there seems to be no current or future research into this phenomena.

It looks like this is experienced equally by men and women, but many people prefer to keep quiet about it in fear of being called ‘crazy’ or worse. In some cultures, it is even believed that demonic forces are behind all of spiders and other things that you are seeing that are not really there.

One thing is for certain, having one of these hypnagogic hallucination episodes is no fun and can leave you frightened afterward. If you are looking for cures to your hypnagogic hallucinations, then consider signing yourself up for a local sleep study to see if they can determine what is causing this problem for you.

Also consider working on your stress level. You may even want to think about changing your diet in case there is something that you are eating that is causing this sort of thing to happen in your brain.

With a little effort on your part, you just might be able to reduce or eliminate the number of times that you wake up and see spiders crawling on your bedroom wall when there really is nothing there at all.

Until the spiders go away, I suggest getting a good sleep mask so that when you wake up in the morning you can’t really see anything. Just leave it on your eyes as you work on getting fully awake and then remove it. Doing this should reduce the number of times that you see spiders that aren’t really there after sleeping.

Spiders As A Spirit Animal

Did you know that a spider in your dreams can be a messenger of spirit? Sure, plenty of people (like me) are scared of spiders and don’t want them anywhere near us, including in our dreams.

But we just might be able to learn something from the spiders that haunt our dreams. And don’t think that they’re not spirit animals because they are still living things.

If you’ve got a spider as a dream messenger when you sleep, then try to not be afraid of it. Instead, accept this spirit animal for what it is – something to remind us to confront our fears, take control of our life, and live a more zen and fulfilling life.

Did you know that the spider is associated with the root chakra?

If you’re not familiar with the root chakra, it is associated with the color red. And it is linked to our feelings of security, safety, grounding, and overall well-being. Experts believe that the root chakra gives energy to the other chakras.

When your root chakra isn’t balanced, it lends to feelings of anger and outbursts of rage. So let the appearance of a spider in your dreams remind you to focus on being more grounded in your waking life.

When a spider appears in your dream as a spirit animal, let it remind you that we should all strive to be more like the spider. Spiders adapt to their surroundings and move through the world safely and securely on their own terms, and we can (and should) be grounded like that.

So, when a spider appears in your dreams, try not to be afraid and instead take the appearance as a chance to learn more about yourself and make positive changes in your life.


Have you had a spider appear in your dreams? Do you have questions about it? Do you have a spider dream interpretation or meaning that we don’t have and you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments below.

Leave a Comment