I dream about spiders a lot.

Spiders—they’re creepy and crawly and mostly little annoyances huddled in the corner of the ceiling. The spiders where I live are tolerable. They’re mostly small and benign. Typically most of them are not even poisonous. I hate them and I’m somewhat afraid of them. I’ve been known to scream like a child when I see them unexpectedly.

As much as I hate spiders, I don’t spend my nights and days in fear of them, thinking about them. But I certainly do dream about them a lot. Before I get to the dreams, I would like to illustrate a few experiences that have made a big impression on me.

When I was young, I remember my stepmom telling about how her dad was bitten by a black widow. He was outside working and took his gloves off to take a break. When he came back there was a black widow in his gloves that bit him. He didn’t notice right away and almost died according to the story. Ever since then I’ve had a compulsion to always check my shoes, hats, and gloves before putting them on.

My friend also told me a story about how he put his headphones on and heard a clicking sound. He couldn’t figure out what was making the noise until a spider crawled out of the padding. So now I usually inspect my headphones before putting them on. There’s plenty of padding for spiders to hide in mine!

Okay, but when I was younger I remember sleeping in our car garage-converted-den one summer. I woke up to dozens, maybe hundreds of baby spiders crawling all over me and the floor. Ick!

When I was very sick with cancer, I even hallucinated that my hospital room was infested with the creatures. I would often complain to the nurses that there were spiders in my room—crawling along the floors, dangling from the ceilings. They couldn’t convince me that there was nothing there.

Despite those incidents, I don’t really see myself crippled with fear. Usually when I saw spiders I just killed them without much of a fuss. But at one time I was ashamed of myself for constantly killing every one I saw. I ended up on a spider-killing spree and felt really ashamed of myself for the hate I was feeling.

So I made a deal with the spiders. I told them that if they stayed away from me, that I wouldn’t kill them anymore. I kept up my part of the deal, and they kept up theirs. I stopped seeing them almost completely. When I did see them, they just quietly crawled back into their spaces, their cracks, their crevices. I let them be and they let me be.

One of the main reasons I made this deal was for a spiritual exercise. I was ashamed of myself for killing and being afraid of one of my harmless fellow creatures. But then I started dreaming about them…a lot!

One of the earliest dreams I can remember is when I was walking along the riverbanks of an Indian jungle. I was part of some sort of pilgramage or something. And then I just jumped into the river, only to emerge with all sorts of spiders crawling around me. I felt at peace. I felt ecstatic and the spiders didn’t bother me at all. I just accepted them and felt like it was a mark of my spiritual merit. I think this dream could be important in the overall scheme of this spider symbolism.

After that one, I started waking up imagining spiders crawling on me or dangling above my body. They were never menacing, threatening, or biting. But I was afraid of them. My body tingled, my skin crawled, and my mind filled in the gaps by imagining the arachnids on me and around me.

It seems like almost every morning I can’t avoid the feeling of my skin tingling with imaginary spiders.

But then I started having REM dreams of them as well. In the dreams, the spiders are never bothersome or dangerous. They’re just there. I’m the one who is dangerous and malevolent. I see them, chase them, and try to maim them. I never actually kill them, or if I do, there will be another that I have to chase down.

In my dreams, the spiders are the victims—victims of my own irrational fear. They are elusive and capable of evading me almost completely. I chase them with the intent to kill and that is usually the extent of my dream.

Just this morning I woke up from an especially bad ‘spider’ dream. It was so devasting and impactful that I woke up only a few hours after I had fallen asleep. I dreamed that I was in my grandmother’s backyard (a place rife with spiders and insects) and saw 2 exotic looking spiders—the kind with long, thick legs, spots, vibrant colors—the kind that certainly don’t belong in my part of the world. They were just sitting harmlessly on the ground side-by-side. I swatted one dead. The other began running and I tried stomping it. I managed to catch a few of its legs with my shoe. Its legs got ripped off and it continued running clumsily. I could even hear it whine through its tiny book lungs.

The dream ended there and I woke up especiallly tired, like waking up suddenly from a bad nightmare. My skin was crawling. I scratched and pawed at the tingling areas to kill any spiders. I could hardly even open my eyes, I was so tired. I soon fell back asleep.

My ongoing relationship has even turned me into a Spider-Man fan! I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with spiders. I still try to maintain my bargain that I made with them, but have killed a few here and there over the years. I am fascinated, but also terrified of them.

I did a few searches on the symbolic meanings, but didn’t turn up anything satisfactory. Most of what I’d found was vague or more related to spider webs. My dreams are more about the spiders themselves and not the webs. I’d rather hear from you guys and gals because I know you know your stuff.

I don’t dream of any other animals like this. I don’t have any recurring dream themes or subtexts that I’ve noticed—just the spiders. I’d say I have an REM spider dream about once a week, and feel the crawling skin more like 3-4 times a week.

Does anyone care to conjecture why? Is it a metaphor? Symbolism? Is it a power animal or spirit guide that I have a bad relationship with? Any thoughts, insights, or leads would be greatly appreciated.

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


Ha thats funny, I literally sleep with spiders. Yep they jump on me all the time and not just spiders sometimes other bugs and animals too. The only thing i hate is when they try to crawl into my ears, nose or mouth THATS where i draw the line to them. hahhaha its actually pretty funny now that i think of it because some of them cuddle with me under the blanket LOL, well you cant blame them sometimes it gets very cold at night and i feel bad for the little guys.

Probably the freakiest encounter ive ever had was when one night when i was having a nightmare and when i woke up their was a cockroach on top of my hand literally standing on two of its legs (like if he thought he was the king of the world or something) and flicked the poor cockroach into the air. But it was on accident

Other than that ive had little mouse sleeping under my pillow, spiders running on top of me at night and not just spiders even ,chicks(both kind of chicks- the chicken chicks and the human chicks),duckies, kitties, puppies, Crabs( YES THATS RIGHT! OCEAN CRABS) LOL you probably dont believe me but its true, during crab season thousand of crabs invade at night and move up to gain territory and sometimes the like to play with the kitties at night its really funny ...I dont know what it is but animals just go crazy when the sun goes down and the moon goes up

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


I have been bitten by a brown recluse before, not very pleasant. When I was a kid, my little sister used to have to come running to get the daddy long legs out of the stairwells before I would go up the stairs. That being said, I don't care for spiders at all, but the symbolism here may help you understand your dream a little better.

www.dreammoods.com...

Spiders:

To see a spider in your dream indicates that you are feeling like an outsider in some situation. Or perhaps you want to keep your distance and stay away from an alluring and tempting situation.

The spider is also symbolic of feminine power or an overbearing mother figure in your life. Alternatively, a spider refers to a powerful force protecting you against your self-destructive behavior. If you kill a spider in your dream, then it symbolizes misfortune and bad luck.

To see a dead spider in your dream implies that you have overcome some strong feminine temptation. To see a spider spinning a web in your dream signifies that you will be rewarded for your hard work. You will be promoted in your job or recognized for your achievement in a difficult task.

Spiders are also a symbol of creativity due to the intricate webs they spin. On a negative note, spiders may indicate a feeling of being entangled or trapped in a sticky or clingy relationship. It represents some ensnaring and controlling force. You feel that someone or some situation is sucking the life right out of you.

Alternatively, if a spider is spinning a web in your dream, then it could be a metaphor for the world wide web and global communication. To see a spider climbing up a wall in your dream denotes that your desires will be soon be realized.

To see spider eggs in a web suggest that you are not able to fully acknowledge your potential. You are being held back from expressing yourself.

To dream that you are bitten by a spider represents a conflict with your mother or some dominant female figure in your life. The dream may be a metaphor for a devouring mother or the feminine power to possess and entrap. Perhaps you are feeling trapped by some relationship.

To eat a spider or dream that a spider is in your mouth symbolizes your control over a situation. You are not afraid to exert your dominance in a relationship.

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha

Does anyone care to conjecture why?

The most likely reason is that you think about them far too much. From reading your post, it seems that your are always worried one hiding somewhere.

Hell, I was bitten by a Brown Recluse (That was my inspiration behind "BenReclused".) that had found it's way into my work boot about 12 years ago. The gangrene that set in almost killed me, and they took me up to surgery on two different occasions with intentions of amputating my leg, right below the knee. I got lucky, I reckon, because that leg and foot are still intact, and work pretty damn well considering what they went through. That said, I still don't worry, or even dream, about spiders.

I'm serious, try not to think about them so much. It's like an itch, or a toothache, in that the more you think about it, the worse it will get.

I have no idea what your dream might mean, NB, but it's interesting you are dreaming consistently about spiders. Perhaps the same thoughts that cause your fear of them also cause your dreams?

While you're talking about spider dreams I want to tell you about one I had..

I had many dreams in the past that all seemed to take place in the same world. It was just like this world we truly live in, but the colors were all slightly off. The sky was a paler, sunwashed blue. The grass was always pea-green. Trees were oddly shaped. Any time I had a dream in this setting it was always in a forest or lake area - never near buildings or cars or anything else man made.

In this particular trip to that world, I was with a group of friends and we were walking down this strange forest path. The path sloped downward in a series of strange geometric shapes. In the dream I must have had a bird's eye view of this path at some point, because I can remember the way it looked from above.

After a time we came to a shallow, clear pond. There were hundreds of aspen trees, all in varying stages of decomposition. Some had fallen perfectly so that their ends were close enough to make a path out into the middle of the pond. My friend C and I followed this path out into the water until it came to an end - by this time we were very far out into the pond but the water was still only a foot or so deep, and crystal clear. I'm not sure why but we all knew we shouldn't touch the water..

So I, being first, walked out on to the final log. I could see it was partially hollowed out and at the end a branch stuck up vertically. As I approached the branch I realized there was a web woven between the limbs of the branch and hundreds of little blue spiders were crawling all over.

My friend at this point screamed out to me "Whatever you do don't touch them!" I asked him why and he said "They're Nibbler Spiders!"

I asked him why they were called Nibbler Spiders and he told me "Because if they get on you they'll nibble your %^$&ing arm off!"

We both started running back across the logs toward the shore. For some reason our feet were sinking into the rotten logs though they were solid as we were walking out on them. I woke up before we got back to shore.

When I woke up I was in a state of fear, which I know sounds strange because the dream itself is actually kind of funny - but I seriously was more frightened when waking up from this dream than any other I can remember.




So, yeah.. Spider dreams are weird. I think this is the only one I've ever had though.


ETA: I should add I'm not particularly afraid of spiders. They do startle me when they come out of nowhere but there's no fear.. I usually relocate them outside rather than squash them, but I have sent a few to spider heaven (or hell.)

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


Oh Dear!!! This sounds terrible. I would hate to dream of spiders that often.
I am like you; I don't like them!

I don't know if this applies to you, but I thought I'd post it, just in case:

www.totemwisdom.com...


"Spider Totem

The spider symbolizes hard work, creativity, unity, and freeing ourselves from being bound. Spiders spin intricate webs and spider web silk, although seemingly fragile, is one of the strongest fibers known to man.

Spiders are careful and diligent web weavers, knowing exactly how to ensnare their prey without getting caught themselves. Spiders symbolize creativity and those with spider totems are often involved in creative careers or somehow use their creativity to benefit others.

Personal Reflection...

When spider appears it may be to challenge you to see the ways in which you may remain trapped. Are you weaving your own web? Or are you becoming trapped by outer influences? Spiders are often challenging totems, but they teach us how to create our own path in life. Spider also teaches us how to be a part of the whole as we walk our individual path. All things are connected and we are all one.


13
Dream Symbolism

Spiders in dreams are typically good luck signs with the exception of Tarantulas which are said to symbolize illness and the need to tend to health matters."


I remember seeing a thread here last year that covered some really deep meanings of spiders in dreams. Some I had never heard of, but I don't remember the title. I hope you find the answer you're looking for. If I run across anything, I'll post it.

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


Spiders are the most beautiful and useful creatures. Having spiders at home means no other annoying insects(flies, mosquitoes etc).
I love them. When i was a kid i used to collect spiders (and drove my mother crazy).

I have only dreamt of spiders twice in my life, that i remember. Both times they were there to protect me. The first time i was around 10 years old and i was in my grandmother's house. There was something there with me, some kind of a spirit and it was attacking me. I was trying to escape, when a huge spider appeared and it fought the spirit away. She was black with pink dots. I think that it was after that dream that i started liking them.

The second time, i was in an alien enviroment, in a beach and i wanted to go in the sea. The moment i walked in the water something grabbed me. Out of nowhere an army of tarantulas appeared, surrounded me and released me from whatever had me.

When I was very sick with cancer, I even hallucinated that my hospital room was infested with the creatures. I would often complain to the nurses that there were spiders in my room—crawling along the floors, dangling from the ceilings.

That's weird, because when my grandmother was in the hospital with cancer, during the final days she used to say that the room was full of spiders as well. She wasn't afraid of them, so it wasn't some kind of fear manifestation.

I will agree with the member that said that if you think something too much ,you'll end up dreaming about it. The odd thing is that you see them being friendly, which means that either you know that your fear is illogical or that the spiders are trying to send you a message that you have no reason to fear them. Next time you see spiders, try to apologise to them for all the killings. Maybe they will stop visiting you.

feel the crawling skin more like 3-4 times a week.

This thread will probably give you more nightmares. It's called "Ethereal Spiders".

Anyway sorry i couldn't help more.

reply to post by Phantom traveller


Wow! You helped plenty! Thanks so much for your post. Very interesting that we're all seeing and sensing these "ethereal" or "astral" spiders.

What an interesting thread you posted. It's an old one, but one I'm glad you dug it up for me. Thanks.

I also noticed some members mention sleeping disorders associated with their encounters. It's something I complain about a lot of on this site Who knows..maybe some of us are just able to see beyond the "web"

I can't help but think back to my first dream about jumping in the river and emerging covered in spiders. It was a very profound experience both in the dream and afterward.

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


I have almost the same deal with spiders. I will not kill them if they do not crawl on me. They keep to that contract it seems. I am not scared of them though and never have been, just don't like bugs on me that have the potential of biting.

I had a dream about spiders just the other night after not having dreams about them for several years. I am assuming it is from reading a thread here on identifying a spider. I had several of them crawling up my side biting me.

I used to have a dream where there were giant spiders that would block me from books I wanted to read in my basement. I found out while researching that these are guardians keeping me from past life knowledge that would be damaging to me in this lifetime. Kind of like karmic scars that I am not ready to deal with yet, or at least that was my conclusion.

reply to post by Darkblade71


Very interesting. Thanks for sharing. As I tried to emphasize in my OP, yes I am creeped out by them, but I think this goes deeper than a phobia for me.

In my dreams, I am irrationally afraid and hell-bent on destroying them!--even though they're not doing anything to threaten me. But my first association with spiders in the dreamworld was a remarkably positive, I would say spiritual, experience.

Clearly, I have some kind of unresolved issue that these spiders are an unconscious metaphor for.

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


Repeating dreams are the way your mind works out issues in your day to day world.
I would suggest that you think about what it is that is out of control in your life,
something you are trying to squish, and possibly you might be able to connect that with the spiders.

reply to post by sled735


Thanks for the input, Sled. I have given serious thought to the possibility of it being some sort of totemic power animal trying to get my attention.

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


Knowing your past strange experiences i will provide a little "out there" explanation. While returning home from work, i remembered reading about alien encounters and memory manipulation(don't ask, sometimes my brain works in mysterious ways). I found it here

The brain can take memories of aliens and turn them into more commonly conceived of images. For example, people routinely remember seeing "owls," "raccoons," "monkeys," "snakes," and even "spiders" when they were actually seeing alien faces. Furthermore, during the abduction event itself, the aliens are quite accomplished at neurological manipulation which can result in the enervation of specific neurological pathways.

If you could remember when your fear(and dreams) of spiders started was after your first experience, maybe they could be related.

We have a basic rule, to take spiders outside unless they're the more dangerous types. That doesn't stop the feelings of phantom webs or crawlers on my aura, just above the skin. Some of it I think as static discharge, but then suddenly ouch, you're bit. It doesnt always work to make peace with them though overall think its far more mature to do so.
I think this realm has bottom feeders. And there are also neurological or electrical shorts or discharges too that can affect things. A little bit of plasma physics happening around us.