The first and most obvious association of volcanoes in dreams is an indication of “erupting” emotions, often of anger. And while in some cases this may be true, it is more than likely only a small part of the story, and in other cases, may not have these kind of associations with anger at all.
It may be helpful to remember two interesting characteristics of volcanoes: one, that they are a channel for things from deep within the earth to be revealed at a surface level; and two, that the active component of volcanoes – being fire/magma/lava, all share the same qualities of being able to create as well as destroy.
Let’s consider the first characteristic in relationship to dreams. If volcanoes are a channel for things deep inside to come to the surface, how might this be a reflection of what is going on our lives? While it may indicate deep emotions coming out after being suppressed, volcanoes might also indicate a powerful new knowledge that is becoming clear, an instinct we are becoming conscious of profound new depths of self knowledge. To better understand how this might relate to our own particular dream, it can help to consider how close we are to the volcano, and how active it is. Is it in the distance, something we are trying to get to? This could be a quest for self understanding, a desire see what is deep inside us, but something we are only just beginning. Or maybe we are standing right on top of the crater, looking into the red hot lava bubbling and ready to explode. This may symbolise we are on the cusp of big revelation, a significant change could be about to occur.
The second characteristic, that of fire or lava, can help us understand how change in our life means that some things are destroyed in order to make way for the new. This can be scary and threatening when we don\’t understand it, but it is not necessarily a bad thing. We have to \”destroy\” bad habits before we take up new ones, we have to let go of self limiting beliefs before we can embrace a new perspective of life. However, volcano dreams can also appear when we are anxious or stressed, and indicate the mounting tensions we feel in life. If we feel like the dream is full of fear and anxiety, this may be a reflection of feelings we are having in waking life. When this is the case, we can look to other areas of the dream for signs and hints to help us manage or resolve the causes of this anxiety.
Fire and lava can be cleansing, so volcano dreams can be signs of spiritual or psychological growth. Volcanoes as they erupt can help purge blockages, so volcano dreams may imply a release of tension, or a resolution of a problem. Volcanoes when they have calmed down also change the face of the earth, they can leave islands in the sea where there once were none, they can create mountains and craters and fertile valleys. So volcano dreams can also be symbols of creativity, sometimes in a frighteningly forceful way. But if we can be prepared for the awesome power that is potential within us, when it is unleashed we can be more aware and then be able to direct the power to our own goals, instead of wildly erupting and possibly damaging those around us.
Volcano dreams can be expressions of anxiety and a warning against extreme emotions, but they can also be a powerful symbol of potential and transformation, that if we heed the lessons of our dreams and act wisely, we can harness as an extraordinary creative opportunity.
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Photo by Shawn Appel on Unsplash
Hi, nice post. I have been pondering this topic,so thanks for sharing. I will certainly be subscribing to your posts.
I just had a volcano dream two days ago. It is vivid.
I had a dream last night about a Volcano. In this dream, I seen it erupt from a distance, a massive volcanic ash cloud could be seen a long distance away, and as I tried to warn others, I became increasingly angry that no one would listen. People in my town seemed to think we were too far away for it to affect us.
As the volcanic mix of lava and mud flows reached my town, I try to gather up family members to flee, but could never quite seem to go anywhere. My home was surrounded by about an 8 to 9 foot wall of mud, and now I knew it was too late to escape. All I could do was sit by and watch people vanish under the molten mud. I woke up puzzled, relieved, and a bit frustrated for no particular reason.
This was a peculiar dream. There aren’t any volcanoes, active or dormant, in my area. The closest Volcano to my town is Mt. Lassen which is close to 800 miles away and it’s been dormant for a long time. I began googling for what this dream could mean. I don’t usually remember dreams this vividly. I ran across this page, and read it. Interesting, it made me think of things in my everyday life that may play a role in this dream. It just doesn’t make much sense.
Just had the same dream today, really the same. I was puzzled by it since there’s also no earthquake close by. Was trying to warn people and no one seem to listen. Date: October 20, 2015.
I love how detailed your post is, about a week ago I had a dream that I was sitting on a sandbar in the ocean with a couple of family members watching the northern lights. Then I turned around and there was a small volcano behind us on the shore, and it was erupting very bright colors, it looked like paint to me. It was the most beautiful dream I have ever had. I’m so glad I have a clear memory of it
I have a re-occurring dream where I stand at the bottom of a hill that is covered with snow, and in the dream the goal seems to be me needing to get to the top, so I try and make my way up the mountain by jumping,and I start to notice that the snow glows orange,and when I try and avoid it I land in the orange snow I fall through and I get burned alive by magma.. Then I wake up… What might this dream mean?
awesome post. I recently had a dream that my local mountain erupted and then completely exploded leveling everthing around me. the entire landscape had been completely altered and lava itself was using out of the ground everywhere, not just from the valcano, but cracks all throughout the landscape. Funny thing is I feel like I am going through a change emotionally and I am trying to work for the better in this change and I can see how this could completely change my entire outlook and how it could completely alter the landscape of my future. I just wanted to say thank you for this post. Serendipitous I hope. Continue the good work.
I had a dream a couple weeks ago and its been stirring in my mind since. I was at the base of this volcano and i felt the ground sort of hump. I told this scientist looking fellow w me that its about to explode and we should leave immediately, he chose to stay. I ran as fast i could and sure enough it blew its top, it was a fantastic sight….until the hot rocks began showering the earth completely destroying any available shelter. I kept running until i cleared the ‘hot zone’ and had a feeling of solitude because it had destroyed everything. Heres the weird part. As i kept walking i encountered a talking monkey w glasses. He explained to me that the scientist had the foresight to have taken knowledge and hope to him to continue life because he knew of the inevitable destruction the volcano.
I also keep having a recurring dream that a volcano is near the edge of my hometown and usually fills the motorway with its smoke but it hasn’t erupted. I’m usually with a lad I used to fancy in college and there is a swimming pool near it for some reason. In my dream I talked about collecting crystals from the dried lava and explained in the dream that there were different types of lava therefore different types of crystals. The only explanation I can think of is that because I really love crystals and geology in my waking life it has probably influenced my dreaming.
I’ve had dreams about valcano eruptions since I was a little kid. But for the first time the dream has changed. Where I’m usually running from the lava, watching everything burn, this time I’m in a building before the eruption. I’m not aware of the volcano, but my senses gives it away. There’s mini earthquakes, but more like vibration of the ground, shaking up dust around the building. What does this mean? If anyone knows?
I had few dreams as well about volcanoes. The last dream I had was about the dry sea for in the case story of prophet Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. I could see from the distance that a volcano was going to erupt that I took my younger son and told him to climb up a wardrobe that we could use to hide for it will be save when the volcano blows up
I had a volcano dream last night and I was on this plane which was on the ground in the city and yet it was jungle (it was kind of mixed up together) and some people were looking out the window panicking, they said that they were waiting for someone to save them, that the plane would keep them safe but they were scared and I was too. When we all looked at the volcano erupt I said “screw this! I’m outa here” I ran out of the plane and things around me started to burn and I ran and ran. The people on the plane were swept by the Lava, and finally I reached this small canal bridge and the water was overflowing but on top of the bridge and there was this black rock stuff. Someone told me it was beaver’s blood. I continued to run and I saw the concrete under my bare feet were more hidden volcanoes waiting to erupt as steam spat out of them and then I ran so far I was now in Colorado and it was cold, and there was snow. Wonder what it all meant?
Part of me can decipher this dreams meaning, but the beaver’s blood was an interesting symbol and the one I remember the most.
I had a dream that unknown to me, there was a volcano right behind my house. Not only did it start erupting but it starting falling apart, crumbling. The ash covered everything. I got people to come into my house for safety. All of a sudden the ash started disappearing and had clear visibility.
I had a dream that a volcano erupted and destroyed my state. The government didn’t do anything and left us to fend for ourselves. I got separated from my family abd found a group of survivors in including my ex. We fell back in love while trying to survive and found my mother and brother along the way. They said my sister and father had died. After a while, we found a safe place and started growing our own food and we rose from the ashes. What could this mean?
I had a dream last night about this very volcano on this Web page, ‘white island’, that it erupted with black and white ash, with the side of the volcano falling into the water creating a tsunami that rushed ashore to where I was watching this unfold. I watched the water roll into shore in waves that rose higher as they got closer, I moved back but the water only lapped at the edges never quite reaching me,
I had a dream last night me and my friend were running from lava filling the roads from a volcano that was erupting and we came to a path in the road and group of feminists were protesting and when I tried to tell them they weren’t safe they wouldn’t listen to me and started arguing with me about my personality and I tried to tell them that I was a woman like them and then one of them yelled at me and almost punched me and said that I wasn’t a woman and I admitted and said “I may not be a woman but I am a teenage girl.” and they still never listened to me until the volcano started erupting balls of magma and exploding and they started running and screaming and some of them got crushed my the balls and I was suddenly in my town and I saw one go towards where my house was and I hoped that my family wasn’t hurt and then I woke up.
I had two volcano eruption dreams last night. Both kind of vivid. In both I was looking out a large window at an erupting volcano in the distance. I am standing in awe of it. I’ve always been fascinated by mother’s natures powerful events. But then the building (renaissance stonework on the outside like a castle) I’m in begins getting hit with rock debris. In one dream my father was coming to join me at the window and then we both started running away from the falling debris that was gradually coming through the ceiling. I didn’t feel afraid. The second dream was similar but with one of my aunts at a different window in a different newer, office building, where some board meeting was taking place. The volcano looked similar in both dreams though. In the distance. It was probably a medium eruption. Not close enough to worry about lava, but we did have the rock debris.
I’m going through a breakup that I know we love each other.
Last night, I dreamed that he came back to me and we were driving with his kids. One on my lab in the car. Then I saw as we were driving, the lava is falling from the mountain but very quickly gets icy cold. Then new lava are erupting and again it gets cold. Then as we passed the mountain behind us. The lava just kept coming without getting cold!
When I woke up in the morning, I was happy after a long time.
I’m not really sure what my dream means, but I always have meaningful dreams and related to my state of mind and life.
Last night, i went to the club that most of our friends are there. My friend told me that she never seen him in that club that’s why I went there, but I decided to leave early. I didn’t stay. Then my friend texted me and said “Very strange because he came after I left!” very bizarre. I don’t think it’s coincident that he was there at the same night that I was there and both of us have never been there. Then at night I had this lava dream!
Had one not long ago about Donald trump and being at one of his hotels on the water and I was looking down over balcony and was seeing the water on the beach starting to. Glow as these volcanos were erupting in shallow water. Then I with other people in my life left in a boat and the sea was chaotic with all sorts of calamities.
i’ve been dreaming of erupting volcanoes for twice thrice or more and i’m too scared that i find it in the internet what was the meaning of it..just last night, i dream about it again.. my dream was there’s a volcano above us when me and my daughter was walking along the beach and that volcano was about to erupt the lava and rocks were falling but we are not hurt, then we crossed the beach to another island, the sea were calm and shallow that we managed to crossover. my mother told me that if the volcano will continue to erupt it will trigger the Mayon volcano and Isarog. another was, we’ve been watching fireworks coz it’s new year, then suddenly the ones that were coming from the volcano at the center of the ocean were different it became clearly to us that it was a lava that was shooting and going nearer our house..i don’t know it’s weird and i had to share it to someone that i could not bear the feeling.
Good morning…I’ve dreamed about a volcano that errups water that is flowing on top what does it mean?
Thank you!
I had a volcano dream last night. I used to live near a big volcano, and in my dream it erupted, but it was a warm glow and only a bit ash. Nothing frightening at all. Your article resonates with my feeling, that it reflects the energy I feel inside myself. A powerful, warm glow, something transforms, and my power to harness it in a constructive manner.
After leaving the place and visiting my family, my spiritual force woke up, the energy is vibrating in my whole body, my soul my creativity woke up.
It is beautiful!
Now I’m not scared anymore about its power!
Thank you again! 😊
my mine volcano was not fire but it was a sea sand the split of these muddy sand was getting closer but never reach us , very scary . all roads were blocked. but in another dream everything were. back to normal.
thanx.
I had a dream that I was taking a tour of a volcano with my family, and suddenly the volcano started trembling. All of us ran down to our house, to grab supplies, medicine, bandages, etc. the lava got to my house but my mum said it couldn’t get through the gaps under our doors. We left and my brother and I ran ahead with a hose, putting out fires in gardens and checking the coast was clear. My parents then were beside me and the lava got faster. We headed up a hill and then… I woke up… I have also had this dream but it was a variation. I had a dream that I was taking a tour of a volcano on my own, and suddenly the volcano started erupting. I ran to my house to grab supplies then I headed to a tropical mountain. I started rock climbing and when I got to the top i stayed for 2 weeks and 4 days, to return to my house which was fine and all that remained of the lava was some that my friend trapped in 2 lumps of glass. She then made them into friendship bracelets. I woke up after that. I have weird dreams…………
i had the volcano dream a few days ago and i have not been able to shake it…i live in texas where there is no volcano at all near or far, but the volcano just appeared out of no where in my home town in Louisiana and i was there visiting family…and i was standing outside talking with family and friends and all of a sudden out of no where there appears a volcano and it erupts and it was in close range…and i remember trying to get all my family together and running through streets of an old neighborhood i grew up near i remember holding on to my dads hand as i was running and dragging him along…i did not want to finish that dream so i fought to wake myself up…and reading the “interpretation” of type of dream is very confusing
In a dream, I heard a voice say, “you are building your home on a volcano!” I am very spiritual and this left me confused about my marriage.
I just woke from my dream and it’s so vivid, so i had to research about it and found this post.
In my dream, my family and I and some other people were outside my house. Suddenly, i notice black ashes in the air and in the distance a volcano was erupting. As some of my family members went rushing back inside the house, i started sprinting to a really big tree as big boulders of rock started raining upon us (some had the size of a 2-story house). I tried to stop my family from going back inside but it was too late. Just along side the tree is a really steep hill. I hid on the side of the hill as i watched people flocking. At that same moment, i also saw one of my sister running down the hill and tried to call out for her but I was so scared. So i just hid there until these rocks stopped falling. I managed to survive and went back to the house, and saw that the house was still together. I knocked on the door but there was no answer, and all of sudden there was lava coming in fast. I tried to go back door and call out for help but the lava started rising up, so i climb to the top of the roof. There was so much lava that it started to reach the roof, so i was panicking real hard. On top of the roof is a window, i called out for anybody inside and this is the part that i don’t quite remember how it happened but i think my mom answered and somehow my sister who was running before was behind me. Anyways, there were 3 of us and we embraced each other, and when it seems like there was no hope left, a flying creature (could be an angel) secured our safety and flew us from danger. As we soar into the sky, i saw patches of land coming in contact with the lava but around the land is water and prevented the hot lava from reaching the land. I also remember stopping by somewhere (could be on the little land) but as soon as i started to analyze it, the creature told us to go…Then i woke up.
I’m just so puzzled how vivid this dream is, it’s so crazy.
I JUST WAKED UP FROM A VOLCANO DREAM AND IM ONLY 11
This was a very enlightening post. It was an awesome read. I was wondering what the definition of a dormant volcano would mean if you can feel the heat of the volcano and you know it will erupt but it doesn’t within the dream, you can just feel it.
Do you think this sort of dream is negative or positive.
I am in the middle of 2 major life changes at the moment. I recently broke up with my girlfriend of 2+ years (my choice which I had been suppressing) then a few weeks later got a major job promotion with the implication I had to move from one city to another.
I am excited about this new freedom and adventure, but also at times miss the good memories with my ex and also leaving many great friends in my current city (I know very few people in the new one). In general I am a very positive person.
Anyway…the dream…me and 5 or 6 good friends were on a cross country motorcycle trip on a straight and narrow road. No girlfriend included. It began raining and we took a break. Whilst on the break, a small but substantial wave (1-2 feet) to the left came roaring over and flooded our bikes. We sought recluse in a small cottage in an open field that was near a hillside.
While in the cottage, me and all my friends were having a great time drinking beers and enjoying each others company. At this point a now bigger tidal wave came from the left and flooded the cottage to our waist levels. We were not alarmed, but rather saw it as a nuisance.
After the water subsided and drained, on the hillside to the right, I spotted magma flowing down the slope heading right to our cabin. I did my best to alert my friends and immediately sought the best exit route from the cabin.
After running circuitously all around the cabin, avoiding the wildfire that the magma was sparking, I found a friend (who was coming into town in real life that evening – best friend). We ran together and found a path through some smaller flames towards a shared direction. Directly between the tidal wave origin on the left, and magma on the right. Away from the cottage and toward the wall of a mountain.
The dream ended with him and other friends entering the door to safety. There was nothing visible behind the door. Finally right before waking up, I entered the door as well.
This article was very helpful because I was very worried for a moment, but only that I was looking at the dark side of it. Thank you very much for brightening up my day.
I had a dream about a volcanic eruption last night, we were running up to high land to supposedly avoid being burnt by lava. There were 7 gas masks among 8 people and everyone pushed me off the hill and the dream ended. How lovely
Recently i’m getting the dreams like got stucked in a cave(which is a tourist spot) along with my family n tourists, outside its raining heavily… got the feeling of breathlessness and peeping out thru the holes… and the other day got stuck in a pit and above a lorry or a truck came stopped exactly on the pit and i’m under the truck in a pit standing comfortably but shouting for help… what these dreams does mean to my life?
I woke up half an hour ago from a dream and my heart is still pounding.
I was still in the army and was deployed in combat. We had all our vehicles staged to leave but someone had grabbed my helmet by mistake and I was trying to figure out who it was. Once I found them, they were going through their gear to look for a pair of PT pants instead of giving me my helmet back.
That is when someone mentioned the cloud of ash from a somewhat distant volcano. Right as I said it had been putting out ash for a while, it erupted. I knew we were screwed, but I ran and jumped into an APC, only to realize that it had no roof. I looked up and out the front right as lava bomb started hitting us and one slammed right into me.
I woke up and was freaking out because I didnt know where I was and my equipment was missing.