Dreams often provide useful health information. Learning how to distinguish health warnings in dreams may help you find a path for healing or help you prevent illness altogether.
Dreams of Insects are Sometimes about Autoimmune Problems
A common dream symbol of autoimmune disorder is an infestation of small insects, termites, ants or spiders in a house. Each insect seems to represent an unhealthy cell in the “house”, a metaphor for the body. One dreamer shares:
I realized in the dream that there were too many ants for natural products to work and I would need to use chemical pesticides. The area they were infesting was a spiral staircase (often represents the spine) … and the bone marrow biopsy of my spine was one of several diagnostic tests where the cancer showed up. I also had several more dreams before, during & after treatment that seemed to chart the course of things.
This dreamer received chemotherapy and is healthfully alive seven years later!
Breast Cancer and Little Seeds
Another woman dreamed a doctor removed a black seed-like substance from her body. At the time she had breast cancer and, seeing the dream as a sign to remove the cancer completely, she decided to have her breast removed.
She is now a breast cancer survivor with a clean bill of health, a new outlook on life, and says her dreams were instrumental in helping her choose her treatment. She’s recently celebrated five years of healthy living!
Insects in a Bowl and Intestinal Problems
I once dreamed I found a large ceramic bowl I made in college. The bowl was filled with cobwebs and spider mites. In the dream, I successfully cleaned the bowl with tap water, removing all cobwebs and spider mites.
As a dreamworker, I was acutely aware that dreaming of an infestation of spiders can be about cancer or illness. I was concerned for my health, but I took comfort in the fact that my dream-self easily cleaned the bowl simply by rinsing it out with water.
Two weeks later in waking life I developed an intestinal problem. I felt awful. After a few hours I remembered my dream. As it turns out, the bowl in my dream represented a place to store food, symbolic of my “bowel” which is the place where my body stores the remnants of digested food, and that my “bowel” would have some “bugs.”
The dream provided useful information on how to rid myself of the “bug” by flushing out my system with water. I drank large quantities of water for 3 days, hardly ate a thing, and my body returned to normal. It might have healed on its own anyway, but the water helped tremendously.
Chased by a Rhinovirus
I once dreamed a rhinoceros was chasing me. In order to get away from it, I locked myself in a room.
A few days later I could feel a cold coming on (“rhino” virus!) Honestly, though, I didn’t make the connection until after I saw a commercial for a cold remedy that entailed a rhinoceros chasing a woman! It was as though my dream was being shown to me again on TV.
I didn’t take the advertised cold remedy, but I did take Chinese herbs to boost my immune system (to create a “boundary” between me and the “rhino”virus), ate a lot of home-made chicken noodle soup and rested. I never got sick, but my partner Scott was sick for 2 weeks. He doesn’t always believe in the significance of dreams.
Book Recommendation
Robert Moss has a fantastic chapter on Dreams of Healing in his book Conscious Dreaming, A Spiritual Path for Everyday Life.
Pay attention to your dreams. Insect infestations can be a health warning, indicating an immune problem. The good news is that if you pay attention, chances are that you’ll also be given instructions on what to do to heal your body.
I had a dream I had a pimple like bump on my left breast. When I popped it, I was shocked to find it wasnt puss or anything of that nature. It was a bug, I’m not sure what kind but it was sort of like a bloated maggot. Only it wasnt a maggot. What could this mean? Its been bothering me like crazy!
Hi Trista,
Thanks for sharing your dream. I don’t want to alarm you with my response, however, if it were my dream I’d consider this a health warning. Insects in dreams can represent all sorts of things from “flu” bugs to cancer. The good news is that dreams can alert us to disease and illness long before it becomes a problem. Feel free to email me personally at amy@thedreamtribe.com if you’d like to talk about it.
I recently had a dream that I had a big lump in each hand and they were moving like insects under the skin and one of them burst open and there was a beetle or scarab type thing that came out. Quite often I will get dreams along the same lines but the bug or creature is in my abdomen crawling under the skin what do this mean they always fill me with a sense of disgust when I wake up.
I had a dream last night that my house was infested with spiders. In every corner there were two spiders, one behind the other with the larger spider being behind. What does this dream mean? Its been driving me crazy all day as it kept me awake all day.. Note this was the same day I had a major argument with my partner..
Last night I dreamt that I was keeping a collection of bugs( in a dorm room) in aquarium tanks. After a while they multiplied( and some became unusually large) and my whole room was infested, as well as the neighborhood that I lived in. I was overwhelmed with what to do about the situation. They were everywhere and biting and I didn’t know how to get rid of them. It was an awful dream.
had this dream upon awakening.
attened my garden. had removed a fresh ear of corn from a stalk. upon
removing the fresh leaves all these spidermites appeared. shook the
ear to get rid of those insects. some fell to the ground while others
crawled up my left hand that held the ear. shook to no vain to get rid of
those that are crawling up my left hand.
does the dream mean anything? there are those who claim dream mean
nothing.
All dreams have meaning. People who claim they do not have meaning are not usually dreamworkers with real life experience.
Although I’m not certain what it may mean regarding health issues, if it were my dream, it may be that something I heard (symbolized by “ear” of the corn) is bugging me or infesting me with a rehashing of this information.
Last night I had a dream that my right breast had been removed by operation. I was not in pain and it seemed as though the wound had healed. I could hear the voice of my distant father laughing in the background. This dream really scared me a lot because all I thought was “breast cancer”.
This is scary because my mother’s mom (my gran) died of breast cancer. I do self-breast exams monthly and have felt nothing strange like a lump in either of my breasts, what could this dream mean?
Hi Thandi,
I know dreams like this are scary. The best advice I can give you is to set up an appt with your physician to get professional medical advice.
Here are my dream thoughts: this dream could be symbolic, could be a way to help you deal with feelings and fears you may have regarding your mother and grandmother’s breast cancer, and it could be a warning about actual illness.
But I don’t want to alarm you unnecessarily: if it is a warning dream, the good news is that it feels like positive dream. Since your father is laughing, it feels like a good omen, as though there would be a good outcome even if cancer was detected. Also, if it is a premonition dream, it may be suggesting a surgical method for healing. I know several people who received specific advice for how to heal their cancer and they’re all living. I recommend Wanda Burch’s book, “She Who Dreams.” It is about how she healed herself from cancer by following her dreams (and getting surgery/chemo). It is a positive, uplifting book, especially for a dreamer.
Considering all of this, my best advice is for you to see your physician so you know what’s happening physically. Then at least you can let go of any worries if they find you to be in good health.
warm wishes,
Amy
I, too, had a dream of a blackhead/pimple on the side of my left breast. when i touched it- it became open and big – the size of a golf ball. and out of it came two white misformed things that turned out to be pearls. that i then wore around my neck as two necklaces. the gapping hole on my breast closed up and was healed after i noticed that i was wearing the necklaces and that they were pearls.
My research thus far shows mostly what it means for a man to see a woman’s breast, not for a woman to see her own breast. maybe it is about self soothing, Also- i found that it can be an association with ones mother and father both
I had a dream I had a tarantula on my head and it laid its eggs on it my hair is very thin and short yet I could not see it on me and all these little spiders were crawling out of my head I tossed the big one over some kind of stairway and killed it but I couldn’t seem to get rid of the hundreds in my hair…what could that possibly mean, I can’t seem to be at ease.
Firstly, I have often had spider dreams, and was diagnosed with cancer this year. I’ve had a radical hysterectomy and ovaries and lymph removed. I’m due to have chemo radiation shortly. However, I had a disturbing upsetting dream a few nights ago.
I moved house to get away from a very black venemous menacing spider that feeds off the house occupants, and has killed other people before it found me. It showed up in the new house, to my horror, and a man tried to help me and it latched onto his hand, shrinking as it transferred it’s venom. I thought ” here’s my chance to finally kill it!” But when I carefully went to squash it, it bounced out with a pop and was invincible- and angry- and flying. trying to bite me. I coaxed it put the front glass door with a broom but it menaced me buzzing around, refusing to leave, laughing and waiting. Its now grown to it’s original size but looks like a dolls head. It’s then I see my handbag purse phone and keys are out there with it, I despair why it won’t go and find someone else. I wake up with a headache.
Most of it’s quite obvious- and I just read where someone thought purses could mean uterus (and it’s outside) so does it mean I simply fear it is waiting for me after (flying) metastasising or is it precognitive? It will be interesting to see if I have these recurring dreams once I have the adjuvant treatment. Any insight would be invaluable! Thanks
I was hoping someone could give me some insight into my dream. At my doctors appointment yesterday they found a lump in my breast. Then last night I dreampt I had the lump removed but while hanging with friends I noticed spiders living inside the surgical wound. When I pushed the large pink spider out, I found another, then another. There were five that I shoo-ed out, but they wanted back in so I had to evade them or kill them or hurt them. Later in the dream I pulled out a small rodent from my breast, and it turned out to be a beanie baby toy. Another creature was also taken out. It was gross and I eventually left my friends so I could go off and rest to either die or heal. I wasn’t sure which. But I didn’t care, I just wanted to go be alone with my discusting breast.
Do you think I dreampt this because of the fear of my doctor finding a lump, or is it a warning sign? I have an appointment for a mamogram. I was just curious about what people thought of this.
Thanks,
Tammie
Hi, I had a dream last night where I was at home and felt this pain in my intestines, I had an x-ray done and saw a swarm of bugs nessled in my small intestine, some were removed but a lot had stayed and I remember pleading with the doctor to have them disgusting things removed but they said no.
What could it mean?
I had a dream where we (me and my mum) were at a house inspection and as we got there the owner was like “the place isn’t exactly what it looked like in the photo. Its infested with bugs” and we were with another group of people and as soon as they saw the bugs they did not want the place.
And when we saw it we still saw potential even though there was soo much bugs like beetles,stick bugs , those type of beetles that shead their skin shells and yeah lots and lots of bugs but we decided to get it and take on the challenge … i dont know what this dream means but it seems important
If anyone could help would be much appreciated.