Keep Dreaming Of Bears? 7 Different Things It Could Mean, From Dream Experts

While the specific meaning of your particular dream can only be fully understood by you, there are some common themes among bear dreams in general, according to professional dream interpreter Lauri Loewenberg.

As she tells mindbodygreen, she considers bears to be in the top seven most common animals we dream about. She notes that in her experience with clients, bears will typically relate to someone or something that's literally "overbearing" them.

"Dreams will use wordplay—they bring our metaphors to life for us, because we naturally speak that way," Loewenberg explains, adding, "So dreams work that way as well."

And speaking of wordplay, she also notes that if a bear is representing an overbearing person in the case of your dream, the person is likely a woman, or a "mama bear" figure in your life. (Wordplay yet again.)

Loewenberg notes that black and brown bears are the most commonly reported bears in dreams for her clients, given that these are the bears we typically think of in North America. According to her, the bigger the bear, or the more bears there are, the more you're feeling overborne.

Dreaming about bear cubs can mean a few different things depending on context, according to Loewenberg, who says it all depends on where "mama bear" is. Are you the one responsible for these bear cubs? In this case, these cubs could represent your own children or something you feel you need to protect.

If you sense mama bear is nearby and you're feeling afraid, this could tie back to the more general interpretation of an overbearing person—perhaps your own mother, Loewenberg explains.

The greater context of what happens in your dreams, and more importantly, how you feel in those dreams, are the best ways to figure out what they actually mean. In the case of a very dangerous bear or bears, Loewenberg notes, you're not just slightly worried about a fuzzy black bear in the distance—you're in stress dream danger-mode.

You might be wondering at this point: Are there any positive bear dreams? According to Loewenberg, yes, there are. If you're dealing with a friendly bear, a bear that's minding its own business, or you're even rescuing one, she says, it can represent a real person you may have once believed to be a threat.

Lastly, we have hibernating bears, which can represent a few different things. More obviously, Loewenberg says, a hibernating bear can represent your own need to rest and recoup and even trouble sleeping.

Beyond that, she says, bears can sometimes represent your finances. (Think of the stereotypical image of a bear hoarding honey, for instance, or bear versus bull markets.) If you're stressed about your financial situation and dream of a sleeping bear, she says, it's a sign to cool it on the spending.

Interpreting any dream is about identifying which real-life situation is making its way into your dreaming mind, and further, identifying the way you feel in the dream and where/when you feel that same way in your life.

So when it comes to bears, Loewenberg says, you need to figure out if the bear represents you or another person because they often do represent overbearing people in our lives. "A good rule of thumb with any dream is to narrow down the way you would describe the bear in the dream—the behavior, the nature of the bear—then start with yourself. Does that fit you right now? If not, then work outward. Does that fit someone close to you that you're dealing with right now?" she explains.

From there, she adds, pay close attention to how you feel when you first wake up from the dream, or even how you felt in it. Did the bear make you feel frightened? Victimized? Soft? Someone or something in your life may be making you feel the same way.