Dream meaning
Seeing an angel
The short answer
Dreaming of an angel usually reflects a wish for guidance, protection or comfort, and it often comes in difficult times. Many dreamers wake from these dreams feeling reassured, whatever their beliefs.
12.4% of people in the study had had this dream. No. 44 of the 55 typical dreams · Nielsen et al., 2003
What does a dream about “Seeing an angel” mean?
What psychologists say
Spiritual themes were among the new items the researchers added to the Typical Dreams Questionnaire. Under the continuity hypothesis, angel dreams link to faith, upbringing, grief and the need for support. Their emotional effect on waking is usually positive.
Nielsen et al., 2003; Schredl & Hofmann, 2003
The Jungian reading
A Jungian reading sees the angel as a messenger of the Self: an image of guidance from the deeper psyche. What the angel says or does matters more than its appearance.
Jung, 1964
In history and folklore
Angels as dream messengers run through the Bible, from Jacob's ladder to Joseph's dreams, and through many religious traditions. Folk dream books read them as blessings or news.
How common is this dream?
12.4% of people in the study had had this dream. From a survey of 1,181 first-year university students in three Canadian cities. No. 44 of the 55 typical dreams.
Common versions of this dream
What if the angel speaks?
Words in the dream often carry advice you already half know.
What if the angel is dark or frightening?
A threatening angel can stand for guilt or a hard truth.
What if I'm the angel?
Being the angel suggests a protective role in someone's life.
Dreams that often come with it
Had this dream? Tell it to Oneiros.
Oneiros reads your own dream, not a dictionary entry: what it was about, how it felt and what it may mean for you, and it notices when it comes back.
Oneiros offers reflective readings for self-discovery and entertainment. It is not a medical or psychological service.
Sources
- Nielsen, T. A., Zadra, A. L., Simard, V., Saucier, S., Stenstrom, P., Smith, C., & Kuiken, D. (2003). The typical dreams of Canadian university students. Dreaming, 13(4), 211–235. doi:10.1023/B:DREM.0000003144.40929.0b
- Schredl, M., & Hofmann, F. (2003). Continuity between waking activities and dream activities. Consciousness and Cognition, 12(2), 298–308. doi:10.1016/S1053-8100(02)00072-7
- Jung, C. G. (Ed.) (1964). Man and His Symbols. Aldus Books.