In the post on dreams about snakes, we explored the myriad ways in which snakes appear in dreams. Here, we get more specific. What does it mean when you see dead snakes in dreams? The first answer seems kind of obvious: something in you is dead or at risk of dying, or, something in you is absolutely cut off from life.
This is actually a hognose snake playing dead
Whether or not the dead snake in your dream is a good or a bad thing depends on the dream’s depiction of the snake’s death, your reaction to it, and your current life situation.
The question you should be asking about dead snakes in dreams is, should I let die or bring it back to life?
Far too many dream interpretations say things like, “dead snakes in dreams mean something bad is behind you” or something like that. Interpretations like these are too simplistic. Your dreams are an image of an unconscious response to whatever’s happening in your life, and as such, the dream is an attempt to widen your perspective of the situation.
Before you can answer any questions about dead snakes in dreams, you need to know the general meaning of snake symbolism. Snakes are one of the oldest symbols in the history of human kind, and as such, it has a very deep well of meaning.
If you haven’t do so already, I recommend reading my introduction to dream interpretation and meaning.
Table of Contents - Jump to Section
First we will take a quick look at general snake symbolism. I’ll offer some food for thought about each section. Next, we’ll look at some possibilities for the meaning of dead snakes in dreams.
A lime tree in its yearly cycles
The snake is a symbol for primal life energy, and by that I mean that the snake is a symbol for the Life Force itself.
The life force is that primal living stuff that interpenetrates and animates everything in existence. It is the energy which is incarnate in us all. In particular, the snake represents the life force engaged in the field of time.
By engaged in the field of time, I mean that aspect of life which is cyclical: birth, death, rebirth. If you look around you, you can see that all life follows this same process. We see it in the change of seasons; in the rhythm of the moon; and in the sun’s daily and yearly rounds. This attribute of the snake comes from its ability to shed its skin and thus renew itself.
What I’d like for you to keep in mind about this aspect of snake symbolism with regard to dreams about dead snakes:
The life force is cyclical and flows of its own nature. It never resists or complains about its process. A tree does not stop growing because its roots run into an obstacle. Trees don’t cling to their leaves in the Fall because they aren’t ready to let go. They also don’t force their leaves to come out in the Winter because they are just tired of waiting.
Whenever something is unconscious, it is really unconscious – we are unaware of it. Consciously disconnected from whatever it is, we are unaware of the effects it has on us. Be assured, however, the unconscious definitely affects you. It causes you to do things or say things that you don’t want to do or say. This is why it is important for us to become conscious of unconscious effects. Whenever we discover something about ourselves in this way, we have the chance of integrating that information – of bringing it into or back into our lives.
Let the body speak!The snake can symbolize our instinctual nature. Our instinctual nature is that age-old, innate wisdom of the body, something from which we are tragically disconnected. I would venture to say that most don’t even know what I mean when I say, “innate wisdom of the body.”
Let the body speak without your saying a word.
Be like a student following behind a teacher saying “This one knows the way more clearly.”Rumi
To get an idea of what I mean, consider the immense age of humankind in general. Not just the scant 200,000 years that Homosapien has been wandering the planet. Let’s go back even further to our first official ancestors – Homo habilis. Homo habilis existed roughly 2.3–1.4 million years ago. Anything which has endured that long possesses a very deep wisdom that cannot be taken casually.
The same goes if you are feeling tired or sick. Don’t push yourself beyond endurance. This is why so many people have heart problems or digestive problems. You can read more about this phenomenon on my other site in an article called Can Meditation Change the World. The title is just a play on words. The article is about the effects of stress on our brains and bodies and how meditation can actually change those effects due to the neuroplasticity of our nervous system.
I think this a good start for us to dive into the symbolism of If you’re ready to deep-dive into the symbolism of the snake, you can read full article on Snake Symbolism here.
The amazing ability of the snake to shed its skin, and thus, be born again lends it the name Master of the Mystery of Rebirth. Snake symbolism in dreams, then, can represent our own capacity to renew ourselves and thus be born again. This can be a reference to something simple, like a job change or even getting a new hairstyle. But it can also symbolize a radical transformation in our lives. In latter case, it would be a complete alteration of our attitude about life – something that changes our whole personality.
If so, then a dead snake in dreams could be a symbol for your inability to shed something. If this is happening, then you will likely experience a sort of depressive state, whereby everything stagnates. All of your life energy would be trapped in that dead snake.
Figure out what to shed, and you’ll likely start get your energy back.
As I said earlier, the symbolism of the snake can also represent a darker, unconscious energy – not necessarily in a negative/evil sense, but rather just something dark and unknown. The unknown and dark is something from which we are completely disconnected.
If you’re dreaming about a dead snake, then it could be time to check in with yourself.
Do you have the feeling that something is missing from your life?
Are you experiencing any bodily symptoms, such as pain or illness?
Do you spend too much in your head, whether you thinking or fantasizing?
Are you living your life authentically or following a conventional/collectivepath?
It could be something rejected, unadmitted, unacknowledged, or undeveloped. It could be some quality of yourself that you’ve rejected or a quality that is totally undeveloped.
For example, the dead snake could represent a feeling or emotional quality that is missing from your personality. Think about how difficult it is to have a feeling-toned relationship with a snake versus a dog. The snake can also represent the awakening of consciousness, as I have discussed at length in the article on Snake Symbolism.
So, in the case of “rejected, unadmitted, unacknowledged, or undeveloped”, you’d have to reflect on that. What have you left behind or given so little energy and attention to that it’s now dead? Or, what about yourself can you absolutely not accept, but should accept?
How receptive are you to new ideas or perspectives which could possible expand your awareness? A dead snake in your dream could symbolize that you kill something before proper consideration.
I realize this might sound abstract, but here’s an example: many people cannot handle the idea of Death. We especially see this fundamental rejection of life when it comes to the fact that Life must eat Life in order to live. This is a fundamental condition of living, whether you eat animals or plants.
Birth and death are Life. If you accept one and not the other, then you reject a fundamental element of existence. In this case, a reconciliation of the opposing forces within you is necessary.
Symbolically the snake is also the embodiment of the reconciliation of opposites. I could list many images, but just think about the dual snakes wrapped around a pole or tree, as in the caduceus. This symbol is the epitome of transcending opposites.
Dead snakes in dreams could represent an inability to transcend limited, dualistic thinking.
These are just few ways to look at dead snakes in dreams. So, if you have had a dream of a dead snake, follow the guidelines I have laid out here. Reflect on the dream’s meaning. Don’t just read something that tells you what dreams of dead snakes mean. No one can tell you this. You have to take into account everything about your life and your associations with snakes. Work with the symbol of the snake from as many aspects as you can.
Now, there’s another question left to answer: what do dreams of killing a snake mean? This answer has some archetypal components that require a dedicated article. Stay tuned because it’s coming. In the meantime, if you have dreams of dead snakes, please share them in the comments below. We’ll interpret those dreams according to what’s happening in your life right now.
Dreams about flying are common. Yet contrary to the one-size-fits-all interpretation on so many dream…
Dreams about tsunamis reflect unconscious psychological turmoil and the possibility of being deluged from a…
This introduction briefly answers what are dreams and what your dreams are telling you. If…
In dream analysis, the first thing to remember is all dreams mirror the depths of…
Exactly how to remember dreams is a concern for many dream explorers. It's challenging for…
Hand Symbolism in Brief Amplifying hands symbolism reveals a rich tapestry of religious, cultural, and…
This website uses cookies.
View Comments
Hi Jesamine,
These recent eclipses have been bringing up my core wounding, my mother complex, early sexual trauma. I spent 1.5 years in analysis before I moved states and it was a very fruitful time (also Saturn return). Losing that connection to place, meaningful work w/ my autistic clients, and my analyst felt and still feels like such a huge loss that I still haven’t recovered from..Before I found analysis I also experience what seemed, at the time, to be a Kundalini rising experience. A lot of resurfacing grief and somatic/ procedural memories arose toward the last half of my analysis. Here, where I live now, I’ve been floundering. I’ve tried working with various therapists but it’s never felt right/ safe/ a good fit. I’ve gone back into a depression/ freeze state since the pandemic. I’m 33, still with my partner of 10 years, no kids yet, feeling so disconnected from this place, from myself, still struggling, 3 years later, to move on from that time of my life.
I dreamed last night of being in a large wrap-around, sort of sprawling swimming pool, with Elon Musk lol and the previous depth psychotherapist i worked with. She appears in my dreams now, and often we’re romantically involved/ trying to be. I’m embarrassed that Elon is looking at my legs and tell him not to. I notice some hairy spots on my body, and then, I’m in another area, swimming alone, feeling like it’s deeper than I thought, and I feel I’m getting tired and afraid of drowning. I somehow have a small snake in hand and Chuck it near me into the water. It’s dead, I think, and I expect the birds to get it and eat it. “But what if they can’t dive into the water?” I wonder. The next thing I knew I am standing out of the pool, beneath a stone archway, small rattlesnake/ some kind of venomous snake in hand, holding it over a water fountain (the drinking kind but there was a decorative fountain in the pool behind me). I take a bite out of it, and then spit it out, wondering if I consumed any poison, and what it would do to me. I also vaguely recall seeing an image in the dream, maybe in my minds eye, of a large bird, like an eagle, as I bit into it’s flesh. After spitting it out, I rinse my mouth a few times, to clear out any poison, but I’m somehow not that scared about it’s effect, or if it’ll kill me, but feel more curious about it. I’m waking life, I’m fearful of being poisoned/ ingesting bad/ spoiled food. I wonder if the snake might represent my current difficulty in releasing the pain I keep bumping up against in my heart, the agony I feel into when I awaken (have also been struggling to sleep but it’s getting better). I’d be grateful to hear any insight and can also offer more info/ associations if necessary.
Hi
Namaste
It’s my first time here. I embrace your wisdom.
Loved your article.
I have a dream to tell if you can tell
What you see through it.
A little intro Iam an Indian woman in my 40’s
I have been in meditating , being available through this body to conciousness accepting that this body is a vessel and living meditatively but lately I have stopped & been inactive unable to channel
Energy properly & creatively I did dynamic Osho meditations & kundalini & nadhbrahma meditation which helped my energy to channel and to be connected into heart than too much mind .
I have instead slowed physically inactive and have a non acceptance towards death as well. I go through this phase of seeing death but not accepting
So now last few days I have met an old friend who is in depression and been making her aware to meditate to move out of reliving dead thoughts & emotions as she reached out.
In the dream
I saw snake dream where we are have a stroll In nature climbing a hill o. Our stroll upwards Iam very happily showing her a pool on the wat and telling her once it was a pool of snakes.
One large python still passes by hiding in bushes around the pool and then I take her climbing up the hil to go on the end we end of the pool a bit disappointed that there are no alive snakes chasing but being careful of the one which escaped by the time we reach the other end of the pool
I see all dirt of pool and dead skins of snakes washing away out of pool drainage system
So far in the dream I was happy showing around but here I got confused, scared and also felt disgusted by seeing the dead dirt draining out of the drainage
Then I also in my dream saw few new friends all men I made friends lately in our area as a meditator here but they are not meditators and mostly stuck on first chakra Iam Have a loving companion but just to be friendly and enlarge the circle I was being interactive though I wish & tried to chat & make friends with woman but no woman interacts are unfriendly I don’t know why don’t want to think it’s bcoz of race or colour but feeling not safe & felt uncomfortable with all any giving a signal to no more interact with them
And I woke up feeling unsafe towards these men and seeing dead skin of snakes sss
Thank you for reading
❤️🙏❤️
I had a dream just now. I went outside our backyard and I saw 2 snakes dead inside a cage. According to dream, it was like, a friend of mine gave them to me because I wanted to try what it’s like to have a pet. But they died on me. I was shocked but I felt a little relief. But I was too scared to touch them and I was disgusted(FYI I REALLY HATE SNAKES). So I called my husband and asked for help. I’m just worried about this dream. Please tell me something about this dream.
first tell me what you have understood about your dream after having read the post...
I had a dream last night and saw so many dead snakes small an big once ,and found it difficult to walk because I didn't want to step on them.i step where there is a space for me.
Today I had a dream I was in my childhood home (I don’t dream of my childhood home often) with an old friend having a conversation when I noticed my backyard door was open. I ran immediately to it to try and close it as a saw a so figure that looked like a white wolf and I was terrified that it would attack my dog. It was rattling in the bush very loudly. Once I closed the door and ran to the window to get a better view of the dog/wolf, I saw that it had killed or injured a big striped snake that was black, orange and yellow. The snake did not die completely but it was injured and struggling. And it looked at me in the eyes. I remember the feeling of shocked and surprise when I saw the snake. But not much fear as it was already injured. And then I woke up. The night before this dream I had been crying about a lot of unresolved issues with my parents. Growing up, my parents and especially my mother was very neglectful of my needs and would often withhold her love from me if I didn’t do or act as she instructs. This is currently happening again now in my life. She hasn’t spoken to me for 4 months over something that was out of my control. Yesterday I was crying because I just felt extremely lonely without my family’s support. I’m going through a lot of changes as i quit a job that I was unhappy with 6 months ago and I’m trying to pursue my childhood dreams that I’ve been scared to pursue because growing up my parents told me that it wasn’t realistic. I guess I been more emotional lately because these changes and uncertainty ahead of me have been scary, exciting but also often lonely because I often think about wanting to have my parents proud of me for once or just some support. My mom often verbally abuses me when she’s upset and it’s been this way since I could remember so since the last 4 months I decided to keep my distance from her as well and not try and mend things. I’m wondering if this dream has anything to do with the anxiety and sadness I’ve been feeling. I’ve read that if you killed the snake you’re overcoming unresolved issues but I didn’t kill the snake myself? My first initial thought was perhaps my spirit guides wanted to let me know that they will guide me and protect me and I’m not alone, but I’m unsure since I can’t find much information. I would love to know your thoughts, thank you!
In my dream, I killed a snake that was attacking me. As the snake was attacking, I grab it by the neck, and some one cut the it into two halves. I told the person to give me the cutlass and I cut it from the neck. All of the sudden, the tail got head and began to pull out it tongue. The tongue turned into root, the other pieces of the snake grew roots and grew into trees.
What does it means?
In my dream I saw around 4 to 5 feet thick dead snake. Don’t remember the color or species. It was lying dead in my walkway near garden leading towards entrance gate as if it was going out. I just saw it lying there and I threw a shoe on it. When I went to see the other side it was cut open from the belly and around 5 to 6 white coloured eggs were there in the belly.
In my dream: were in a camp and was asked to go put on the generator, so three of us went, on our way, I could see so many snakes different types and on reaching the generator site, there were lots of dead mashed snakes that got my hands and feet stained with the snakes blood to the extend that I could perceived the smell of the blood. Then I heard my son wake me.
Hi Janet, you didn't leave me any information about your life. If you want some feedback, do that.
In my dream a stranger told me he have a dead snake who flew to moon once. I insisted him not to show me the dead snake bcoz I will get scared. But he brought it towards me. So I closed my eyes. But then he put it on my neck from behind to front. I could feel it. I got so scared and threw it. I ran to hide. As I came out, he threw it on the sand near my foot. Then I saw it. It was a greenish yellow colour python kind of snake, whose small head was crushed and dead. A white cat with brown patches jumped on the pythons head and went off then. Though the snake was lying wrapped near my foot, I was less scared bcoz it was dead so couldn’t move. But I was not liking it there, so I went towards my home. All this happened on the road side.
Good morning.
I had a dream last night about two dead small snakes. At first I didn’t know what it was as I just found it’s head. While the other I saw it under the pillow.
What do you think could be the reason for having such dreams?
Thank you.
Hi Kiki, if you want some insight, then please re-read the post, give me some information about your life, and make some associations to this dream. I have given you a lot to work with in the post.
I had a dream that I had a large, green pet snake. I can’t recall the details, but I was with family or friends for most of the dream while out on a bay or river in boats of some kind at night. At some point, the snake died, and I continued to carry him around. I was somewhat sad about the snake, but not overly sad.
I also remember a 45-50ish year old man who seemed to want to help me. He was very positive and energetic, and with large, dynamic « coach-like » movements, he encouraged me to place the snake in the dark water. I did so and watched it float towards a dock without sinking. That is all that I can recall.
I am currently expecting my first child, am happily married, but intensely dislike my job. I feel trapped to the point that going to work feels like my soul is dying. It’s suffocating, but I have to continue there for the time being as I can’t find another job. I have artistic and musical talent (the musical side was my first degree), and I’ve been encouraged to start my own business based around my face painting side gig, which I do on the weekends. My main job does not use any of my current talents. I also feel increasingly worried that I am behind in saving for retirement, which drives me to continue in my line of work.
Thank you for all of your insights. They were helpful to me in this situation!
Hi Meg, thank you for sharing this dream. I'd really like to know how the post helped...I'm very curious about this snake. My feeling is that it is related to your artistic/creative nature. It's as if your soul is in this snake you carry ... this man in your dream is a very positive figure.
I wondered if you know anything about Jung's technique of active imagination. You need to make contact with this helpful dream figure.
It seems as if you are in the proverbial trap that has been laid for us in this world: follow convention or listen to your soul? Joseph Campbell (especially in his book Pathways to Bliss) used to tell people, if you follow your bliss, invisible hands seem to reach down and help you. They open doors for you where there would no doors for anyone but you.
You snake does not sink; it floats back towards the land...I like this imagery.