Octopus Dream Meaning

One of the most interesting dreams you could ever have involves the image of an octopus. There’s just something elegant, mysterious, and definitely strange about this animal. If you ever dreamed of swimming by an octopus or getting entangled in its tentacles, it’s very easy to wake up in a cold sweat. But you shouldn’t worry. Your Octopus Dream Meaning is very deep, complicated, and nuanced.

General Meaning of Octopus in a Dream

Generally speaking, when you see an octopus in your dream, your subconscious is telling you that you should tap into your intellect more. This indicates that there will be a need for you to reach deep into your personal capabilities because you have an upcoming project or you will be working on something different and substantive.

Depending on the context of the octopus image in your nighttime vision, your subconscious may also indicate that it’s picking up on signals involving others. This can take the shape of helping others work towards the same goal. It can also mean you need to adapt to new surroundings or new situations. You may find yourself in the same setup as before, but the terms have changed, so you have to adapt.

Finally, depending on what else is going on in your dream, seeing an octopus can indicate that you have to work in such a way that the end justifies the means. A lot of people have a problem with this. It doesn’t sit well with a lot of people but in many cases, it’s often necessary.

Symbolic Meaning of Octopus

The octopus is a very interesting animal because it has a very large brain and eight tentacles. Just like with any imagery involving large cerebral faculties, the image of an octopus connotes intelligence and using one’s cognitive abilities to solve problems and to get around otherwise sticky situations.

The octopus also leverages its size. It’s actually very adaptable. It can be very flat and also very small. In fact, a lot of fishermen capture octopi by using small jars, if you will, that they drop into the ocean. But this can also be a source of its power because it can inflate itself in the water and scare off potential predators.

Its many arms can be used for good in terms of gathering a lot of resources but it can also be put into places that they have no business being in.

Put simply, octopus, in this context, can symbolize greed or outsized ambition. It can also connote overextending yourself. Since an octopus is very capable and is often driven by well-reasoned planning, it is no surprise that this animal can symbolize prosperity in your dreams.

But you can only take things so far because eventually, your drive for acquiring things can lead to possessiveness. You run the risk of defining yourself based on what you own instead of you, owning your possessions.

Tapping your Intellect

When an octopus attacks, it has to use its brain and its ability to change its size. In most cases, this is all it needs. But for it to pull off the right strategy at the right time with the right target, it has to analyze and decide first.

This means that when you see an octopus in your dream and you’re dealing with people or you have a job where you deal with a lot of people, thinking a lot before you speak can help you tremendously.

You also have to learn how to strategically exercise your power and dispense wisdom. Because whether you like it or not, or are aware of it or not, people look up to you regardless of where you are in the hierarchy chart.

This is a great power but for you to fully unlock it, you have to tap into your personal natural curiosity. This is what will push you to discover the unknown parts of your persona.

A lot of people walk around with a stereotype of who they think they should be and they never get past that. It’s really too bad because there are many different sides of you and some of them are quite awesome although you have to get past some scary parts to discover them.

Eating an Octopus Symbolizes Working on a Big Project

Whether you’re eating octopus that is sliced up, stewed, or a part of another dish, this can indicate that your subconscious is picking up signals that show or project some sort of big assignment. It’s so big that if you drop it, it will have a profound effect on your business, your academic career, or your job prospects.

Not surprisingly, you have to tap into the octopus aspect of your persona, which is to spread yourself and envelop the subject, know it from the inside out. This, of course, means making efficient use of your time and to be aware of potential risks and work around them just as an octopus is able to manage mazes and obstacles.

What does an octopus extending itself mean?

One of the big motifs of your dream is octopus spreading itself out into water? This means that your subconscious is tapping into your personal willingness to take on challenges.

You may be a timid person in your waking life but there’s a part of you that is always up for a challenge. Now is the time to wake that part up because there are going to be some adventures up ahead if you give yourself permission.

What does it mean to focus on the octopus’ bulbous head?

The classic octopus shape involves a bulbous or big head with multiple tentacles. This is your symbol for personal success. Not only do you have to get excited about whatever it is you’re thinking of doing but you also have to get so into it that you put your heart into the project.

This is not just reflected in your excitement, it also is reflected in your willingness to fail. Because as you put out many different tentacles, not all of them will end up in the right place.

Be ready for this. Use this to your advantage. If you don’t get the results that you’re looking for, at least learn from the experience and tie that into what you need to do. And eventually, you will succeed. But for you to be able to pull this off and eventually get bigger responsibilities with matching expectations, your mind and heart have to be in the right place.

Helping others with the same goal is your key to success

You may be thinking that you are an independent person. You may be thinking that whatever success you stand to achieve in life will only be the product of your own effort and nothing else. That is a comforting idea but it’s unrealistic.

You have to be a team player. And this requires sharing resources, volunteering your time, and putting yourself out there. Some people describe this as kindness, others would look at it more strategically. It doesn’t matter.

You have to be there for other people because for you to receive, you must first give.

What does a swimming octopus dream image means?

If your dream consists mostly of seeing or witnessing octopus swimming through the water, your subconscious is indicating that you’re going to have to anticipate and embrace change. Maybe you’re frustrated with how things have panned out in your career, or your education, or in your relationships so far. But this is not the end.

Your subconscious is saying that you just need to shift your shape like an octopus and be more adaptable. Because eventually, you will come out ahead.

The only person getting in the way of your success is yourself. So to get ahead, look for opportunities, spread those tentacles, work your networks.

What does being strangled by an octopus mean?

When you see yourself or somebody else being strangled by an octopus, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Believe it or not, this indicates that you have a part of you that will do whatever it takes or however long it takes to achieve your goal. And the key here is to let go of strangling morality that is so dogmatic and so fixed that it actually acts as an excuse for not trying.

There’s a lot of people who dress up their personal laziness with all sorts of moralistic claims. But in reality, they’re just afraid.

They feel they don’t have the energy, they don’t have the time so they don’t even try. But the truth is, if you desire a lot of things and if you have your eyes on the best that life has to offer, you have to put yourself out there.

And this involves the ends justifying the means. And as foul as that may sound, it indicates just overcoming these moral objections you have given yourself that act as excuses. Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t harm people but try to separate moralism from real morality.

Your measure of intelligence is your ability to change

If you really want to live up to your fullest potential, you have to tap into your personal adaptability. A lot of your current frustrations and unhappiness can be traced to your unwillingness to adapt.

Pay close attention to that word “unwillingness.” I didn’t say inability to change, I said unwillingness to change. Very big difference. Understand that difference, act on it, and enjoy better results.

Use your extraordinary abilities to do more

Just as an octopus can tap into many different holes and different places at the same time because of its 8 tentacles, you have different abilities that you may not be tapping. You also have abilities that you are not fully developing.

Figure them out and challenge them so as to hold them and take them to the next level. This is how you grow. Does this involve absolutely no pain? Of course not. But the more you fail and learn, the better you become.

Be firm and grounded

The safest place an octopus can be is in some sort of container at the bottom of the sea. Unfortunately, this is also how fishermen capture octopi. You have to find your personal center. And this cannot be found in what other people tell you.

You have to discover this yourself. Plus, what makes it more challenging is that it also changes as you age. So be on the lookout for what makes you firm and grounded and center your strength there.

Size does matter

Forget what other people tell you. Oftentimes, being perceived as powerful is just as effective as actually being powerful. There are many areas in your life where a little bit of faking it until you make it makes a lot of sense.

Unfortunately, if you cling to this moralist absolute, that you have to be completely authentic and completely true and completely certain, it’s very easy to use that sense of moral certainty as an excuse for not trying.

And when you do that, your life passes you by. And you don’t have anybody else to blame except yourself.

Don’t waste time proving you’re a good person

As I mentioned earlier regarding the moralism and use of morality as some sort of excuse to become personally stagnant or complacent, your octopus dream can indicate that you spend a lot of time proving to yourself that you’re a good person. But in many cases, this is just all in your head.

How do you know you’re a really good person? It all boils down to how you treat other people. Feeling good about yourself is never as good as actually being good to others. Look at your behavior.

Pay close attention to the consequences of your actions on those around you and you will get to the correct answer.

Keep looking up

One of the main reasons why octopi get captured is they focus so much on looking down and looking inside the container they’re hiding in that they lose sight of what’s happening from above.

Keep looking up. Not only do you have to look up in terms of hierarchies, social orders, and social status, but you should also look up in terms of higher realities and spiritual truths.

While it’s true that you need to move away from this dogmatic moralism that you often use as a crutch, this doesn’t mean that there is no such thing as a higher power. So instead of focusing on religion per se and all its formal structures and structures, focus instead on the relationship with ultimate reality.

People help one another, no one needs luck

Octopi are some of the luckiest creatures because they can get out of sticky situations. The problem is, if you’re just looking out for yourself whether at work, at school, or in your relationship, it becomes harder for other people to get the most out of that situation or arrangement. And pretty soon, there’s going to be a lot of strained relationships or uneasy alliances.

It’s only a matter of time until it all breaks apart. There’s no better luck than the luck that you create. And the way to do this is to put yourself out there and help others without an expectation that something will return to you.

Don’t hurt if you can’t help

If you find yourself in the unenviable position of being unable to help other people, don’t make it worse on the rest of humanity by hurting them. And one of the worst ways you can hurt them is to be a parasite. You take, take, and take but you never give. At the very least, smile and give sincere thanks. Do not be part of the problem.

When you get, give

Since tentacles partly define the octopus, there’s a tendency to use the tentacles to focus solely on what you can get. This is natural because as babies, we are self-interested and selfish. But eventually, you reach a point where you realize that for you to get, you must first give. So to turn this into reality, whenever you get something, give something back.

It doesn’t have to be the exact same thing. It can be emotional, it can be encouragement. Whatever the case may be, give something back and be part of this flow of abundance that is life.