Dreaming of Elephants: Discover the Spiritual Meaning and Interpretation

Written by Kirstin Harrington
Updated: July 11, 2023
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Many people describe elephants as gentle giants. These beautiful creatures roam grassland and savannahs looking for their next watering hole. The incredible memory of these massive creatures makes them stand out. 

There are many things that elephants may symbolize, depending on culture and spiritual beliefs. Have you been dreaming about these floppy-eared animals lately? If you have, keep on reading to learn all about what dreams of elephants could mean for you! 

Elephants may appear in your dreams as an enlightened reminder about your lofty ideals and aspirations.

Elephant Symbolism

Now that you know elephants can mean different things to a variety of cultures, let’s dive a bit more into that. Elephants are precious icons in many nations, religions, and beliefs. These creatures have a history in wars and they were also employed for transportation. 

Wild Female Asian Elephant in Yok Don National Park, Vietnam

You can find elephants in most zoos.

©DorSteffen/Shutterstock.com

Several legendary tales depict these creatures as knowledgeable and devoted animals that led wanderers in the wild back to the proper path. You can find artwork and figurines showcasing elephants from the Renaissance era.

An elephant is a representation of security, endurance, success, and good luck in feng shui. These animals’ statues placed in the entryway of a home can provide safety from harm. Asian natives regarded legendary elephants on par with phoenixes and dragons as representative of their continent. 

These creatures symbolize regal, strength, and intelligence. Buddhists love these massive animals. They see them as one of the world’s most priceless treasures. They are a symbol of splendor, strength, honor, enlightenment, and spiritual growth in Buddhism. 

The creature is also a representation of perseverance and relentless effort in Christianity.

Interpreting Spiritual Meaning

We’ll dive into all of the elephant dream meanings in the next section. For now, if you’ve been wondering what these dreams could mean for you spiritually, look no further! Here are some of the more common traits that elephants represent.

Stress

Although seeing an elephant in a dream is typically a good omen, occasionally tension or unfavorable feelings can arise. Due to their size, elephants can evoke emotions of dread, anxiety, and intimidation.  

Dreams in which you are fleeing from a stampede of these creatures or one where feel threatened, typically depict a major obstacle in your life that you are attempting to avoid. You can be plagued with the urge to complete a chore or take care of something vital, yet you continue to avoid dealing with it.

There are eight to 100 elephants in a herd.

©Prasanth Aravindakshan/Shutterstock.com

One could also interpret a herd of elephants pursuing you to be intense social pressure from your circle of friends or family. When managing these social challenges, you could feel as though you are being crushed by the pressure of everyone else’s expectations for you. 

Without your being conscious of it, a dream like this can help you understand how much stress something you may be feeling. This dream may provide you with the knowledge you require to put aside what others expect of you in order to re-engage with your actual honest self. 

Inspiration

Elephants may appear in your dreams as an enlightened reminder about your lofty ideals and aspirations. You might have huge plans to start a business or produce something significant. 

Even though you might not feel up to the task, the dream reminds you that no concept or objective is too huge. 

If you put in the necessary time, effort, and patient, systematic work, you will accomplish the objective. It won’t just be prosperous; it will also be strong and stable enough to survive any difficulties or challenges that attempt to topple it. 

This is particularly relevant if you have a dream that involves a newborn elephant or its mother. Baby elephants may represent the beginning of an endeavor or concept with the potential for great return if you persevere in pursuing your objectives. In order to achieve your goal, you must devote your nurturing efforts to it until it reaches maturity. 

Luck

Elephants are a common sign of luck, and this is also true of how they show up in dreams. They may appear in your dreams as a sign that luck and success are on their way to you. 

Ana Tree

Elephants can stand on their hind legs to reach food.

©Jez Bennett/Shutterstock.com

If the elephant was near or bathing in water, this is particularly so. This serves as a metaphor for the riches that entering into your life. The flood of money, love, comfort, and laughter are all represented by an elephant experiencing pleasure and frolicking in the water. 

If you have been dreaming about rescuing an elephant, this denotes that you have a strong sense of empathy for people and will be successful in what you do. A profession in wellness, medical care, and taking care of people will bring you wealth. 

An elephant may show up in your dream to reassure you that your hard work will be worth it and that you will achieve your objective if you continue striving for it.

Elephant Dream Meanings

Knowing the elephant’s true significance will help you focus on your own inner strength or lack thereof. The sign may come to you on purpose, implying a relationship with your psyche. The way the elephant appears in your dream could change its interpretation. 

Dreaming of Multiple Elephants

A herd of elephants is a particularly significant dream to pay attention to because it conveys information about your ancestry, community, and social connections. In your dream, a herd of elephants represents the intimate support you receive from a close-knit group of people who love you unconditionally. 

Elephants holding tails

Females lead in herds of elephants.

©ElephantErik/Shutterstock.com

This could be the people you consider your “soul family” or a group of people who are waiting for you to go on a grand adventure with them. A herd of elephants may represent a large social network that you are a part of, such as a thriving spiritual community. 

Elephants, by and large, imply that you can believe individuals that are in this informal community, and they are on a similar path in life as you. If an elephant herd is chasing you, it could mean that you’re under pressure from your inner circle, which could be making it harder for you to make decisions every day. 

You might be under too much pressure because of your popularity on a social media platform. Or it could be a religious community that is requiring you to abide by stringent rules. Creating space from these prevailing difficulties might assist with providing you with a feeling of feeling grounded and credible to your actual self.

Dreaming of an Angry Elephant

Have you been dreaming of an unpleasant interaction with an angry elephant? This could be a sign of excessive stress or fear in your waking life. Dreaming of a furious elephant addresses profound sensations of outrage, hatred, or feelings of dismissal. These feelings may get so big that they feel like an “elephant in the room.”

It’s possible that you’re suppressing some intense feelings. You’ll want to release these emotions to move forward with your life in a positive way. In this situation, journaling or seeing a professional to talk about deep pain and hurt can be very helpful.

Dreaming of Elephants in Water

A dream of an elephant floating in water is a sign of abundance and the universal flow of life. This dream informs you that success is on the horizon. A gathering of elephants in water is a positive sign for blissful and consonant connections in your family and neighborhood. 

It also indicates a long-term commitment, such as having a wedding or starting a family.

Typically, this dream evokes feelings of hope, fulfillment, wholeness, contentment, happiness, and success as a whole.

If you have a dream in which an elephant is under the surface of the water, it means that your expectations of a relationship with your current partner, family, or community are too high. It might imply that your commitments and values do not match your current situation and that your big dreams appear to be slipping away.

Dreaming of an Elephant Chasing You

Because of their enormous stature and inherent stampeding nature, one of the most typical and distressing elephant dreams involves an elephant chasing you. It’s typical to experience fear of an elephant stopping or trapping you in a dream like this.

The front feet of an elephant. The bottom legs and feet are light gray and very wrinkly. Semi-circle shaped (with the arch at the top) white toenails are visible on the front of the elephant's feet.

Elephants can run up to 25 miles per hour.

©The Speedy Butterfly/Shutterstock.com

A dream of an elephant pursuing you can be a sign that you’re avoiding a major issue in your life. It may also mean that there is a demanding obligation or control that you believe is dragging you along. Elephant symbolism conveys the weight of the problem and informs you that dealing with it is draining a lot of your mental, emotional, and physical resources.

It could be useful right now to take a break away from any oppressive individuals or circumstances in order to gain a fresh perspective and re-establish contact with your genuine self. It can be beneficial to learn how to set limits so that you avoid people “walking all over you.”

This dream may occur repeatedly for those who are extremely empathetic and feel physically or energetically oppressed. It will be beneficial to understand how to control your energy and create healthy boundaries if you are someone who is highly sensitive. 

Dreaming of Elephant Tusks

Elephants use their tusks as tools. They also use them to defend themselves, stand their ground, and overcome challenges. A dream about elephant tusks can be a sign that the ability to overcome obstacles and establish boundaries with others is something you should focus on. It is a sign of strength and power.

Front view of elephant with short tusks

Elephant tusks are teeth!

©Ocean Eloy/Shutterstock.com

Dreaming of tusks can be a representation similar to that when people hunt elephants for their tusks. It’s possible that you overstepped your authority or used force to harm other people. This dream requests that you think about what your powerful actions mean for other people.

Baby Elephants in Dreams

It’s hard to beat the udder cuteness that is a young elephant; but what do they mean when they show up in your dreams? If you dream of a baby elephant, it means that you will have new opportunities that could lead to a lot of success in the future. 

A new project you just started or an idea you have may be a representation of this. It could also be a sign that you’re in a brand-new relationship to which you are unsure whether or not you should fully commit.

In the event that the juvenile elephant is cheerful or is in water, it is an indication of good luck and success in your future. If the baby elephant is hurting or angry, it means that your decision might not work out.

Seeing a Caged Elephant in a Dream

A dream of an elephant in a cage can represent the feeling that your inner strength and power are being held back. You might think you’re stuck or that your confidence is being held back. You may be feeling powerless because of an authority figure or because of your own insecurities.

A black and white elephant head through the bars of a zoo cage.

The main place you’ll see an elephant in a cage is a zoo or circus.

©Craig Ferry/Shutterstock.com

The dream you’re having is telling you that you have a ton of internal strength and power, however, you simply have to figure out how to use it. Perhaps you should get rid of people in your life who make you feel bad about yourself or quit a job that doesn’t give you a strong sense of self-worth.

There’s a saying that goes, “Go where you’re celebrated, not where you’re tolerated.” Apply this to your life and watch yourself thrive! 

Dreaming of a Hurt Elephant

You are a healer and an empath if you dream about an elephant with an injury. This dream shows the aggravation and experiences that you are taking on from individuals around you, and attempting to mend them.

Because elephants are all about community, when one elephant gets hurt, the rest of the herd will work together to protect and get the hurt elephant to safety. All elephants in a group have areas of strength and faithfulness to one another which can’t be broken.

This dream suggests that you have a very kind spirit and want to assist other people in finding a place where they can feel safe and secure. You might be successful in fields of medicine, shamanism, energetic healing, counseling, or therapy.

Riding an Elephant in a Dream

Instead of seeing a confined elephant in a dream, riding an elephant can give you sensations of certainty and power. Longing for riding an elephant addresses that you are finding your inward strength, power, and authority. 

Beautiful girl is having a shower with the elephant.

People riding elephants can lead to spinal injuries for the animal.

©Tereshchenko Dmitry/Shutterstock.com

You are prepared to confront any challenges that may arise because you are steadfast in your convictions. The powerful presence you carry right now is symbolized by the elephant. This is a great time for beginning tasks or pursuing troublesome objectives or a goal that you’ve been scared of starting.

Dreaming of a Dead or Dying Elephant

Nobody wants to see a dead animal in their dream. Because elephants are so gentle and sacred, it can be particularly disturbing to dream of seeing a dead elephant. However, a growing number of people are having dreams about dead elephants. 

This may be due to our collective knowledge of hunters attacking these animals for their tusks. Death is rarely mentioned in dreams as a real-life death; Instead, it signifies a significant shift toward a higher version of your reality as well as a transformation.

A large-scale loss as a result of a significant shift in your environment’s peace and security as well as politics, social justice, and economics is symbolized by a dream of a dead elephant. Our reality is changing so rapidly, and we are continually expressing farewell to the old approaches to everyday life.

Preparing for hard times, grief, desperation, and challenges is the theme of this dream. It’s about being able to adapt to the significant changes that lie ahead of you. In any case, this won’t endure forever. Whenever huge changes occur, it welcomes new open doors that were not there previously.

The elephant’s spirit will continue its journey toward success and spiritual enlightenment through evolution and rebirth. You will be free to explore previously unknown ways of living once the shock and grief subside.

Final Thoughts

Only you can determine what your individual dreams are about. We hope our guide gives you an idea of what your psyche may be telling you. Elephants are gentle giants that represent wisdom, compassion, and motivation. Perhaps you’re one step closer to achieving your dreams in the waking world! 

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Stu Porter/Shutterstock.com


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About the Author

Kirstin is a writer at A-Z Animals primarily covering animals, news topics, fun places, and helpful tips. Kirstin has been writing on a variety of topics for over five years. She has her real estate license, along with an associates degree in another field. A resident of Minnesota, Kirstin treats her two cats (Spook and Finlay) like the children they are. She never misses an opportunity to explore a thrift store with a coffee in hand, especially if it’s a cold autumn day!

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