Why was i getting kidnapped?

Question

When i was younger i used to have nightmares every night about me getting kidnapped. Some dreams i was getting kidnapped in front of my parents and they tried to run to get me but they never. The most scariest one is when i went into the kitchen and everything was normal and i went to open a cupboard to get something to eat (the cupboard is big lol) and when i opened it this man jumped out with a knife and the kitchen in the dream was the same kitchen in real life but i managed to get away ^^. I never had been kidnapped before and no one has ever tried to kidnap me before. I am now 15 and the nightmares stopped ages ago but it keeps on bugging me because i want to know why i had those dreams. And how come sometimes i can get away and sometimes i can't.

Answer 1

You may have simply had some fears when you were younger and now perhaps of abandonment, or that you felt like people didn't truly care about you. That is silly of course because I am sure you are everything to you parents and they love you dearly. But maybe something happened like they left you at school too long one day and picked you up an hour late and you were terrified or something like that, which can put all kinds of fears into an impressionable youth. Or maybe you went away to camp and you felt so scared because your parents left you there like you had been "kidnapped"- you know, something like that. And then it manifested into a fear/dream. You seem OK now so I am sure everything is cool. Good luck.

Answer 2

To dream that you are being kidnapped, denotes feelings of being trapped and restricted. Someone or some situation may be diverting your  concentration and your attention away from your goals.

To see your parents in your dream, symbolizes both power, shelter, and love. You may be expressing your concerns and worries about your own parents. Alternatively, it represents the merging of the female and male aspects of your character.

To see a kitchen in your dream, signifies your need for warmth and spiritual nourishment.  It may also be symbolic of the nurturing mother.  Alternatively the kitchen, represents a transformation.

To dream that you are opening a cupboard, signifies that you are revealing some hidden truth or secret.

To dream that you escape from injury, from an animal, or from any situation, signifies your good health and prosperity. You will experience a favorable turn of events.

Causes of Nightmares:

In general, stress, trauma, fears, insecurities, feelings of inadequacy, health problems, marital issues, etc may all be reasons for having nightmares:

Childhood and Family - Present nightmares can be rooted in past neglect and trauma from childhood. From lack of love, neglect, alcoholism, to severe abuse, family members can be the most destructive influence on a person's life. Nightmares may be a sign of such inner turmoil.

Life - The way your life is going and the larger society as a whole can contribute to nightmares. Your perception of the world, heath, natural disasters, criticism about politics, finances, crime in the streets and your inability to control such events may sometimes lead to nightmares.

Relationships - Your intimate relationships and  your daily interactions with people can also be a source of your nightmares.  Marital difficulties or pregnancy are other possible causes.. You may be paranoid about how your think others perceive you or fear that others do not understand and see who you really are. Isolation and unhappiness may appear in nightmares as abandonment and loneliness.

Stress - The way you handle and deal with stress can trigger nightmares. Nightmares are a normal response to unacceptable levels of fear and stress. People diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder frequently have nightmares about their traumatic event, like war, rape, death of a loved one, car accident, plane crash, terrorism, etc.

Work - Since most of us spend the majority of our day at work, it is no surprise that work-related issues are a common source for your nightmares. Stress, job security (or there lack of), change in jobs, co-workers,  unresolved work problems, or general dissatisfaction with what you do can manifest into a nightmare. The nightmare may reflect feelings of frustration and an inability to control your work-related issues. People in high-stress level or high-risk jobs often report of having nightmares. Nightmares of this nature may appear as you being attacked, chased, or being out of control.

Having nightmares are normal, but a high frequency of nightmares can be a sign of being overwhelmed and excessive stress which should be dealt with. Nightmares can be an important resource for self-knowledge and emotional discovery. They convey an important message and help clear up the conflict in your life. it is important to distance yourself and work pass the emotional content (fear, grief, anger, etc.) of your nightmare and analyze it from an objective perspective. The disturbing emotions may be a way for your unconscious to prevent you from digging deep into the meaning of your nightmares. Sometimes rehearsing or reliving the nightmare while you are awake and then changing the nightmare's content or outcome helps to dismantle the nightmare, breaking it down.  Although it may be difficult at times, it pays to try and make sense of those darker dreams.