Abduction dreams are terrifying but are usually powerful signs from a higher power or your own subconscious. While dream interpretations are individual to every person, it’s helpful to read up on possible meanings of the dream you had.
In this article, we’re going to briefly take a look at the kidnapping motif in mythology, and then present you with some of the most common kidnapping dream scenarios, and what meaning they carry.
Kidnapping in Mythology
Many cultures around the world have myths and legends about someone being kidnapped. Here are some of the most significant ones:
1. The kidnapping of Idun – Norse Mythology
In Norse mythology, the goddess Idun was one of the most important deities. She was associated with eternal youth because only she knew the mystery behind magical fruits that kept the gods eternally young.
In one of the legends, another god Loki got abducted by a titan named Thjazi. In exchange for his release, Loki promised to bring him Idun and her divine fruits. He followed through on his promise and kidnapped Idun, bringing her to the titan.
As Idun was kidnapped, she couldn’t share her fruits with the gods, who started to age rapidly. As soon as they understood that she was missing, they saved her from the titan and continued to enjoy eternal youth.
2. Kidnappings of Eos – Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece mythology has many stories involving kidnappings. One of them is a legend of Eos, the goddess of dawn. She would abduct young men to satisfy her sexual desires, but all of them would eventually grow old and pass away.
Her most beloved lover was the prince Tithonus, for whose youth she bargained with Zeus. Eos begged the god to stop her lovers from aging, but Tithonus was already old, and Eos wishes backfired tragically. The prince kept getting older and older but was turned immortal, suffering for eternity.
This story shows the danger of untamed desires, and just how careful we should be with what we’re wishing for.
3. Kidnapper Dzoavits – Native American Legend
Kidnapped children and sun, got trapped in a cave, teaches us that forcefully getting what we want (in the case of Dzoavits by kidnapping) never makes us happy and only leads us to a downward spiral.
You Getting Kidnapped Dream Meanings
A dream of being kidnapped is usually a negative sign that is trying to tell you something is wrong in your real life. It’s usually related to power, domination, and traumatic events. A dream of kidnapping could have many interpretations, but here are some of the most commonly dreamed scenarios and what they could mean:
1. Getting Kidnapped By Aliens Dream Meaning
One of the most common dreams about getting kidnapped is that your kidnapper is an alien. Whether you dreamt about getting kidnapped straight from your bed, or from the middle of the fields has little impact on the general meaning of such a dream.
Aliens are something otherworldly, something that we neither understand nor comprehend. They are much more technologically advanced compared to humans, so there is no way in which you can avoid getting kidnapped by an alien.
As a result, such a dream means that some, or even the main hardships and problems in your life are out of your control. You shouldn’t take it as an encouragement to give up trying. Quite the opposite. It means that you should blame yourself less for what’s happening around you.
As strong as we are, we are only humans, and there are some things that we can’t change. It’s better to put that energy somewhere else, towards things that we can impact and change.
2. Getting Kidnapped By Your Parent Dream Meaning
A dream where your kidnapper is one of your parents usually symbolizes your unresolved feelings towards the parent. Maybe you never established a close and strong bond, or even worse, you were abused by the very people who gave you the gift of life.
Trauma is something that people carry for their entire lives, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t come to terms with it. A dream about getting kidnapped by your parent could be a sign that now is the time to take the matters related to your parents into your own hands.
3. Getting Kidnapped By Your Relative Dream Meaning
A dream where a kidnapper is a relative other than your parents, be it your sibling, cousin, uncle, aunt, grandmother, grandparent, or any other family member represents some turmoil within your family tree.
4. Getting Kidnapped By Your Current Partner Dream Meaning
Having a dream where you get kidnapped by your boyfriend or girlfriend could be your subconscious saying that you’re being taken advantage of. It could mean that it’s not a romantic, but rather a parasitic relationship, which is slowly draining your health, including physical, mental, spiritual, and financial.
It could also be a case that you’re already aware of the harm of your current romantic relationship, but feel trapped in it and can’t force yourself to end it. If that’s the case, remember that you have the right to put your own needs first. Don’t hesitate to seek help, be it from your friends, family, or a therapist.
5. Getting Kidnapped By Your Ex-Partner Dream Meaning
If you dream about getting kidnapped by your ex-partner that you have broken up, it could be a sign that you are still not over them. Maybe you still have feelings for them, or maybe you’re regretting something that you did in that relationship.
Such a dream while being single isn’t that bad of a sign. It’s natural to lament a failed relationship for some time after it has ended. However, if you have already started a new romantic relationship and had such a dream, it should be taken as a serious warning.
Entering a new relationship while still not being over your last partner is a bad idea at best, and selfish and even insulting at worst. Chances are you’re using your new partner to get over your ex, but you should only have a new partner once you’re already over your previous one.
6. Getting Tortured By Your Kidnapper
Now this one is unanimously a bad dream. If you dream about getting tortured by your kidnapper, it could represent many things, but most likely it represents you being overwhelmed in some area of your life.
You could be feeling powerless and think that your actions have no impact on the outside world. The worst, however, is if that is what is actually happening, but you aren’t aware of it, which leads to you being taken advantage of.
If none of that represents your situation, dreaming about getting tortured by the person who kidnapped you could also be a bad omen warning you about something bad happening in the near future, so be aware of the things around you.
7. Getting Kidnapped By An Unkown Person
Having a dream about being kidnapped by a person that you don’t know is a sign that you’re being too skeptical of others around you. Maybe you look for hidden agendas in every exchange you have, or maybe you’re suspecting everyone and everything to the degree which makes you paranoid.
8. Kidnapper Asking For a Ransom Dream Meaning
If you dream about being taken hostage and your kidnapper is asking for a ransom, it could have something to do with your financial decisions. A ransom note could be a letter from your subconscious to become more disciplined with your spending habits.
9. Escaping Your Kidnapper
A dream where you escape the perpetrator is usually a good omen signaling that you just solved a difficult problem, or got rid of some kind of allegorical chains that you submitted. It could’ve been a toxic relationship, a dead-end job, or something else.
Kidnapping Dream Meanings by Kidnapped People
It’s also possible to have dreams where instead of you being kidnapped, someone else is. Here are some of the most frequent such dreams and their general meanings:
1. Your Partner Getting Kidnapped Dream Meaning
If you have a dream about your partner being kidnapped, it could indicate a couple of things related to your romantic relationship. One of them is that you’re not trusting your partner, maybe even suspecting them of having affairs. Such a dream could also mean that you’re afraid of losing your romantic partner.
2. Your Parent Getting Kidnapped Dream Meaning
A dream where your parent got kidnapped is usually a sign that you’re becoming distant from that parent. If they got kidnapped in a dream, you two became physically more distant, which is a metaphor for the state of your relationship.
3. Your Friend Getting Kidnapped Dream Meaning
If you had a dream about a kidnapped friend, it could indicate that you’re about to lose someone or something that is very important in your current life. It’s a heads-up that you should prepare for change or even grief.
4. A Stranger Child Got Kidnapped Dream Meaning
As cruel as it is to say, a stranger child being kidnapped is much less impactful compared to the kidnapping of someone that is close to you. That’s why a dream of a stranger child abduction is usually a sign of good fortune, forecasting some kind of unexpected luck that you’re about to experience in waking life.