◇ Depends on the scene Lucky or not depending on the scene — see "In this scene" below
A warning about unpleasant events, but as the messenger of Bishamonten it can also mean luck with money or contests.
Category: Animals (how to read this category)
Psychology
A centipede mirrors disgust and wariness of something creeping closer. Its many moving legs may reflect countless small tasks and worries arriving at once; how repulsed you felt measures your load.
Folklore and history
Centipedes are messengers of Bishamonten, symbols of wealth and victory. Yet the hero Fujiwara no Hidesato is said to have slain a giant centipede of Mount Mikami, so it is both lucky envoy and monster.
A standing light for lighting up a wide area inside a haunted spot.
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This site's view
In this site's view, centipedes ask whether you will not step back. One crawling toward you means a hated task is about to turn lucky; killing it means you can finally settle a feared problem.
Going deeper: our reading
Centipedes are not insects but a separate group with legs on many body segments, and they favour damp places. From the rainy season into summer, many people have been startled to find one inside a shoe or beside the futon. In this site's reading, a centipede dream can reflect the feeling that something has crept into your own territory. At home it points to a worry slipping into private life; on a desk at work, a small distrust in your job; crawling on your body, a problem now too close to ignore. This is our speculation, but calmly letting it outside suggests you are learning to keep unpleasant things at a manageable distance, while losing sight of it mid-swat may mean a worry you thought was handled still lingers.
What to do on waking
Finish one small annoying task you have been putting off.
In this scene
- ◎Good It comes close or is friendly: help is near (good)
- ▲Warn It attacks or bites: a held-back feeling or friction nearby (warning)
- It is dead or weak: the strength it stands for is running low
- Big, white or gold: the meaning is stronger; white and gold lean lucky
- It felt good: the lucky reading gets stronger
- ▲Warn It felt frightening or painful: the warning reading gets stronger — rest first
- The same dream again and again: something your mind has not settled yet
Turning a bad dream
In Japan, people once tried to turn a worrying dream for the better: a baku charm under the pillow, telling the dream to a nandina bush, or reciting an old dream-turning poem. Read the column on dream trading and dream-turning
A phone-connected thermal camera that visualizes temperature differences in a wall, floor, or human shape as color, at a ruin or haunted spot. A tool for verifying and recording claims like "I felt a cold draft" or "that one spot was unusually cold."
HIKMICRO MiniE Thermal Imaging Camera for Smartphones, Infrared Camera, iOS/Android Compatible, USB-C/Lightning
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FAQ
Q. Is dreaming of a Centipede a good or bad sign?
A. Lucky or not depending on the scene — see "In this scene" below. A warning about unpleasant events, but as the messenger of Bishamonten it can also mean luck with money or contests.
Q. Why do I keep dreaming of a Centipede?
A. A recurring dream usually points to something your mind has not settled yet. Research suggests such dreams tend to stop once the underlying worry is resolved. Keeping a dream diary helps you notice what triggers it.
Q. What should I do after dreaming of a Centipede?
A. Finish one small annoying task you have been putting off.
Related dream essays
- True Dreams and Reverse Dreams: Why We Read Dreams Backwards
- Buying Dreams, Turning Dreams: A Japanese History of Dream Trading and Dream Charms
Read this dream with your own scene in the Dream Dictionary →
More dreams in "Animals"
- A Frog
- A Crocodile
- A Deer
- A Whale
- A Dolphin
- A Shark
- A Worm
- A Pet
- A Hamster
- A Squirrel
- A Panda
- A Giraffe
※ Dream interpretation here is entertainment drawing on psychology and folklore — it is not scientifically proven. "This site's view" is our own interpretation.
