Dreaming of a Centipede – Meaning and Interpretation

Centipede Dream Meaning

Centipedes are relatively small bugs, but there can be plenty to analyze if you see centipedes in your dream. Read on to identify possible meanings of your centipede dream!

Centipede Dream Summary

Centipede Dream Symbolism

Centipedes are small arthropods that are known for having a lot of legs — the name centipede literally means 100 feet! The actual number of legs on a centipede varies by species, though it can’t actually be 100 exactly because centipedes only have odd numbers of pairs of legs. (Millipedes are similar creatures that have even numbers of pairs of legs, according to the Library of Congress.)

The meaning of a centipede dream might therefore focus on the coordination of a large number of legs. You may be proud to play your own small part in an important corporation or political campaign — or you could feel oppressed if you’re on the wrong side of a big group like that.

Some people may find centipedes creepy, especially if they are crawling around in places where they don’t belong. However, Family Handyman points out that centipedes can serve a useful purpose in killing more disruptive bugs like moths and roaches. Centipedes can also be eaten by humans if they are cooked first.

Interpreting your centipede dream could require looking at both the disturbing and the useful associations that centipedes have. As always, the emotional atmosphere of your dream can be an important guide to which interpretation is most relevant for you.

Common Centipede Dreams

  1. Dream of a centipede crawling on you
  2. Dream of a centipede attack
  3. Dream of a giant centipede
  4. Dream of eating a centipede

Centipede Dream Symbolism

Centipede Symbolism

Coordination

A centipede has many legs that all move together. In this sense, a dream of a centipede could symbolize that you are involved in a coordinated group effort where many people are working collaboratively, and each person knows their place.

The emotional atmosphere of your centipede dream might show whether or not collaborating with others in this way is a good fit for you. If your centipede dream feels creepy or disturbing, it could mean that you feel like your individual needs or contributions have been suppressed in the name of the group’s goals.

Autopilot

The poem “The Centipede’s Dilemma,” attributed to Katherine Craster, points out that, if a centipede had to think about how to move all those legs at once, the task would seem too overwhelming. In this sense, a dream of a centipede may symbolize that it’s a good thing for you to go on autopilot and just trust that your body knows how to handle a situation. Overthinking things could do you more harm than good.

Creepiness

Some people find centipedes creepy. If this was the main feeling you came away from your centipede dream with, it could suggest that you feel invaded by some person in your life who is not respecting your boundaries and is crawling around in places where they don’t belong.

Contamination

Any dream of bugs in a house or other building where they’re not supposed to be can symbolize a sense of contamination. However, as Family Handyman points out, centipedes feed on other bugs like moths and roaches, so a centipede infestation at your house might actually be a sign of a deeper problem that you need to deal with.

Common Centipede Dreams

Dream of a centipede crawling on you

Dream of a centipede crawling on you

A dream of a centipede crawling on you could potentially be provoked by a physical sensation. You might check to see if anything is tickling you while you sleep. Any tingling in your arms or legs, whether that’s caused by sleeping in an uncomfortable position or by a medical condition, may also cause this kind of dream.

If there’s no obvious physical cause, a dream of a centipede crawling on you could show that others who meet you see you as approachable. How you feel emotionally in the dream might indicate whether you’re happy with this situation.

If your dream of a centipede crawling on you is a pleasant experience, this could symbolize that you’re open to spontaneous encounters. You might be more interested in enjoying whatever happens than in keeping to a rigid plan.

However, if your dream of a centipede crawling on you feels creepy or otherwise upsetting, this might mean that you feel like others are invading your boundaries. Even small interruptions can disrupt your flow of concentration.

Dream of a centipede attack

Dream of a centipede attack

Dreaming of a centipede attack could symbolize that you feel burdened by an accumulation of minor frustrations in your life. Centipedes are generally small in relation to humans, but they can bite and inject venom into their prey. Orkin notes that venomous centipede bites are usually not fatal to humans, but they are sometimes extremely painful.

A centipede attack dream would share this dynamic of a small creature using venom to cause harm out of proportion to its size with bat dream symbolism, spider dream symbolism, bee dream symbolism, and snake bite dream symbolism.

If your centipede attack dream involves multiple centipedes coming together to carry out the attack, this could represent a situation in your life where individuals are uniting for a common cause, like in a labor union or political campaign. By working as a group, you may be able to make progress.

Dream of a giant centipede

Dream of a giant centipede

A dream of a giant centipede, like one that is at least as big as a human, could symbolize that you feel attacked by a well-coordinated enemy. You may feel like the people you’re fighting against are so united with each other and with their goals that you can’t reach them as rational individuals. See also war dream symbolism.

The classic video game Centipede features this kind of giant centipede, and the player’s goal is to attack the centipede segment by segment. If your dream reminds you of the Centipede video game, it could symbolize that a piece-by-piece approach can help you succeed against a difficult challenge.

Dream of eating a centipede

Dream of eating a centipede

Centipedes can be eaten if they are cooked first to neutralize the venom. (Eating raw centipedes should be avoided as it can cause health problems, as described by MedicineNet). If this is already a regular part of your diet, your dream of eating a centipede could simply be processing routine events in your life.

If you don’t typically eat cooked centipedes, a dream of cooking a centipede and eating it could symbolize that you are open to new experiences. You might also be a bit bored with your life and in search of things that are shocking for the sake of being shocking.

A dream of eating a centipede could also symbolize feelings of scarcity, if the context of the dream is having to eat a centipede because the type of food you would normally eat is not available. See also roach dream symbolism.

Conclusion

Your centipede dream may show the presence of a coordinated effort in your life, much like a centipede is able to coordinate many legs just to walk around. Whether you enjoy being part of the group or feel like it’s out to get you, it can be impressive what many small segments working together are able to accomplish!