What Does It Mean to Dream of Vomit?

What Does It Mean to Dream of Vomit?

Dreaming of vomiting can be disgusting or scary, as vomiting in waking life can be. The dream symbolism of vomiting is generally quite similar to what vomiting means for your body in waking life: you need to get rid of something that is bad for you.

Vomit Dream Summary

Vomit Dream Symbolism

Vomiting is a reflex your body has for getting rid of things that are bad for you. Dreaming of throwing up, or vomiting, can therefore symbolize that you need to eject something that is causing you harm from your life.

In general, a dream about vomiting is a dream about boundaries. Whether you have eaten something toxic or seen something that disgusted you, your vomiting reflex shows you that there are limits to what your body can tolerate.

Your dream of vomiting may therefore ask you to consider what is going on in your life that you can no longer tolerate.

Common Vomit Dreams

  1. Dream of vomiting on clothes
  2. Dream of someone else vomiting
  3. Dream of vomiting worms
  4. Dream of trying to hold back vomit
  5. Dream of vomiting blood
  6. Dream of seeing a child vomiting
  7. Dream of seeing vomit on the ground

Vomit Dream Symbolism

Vomit Dream Symbolism

Poison and Toxicity

A common reason why a person would vomit is that they have eaten food that is toxic. Whether the food was poisoned intentionally or simply through sloppy handling, the body has a sense that this substance is better out than in.

When you are in a toxic relationship in waking life, you can spend a lot of time trying to sort out whether the person causing you trouble is trying to hurt you intentionally, or if there is instead some valid reason why they are not in control of their behavior. What can get lost in such deliberations is the poisonous effect that their behavior has on you, regardless of why they did it.

A dream of vomiting can therefore symbolize that some situation in your life is toxic for you, and that getting out of the situation quickly is more important than pinning down the exact details of who is to blame for what.

Disgust

People sometimes vomit when they see or smell something that they find disgusting. A dream of vomit could therefore symbolize that you are disgusted by something going on in your life.

What people find disgusting is not necessarily universal, and it can be affected by prejudice. If you have a dream of vomiting that seems to be about your feelings of disgust for something or someone in your life, try to look at whether what you find disgusting is objectively hurting anyone, or if you are instead following a prejudice you were taught that is not really founded in reality.

Overindulgence

People can also vomit because they overindulged in alcohol or food. Dreaming of vomiting could therefore symbolize that you feel overwhelmed because you have bitten off more than you can chew in some way. You may have committed to more obligations than you are realistically able to fulfill, or you may be prioritizing what feels good in the moment over what is really necessary to move your life forward.

Illness

If you or someone in your life is suffering from a medical condition where vomiting is a symptom, your dream of vomit could refer to that. As always, this website does not provide medical advice, and you need to consult a healthcare professional if you have concerns about symptoms such as vomiting in your waking life.

Feeling Out of Control

One of the scarier parts of vomiting in waking life is that you do not have a lot of control over the process. A dream where you are vomiting can therefore symbolize a situation where you feel out of control.

Common Vomit Dreams

Dream of vomiting on clothes

vomiting on clothes

Vomiting in general symbolizes that you need to make a change in your life because something you are doing is not working. The hard part of making changes, though, is that sometimes others in your life don’t want you to do so because they think it would hurt them in some way.

A dream of vomiting on clothes symbolizes that, whatever change you need to make, you cannot make it without others at least being aware of it and having the opportunity to comment on it. You don’t just have to deal with the discomfort of vomiting – you also have to deal with the embarrassment of others seeing vomit on your clothes and asking you what happened.

If someone sees you with vomit on your clothes and asks you what happened, though, it is possible that they might react in a way that makes things better for you. Dreaming of vomiting on your clothes can similarly symbolize that you are vulnerable, but a good part of being vulnerable is that it can actually help you get the assistance that you need.

Dream of someone else vomiting

Dream of someone else vomiting

If you dream of someone else vomiting, it is possible that the other person symbolizes some aspect of your own personality. For example, if you dream of your sports coach vomiting, this could symbolize that you are sick of being involved with sports and need a break from it.

If you dream of someone else vomiting on you, though, this could symbolize that someone in your life is dumping their burdens on you. They do not seem to be concerned with your actual willingness or ability to help them, and you feel overwhelmed and perhaps disrespected.

Dream of vomiting worms

If you dream of throwing up worms, this could symbolize you need to get rid of something in your life that is more toxic than just bad food.

People and animals can get parasitic worms in their digestive systems. It is possible for at least roundworms to come out of the mouth of a human, as noted by the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Some people may be infected with parasitic worms for a long time without showing symptoms. To dream of vomiting such worms could therefore symbolize that you will find relief from insidious problems that were holding you back perhaps without your awareness.

Dream of trying to hold back vomit

Dream of trying to hold back vomit

If you dream of trying to hold back vomit, this could symbolize that you are resistant to change that you know needs to happen. You may be reluctant to do what needs to be done because you don’t want to make a mess for yourself or others, but the alternative might be worse.

Dream of vomiting blood

Dream of vomiting blood

Blood can symbolize your basic life force, as discussed in What Does It Mean to Dream of Blood? Dreaming of vomiting blood can therefore symbolize that you feel your basic life force is threatened by a serious problem in your waking life.

Dream of seeing a child vomiting

Dream of seeing a child vomiting

Children vomit more often than adults do, as reported by Fatherly. The medical reasons for this include that children are more likely than adults to overeat or eat too quickly, and also that they react more strongly to stress than adults do.

More broadly, children can be quick to say what does and does not work for them, while adults have learned to make compromises to get along in an imperfect society.

Your dream of seeing a child vomiting can therefore symbolize an unfiltered perspective on whatever is going on in your life. While you may have complex justifications for tolerating some arrangement, your inner child might simply say that it is not working.

Dream of seeing vomit on the ground

Dream of seeing vomit on the ground

If you dream of seeing vomit on the ground, even if you did not see the process of vomiting happen, this could symbolize that you feel disgusted by your environment. Whatever provoked someone to vomit, and whatever gave them the idea that it was okay to just leave the mess there instead of cleaning it up, such a scene suggests that you or others around you feel defeated, like things are so bad that there is no point in trying to make them better.

Conclusion

Now that you know a vomiting dream often refers to the need for change in your life, you need to figure out what it is that you need to change. You may already know what you need to change, but knowing what needs to change does not always make figuring out how to do it easy.

Vomiting is messy, and you may not be able to reach a trash can or toilet before the vomit has to come out. Similarly, when you need to make a change in your life, sometimes there is not a way that you can do it without inconveniencing anyone.

As uncomfortable and scary as the process of vomiting can be, people often feel better after they do it. The same is often true of change – even when the transition is difficult and messy, there is often improvement afterwards.