Circus Dream Meaning

Dreaming Lens: Were you at a circus as an audience member? Were you performing? Were you backstage? What kind of circus was it? Was there a sideshow? What was your enjoyment level of the circus atmosphere? Did you run away with the circus or have the desire to do so?

Personal Focus: The circus has its origins in ancient Rome and the massive spectacles such as chariot races and gladiator fights. Since then, any large entertainment venue in the shape of a circle that contains a variety of acts of pageantry or feats of skill may be referred to as a circus. From its first days to modern times, one theme has remained the same: the size and scope must be massive and the performance must thrill its audience.

Any form of entertainment must be considered symbolically connected to escapism. With a circus, the additional texture of enormity must be added. This symbol contains a surreal element as well, as exemplified by the strangeness of clowns and the oddities of the sideshow.

Additionally, the circus has a reputation of catering to the fringes of society; a closed community that is secularized from the rest of the world. The mythology that surrounds the circus is that it is a place where freaks, outsiders, and loners can find a home. In this way, the meaning of escapism also includes a fantasy element in which someone can literally escape their mundane world by running away with the circus.

There is also a familial element to the circus in that many acts involve generations of family members participating in the exhibition of some skill. A child born into such a family is often expected to keep with tradition and join the troupe. You may need to ask yourself what generational peculiarities from your family of origin such a dream might be expressing.

If you were an audience member, then escapism should be the main theme of your interpretation. If you were performing in a circus, you may be expressing some inner pulls toward grandiose expressions of your sense of individuality and originality. If you were more connected to what was going on behind the scenes and the community of performers, look to where in your life you may be seeking agreement from like-minded people in a realm that is off the beaten path.

Depending on the size and scope of the circus in your dreams, there may be an unconscious expression of chaos represented by the simultaneous appearance of more than one set of stimuli. Ask yourself if your life is feeling like a three-ring circus. If this resonates, the dream may have some insight for you about how you are helping to create an atmosphere of disorder in some area.

If you dislike or are bored by the performance, your dream mirrors a sense of frustration in your daily life.

If you are performing in the circus it might be a sign that you need a more fulfilling job where you can show off your talents.

If an animal escapes or you feel unhappy about the animals being involved in the performance, this could indicate a change of direction in your life or a love interest outside marriage. The circus audience in your dream is also significant because it suggests how your efforts are being received in waking life. Finally, don’t forget that circus dreams may simply be an observation that your waking life resembles a chaotic circus and has become thoroughly disorganized.

If your unconscious portrayed you as a juggler in your dream, was it referring to the many commitments you have to juggle or manage in your waking life? Did you drop any of your dream balls or did you keep them in the air? If you were walking a tightrope or performing acrobatics in dreamland, this may suggest that you feel you are treading a fine line to maintain balance in a tricky situation in waking life.

If you were dressed as a clown, sporting a huge smile painted on your face, do you feel under pressure to present a cheerful front to others during your waking hours, when you actually feel the opposite? If someone you know was transformed into a clown, they may be the ones feeling under pressure to ‘perform’ in waking life. Also consider if your dream clown was a manifestation of the archetypal trickster / clown whose jokes have a serious meaning.

The mythology that surrounds the circus is that it is a place where freaks, outsiders, and loners can find a home. In this way, the meaning of escapism also includes a fantasy element in which someone can literally escape the mundane world by running away with the circus.

If you were an audience member in the dream, then escapism should be the main theme of your interpretation.

If you were performing in a circus, you may be expressing some inner pull toward grandiose expressions of your sense of individuality and originality.

If you were more connected to what was going on behind the scenes and the community of performers, look to where in your life you may be seeking agreement from like-minded people in a realm that is off the beaten path.

If the weather is good, this indicates positive developments, but if the weather is stormy, you may be on the verge of moving from one difficult situation to one that’s even more confusing.

If you are inside the circus tent, watching the show or actually participating in it, then you may have too many things going on in your life at once - as in the simile, “like a three-ring circus.”

Dreaming of a freak show hints that bizarre events and weird people will complicate your life if you don’t take steps to prevent or resolve them.

children to, taking: important and beneficial, but short-lived events.

in a: your frivolity is the sign to others of a potential victim.

juggler performing, a: deception of an imposter ready to take advantage.

teaching you his tricks: an opportunity you should grasp with both hands.

of a: embarrassment wil cause future unhappiness.

performing in a: have ignored the development of your other talents.

roller coaster, riding the: your erratic behavior, in search of excitement, is getting you lost.

watching a, performance: loss of money in an expensive enterprise.

To dream that you are just at the circus can mean that you are portraying a false image to those around you. You are hiding behind a facade; perhaps afraid to reveal your emotions. Others will deem you to be someone you are not.

To dream that there is chaos at the circus suggests that you are feeling unorganized and unable to manage the various aspects of your life.

If you observe freakish sights, there is a lack of harmony in your family life.

To dream that you are on a ride at the circus, or are riding an animal, suggests that you are going in circles in your life. It may also symbolize cheap thrills.

If you dream that you run away with the circus,, you will be involved the entertainment field one day.

If the circus is in full array, with a boisterous, and joyful atmosphere, you will find happiness in your present surroundings.

To dream of simply being at a circus denotes that you must be careful that you do not give the wrong impression about yourself to others.

See Animal and Circus.

Depth Psychology: You have special talents. Why are you still hiding them?

2. Performance; Acts 9:3.