When you dream about nature, you are getting in touch with the aspects of your mind that you have repressed in waking life so that you can be a part of civilization. In our waking lives, our conscious thoughts and our actions always take the needs of civilized society into account. When we dream, however, we are free to get in touch with our basic instinctual drives, no matter how uncivilized they may be.
Freud wrote about the conflict between the requirements of society and the instincts of the individual in his book, Civilization and Its Discontents.
Jung would say that a dream that takes place in a natural setting represents the Great Mother archetype, who symbolizes feminine power and love that encompasses all.
A dream about nature can also be a message that your life has been too hectic and you need to relax and make some time for yourself.
Such a dream can also reflect a sense of feeling connected to the Earth.
Features of Nature
Because a dream about nature can reveal your basic desires, the form in which nature appears in your dream can tell you a great deal about yourself.
A dream of abundant fields ready to be harvested can be a sign that you are full of creative ideas that you should explore, while barren fields can mean that you are feeling pessimistic.
If you dream that you are walking though a forest can mean you may be facing the unknown. A forest can symbolize your unconscious mind.
Climbing a mountain can be a sign that you are determined and ambitious, while falling off a mountain can mean that you tend to give up when things become difficult. If you are at the top of a mountain, it can mean that you have already reached your goal.
A flowing river can be a symbol of how life is constantly changing and moving forward. If you dream of a river, it can mean that you are going through a period of change. Such a dream can be a message to you that you should accept change and not fear it, because change is part of life. The condition of the river – gently flowing or turbulent and treacherous – can be a sign of how the change is affecting your emotions.