In dreams, bodies of water can represent your emotions and your unconscious, so swimming in a dream can be a sign that you are exploring these things. People who are in therapy or counseling often have dreams about swimming.
If you are swimming joyfully, through calm waters, you could have a positive attitude toward life of feel that things have been going well for you. However, if you are swimming against the current, you may be experiencing internal conflict or feel that others have been making your journey through life more difficult.
Dreaming that that you are swimming underwater can mean that you are dealing with emotional difficulties. If you are able to breathe underwater and communicate with sea creatures, you may be becoming more connected with your unconscious.
Floating calmly and safely in warm water can mean that you desire an easy, carefree life. However, if you feel uncomfortable as you are floating, you could be worried that you lack direction in waking life, and could be missing helpful opportunities.
Diving in a dream can indicate that you are trying to find parts of yourself that you have been repressing. Diving can also represent a desire to throw yourself into a project or a relationship, or to “get to the bottom of” a problem.
If you dream that you are drowning, you could be overwhelmed by your emotions. However, if a lifeboat comes to rescue you, there is hope that you can find relief.
A swimming pool in which water is contained in a manufactured space, can represent emotional restraint.
Freud believed that swimming and diving were symbols of sexual intercourse.
Jung thought that swimming toward land represented a desire for renewal and rebirth, while swimming against the tide was a sign of internal conflict.
Swimming with Dolphins
Since ancient times, dolphins have had very positive associations. They are believed to guide sailors to safety when their ships are in trouble, and were once thought to lead the spirits of the dead to the afterlife. They are a symbol of Christ.
Therefore, a dream about swimming with dolphins is a very positive one, and can represent fun, optimism, friendship and a sense of connection with others.
People who dream about swimming with dolphins when they have been feeling sad or depressed often feel more positive the next day.