I had a super disturbing dream last night that I can’t shake. It started with me driving my work truck through a dense forest. My dad, who used to work the same job I have now, was switching off driving with me. My sister was asleep in the backseat.
We came to this huge clearing, and it was horrifying—there were bodies everywhere, scattered across the hills and fields as far as I could see. Most of them were kids, but there were adults too. They’d been flogged so badly their skin was gone, and some were already rotting. Men with torches were walking around setting the bodies on fire.
My dad told me this was the work of a cult that ran a school nearby, and I vaguely remembered seeing a road sign for it earlier. We got to a small building for work, and he told me to stay with my sister while he went inside. But as he was coming back, someone shot him with a shotgun. He was gone instantly.
When I jumped out to help him, a man hiding under the truck got in and drove off—with my sister still in the backseat, asleep. I ran after the truck through the field of bodies. When I finally caught up, the man driving said, “It’s already complete,” then shot himself in the head.
I grabbed the truck and sped off, driving through an archway. Suddenly, it felt like the truck and I had shrunk, and we were on tiny roads weaving around tables in an antique store. My sister woke up crying, saying something bad had happened to her baby (she’s pregnant IRL too). That’s when I woke up.
I haven’t had a dream this disturbing in a long time. Any thoughts on what this might mean?
This dream is deeply symbolic and likely tied to intense emotions or stress in your waking life. The cult and the sacrifice could represent external pressures or systemic issues that feel beyond your control. The loss of your father and the urgency to protect your sister (and her unborn child) suggest feelings of responsibility, helplessness, or unresolved fears about family and safety.
The scene of shrinking and navigating the antique store may symbolize a feeling of being overwhelmed or out of place—like life’s challenges have reduced your sense of control. Your sister’s mention of her baby could reflect your subconscious awareness of her pregnancy and your protective instincts.
This dream seems to be processing fear, loss, and the need for control in chaotic situations. If this dream left a strong emotional impact, it may help to reflect on current stresses and see if they connect to these themes.
