Dream of Seeing Dead Rats

 Article from June 3, 2011

[Dream Content]
There were so many dead rats around the bathroom!
Some were decomposing, others were covered in blood—it was so disgusting!!!

[Analysis Results]
This is actually a positive dream.
Why? Because rats often symbolize carriers of disease and filth.
(The idea that they carry more germs than cockroaches is quite ingrained.)

Historically, rats have plagued humans, and for us Japanese, the association of rats with germs is deeply rooted in our cultural DNA.
(This is partly because rats carried diseases like the plague.)

In the Edo period, cockroaches were seen as a sign of wealth if they appeared, whereas rats were viewed as villains, especially sewer rats.

In dreams, a bathroom often represents your physical state, and rats symbolize germs or illnesses.
The fact that they are dead suggests that you are recovering from a sickness.
Did you recently catch a cold or experience some health issues?

While this interpretation fits dream divination, my approach is more psychology-based.
Let’s delve deeper into what kind of mental state you might have been in when you had this dream.

What do we Japanese typically associate with rats?

Those who think of pet hamsters or hedgehogs may have a positive image.
However, for most people, rats are undeniably linked to filth.

It’s not uncommon to hear stories of rats scurrying around in attics in traditional houses.
This proximity to dirty sewer rats has led to a general aversion to rats in dreams.

Rats are also carriers of diseases like the plague, and the idea that they can make us sick hasn’t changed.
This association is ingrained in our genetic memory, marking them as dangerous creatures.

Seeing a large number of dead rats in your dream could symbolize a fear of viruses or epidemics spreading from such creatures.
Perhaps this stems from a subconscious anxiety about catching a contagious disease, such as the flu.

This is how I analyze dreams based on psychology.
If you have a dream you’d like interpreted, feel free to submit it through our free dream analysis request form.

I look forward to hearing from you!