Chased

Being chased is one of the most common dream motifs and, in short, signifies that a certain unconscious content is eager to gain our attention—likely something we have repressed or refuse to acknowledge. It is a repeated experience that the frightening often transforms into something more agreeable if the dreamer manages to turn around and ask what it wants. As a general rule, one should not succumb to fear and flee from terrifying elements in dreams. These contents are typically frightening only because we refuse to recognize them.

The unconscious’ "frightening figures can be evoked by consciousness' fear of the unconscious" (CW 9ii, par. 355). If we accept them, they usually reveal themselves as helpful. However, this is not always the case, as von Franz points out. For instance, if one is tormented by self-destructive thoughts, these may be reflected in the dream as hostile beings. Still, in most cases, the frightening nature stems from our fear of it—not the other way around.

This experience aligns with folklore, which holds that "the other" is neither inherently good nor evil but reflects our attitude toward it. Jung suggests that this is an important principle in dream interpretation.  

Symbolically expressed, the pursuer and the pursued are one and the same, just as the path is the same as the destination. (Cf. Hunting.)

Difficulty Running  

The common motif of being unable to run—feeling as though your legs are heavy or hindered by some inexplicable sluggishness—may indicate that the dreamer is trying to move toward or away from something they perhaps ought not to. It illustrates an inner resistance to, for example, fleeing from something or approaching a particular place. (Hannah 2001, p. 206.)

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