The primary symbolic meaning of Bear is that of reflection and self-observation.
Hibernation is also a form of self-reflection. We all need to undergo times during our day 
and our lives to do as the Bear does.
When we cross paths with the Bear, we should envelope ourselves temporarily in solitude and silence with a goal for rebirth and self-understanding.
The Bear showing up in our lives is also a symbol for play, and that we need to relax and allow for some creativity into our lives. The more we allow ourselves to loosen up and have fun, the more our lives begin to take on a more light and lively perspective.
The Bear is one among the animal representatives within the Native American zodiac, and stands for practicality, level-headedness and generosity.
Bears often come to us in dreams too. As dream symbols, bears represent calm, stoic strength. Bears also indicate a time of introspection. If you are dreaming of a bear sleeping or hibernating, this is a message to do a little soul searching before you present an idea to the world. If a bear is chasing you, this means you are avoiding a big issue in your life, and it is time to deal with it. If the bear is standing up, this is a sign you need to defend your beliefs.
Other pages potentially appealing to your mental moseying:
Hi…
I had this whacky dream where there were different types of bears fighting each other.
It was all these different species of bears attacking “their mortal enemies” (said so in the dream) panda bears. It was awful. The feeling of the dream was of shock and terror.
What do you think?
Hi,
Thanks for the info on the bear. I recently encountered a black bear in the Berkshire mountains of Massachussetts. It was so awsome to see him up close, only a few feet away at night, with the screened porch door between us. I guess he’d just come out of hibernation and was looking for food. He was at least six feet and ratheer hefty…and what a cute face. The encounter made me feel very protected and aware that I wasn’t fearful. Interestingly, I’m a Virgo rising which equates to the Indian sun sign. Thanks again. I look forward to studying your fine website.
animal symbol meanings in dreams, including the bear – here.
anybody else got ideas for Wonga’s dream?
when we’ve got terror dreams, we’ve got some fears on the inside that are stirring up to the top of our waters.
Wonga, just dive into yourself with love – see what’s lurking about there. Then, before you go to sleep – ask the spirit of Bear to PROTECT you and swim with you in your psychic waters.
I read the article about the native american animals and I’m a bear, which represents me completely 🙂 Thank you for the information!
The three bears could represent a number of issues your you are trying to deal with: a battle between ego, id and alter ego; the transition period from child to teenager to adolescent. Pandas are black and white – so it seems you are looking for a black and white solution to whatever your problem is. The panda could also represent a need for safety and security and maybe you feel this is under threat somehow.
Thank you for your insight Tabitha
I had a dream about two angry brown bears that has left me a bit shook up.
My husband jumping/running towards them while I run the other direction to save/find shelter for my children in a near by car.
Woke up not knowing what happened with my husband after his encounter with the two angry bears?
HUM?
I keep having this reoccurring daydream, as well as night dream, that I am giving, placing even, a silver & turquoise bear paw necklace around an old friend I’ve recently become reacquainted with .Its this vivid burning image..whats your insight? Its driving me crazy!! Thanks!
I had a strange dream about a bear cub. I found it as i was wandering in a forest. It was still alive when i found it but was fading fast. It had been slashed open just beneath the diapraghm and the heart being severed and removed from this opening, leaving only the associated blood vessels (I don’t remember any blood for some reason). (In my anatomy class we recently learned that this operation is called a ‘Transverse Abdominal Thoracotomy’) I took pity on the poor thing and carried it back to a home that i can not vividly recall in the dream I do not remember it dying but i do remember examining its wounds to see if there could be anything that could be done for it which i sadly realized there could not be anything done to save it. I don’t remember the cub dying but I remember sadly laying it in a gravelike hole. Then I remember coming outside of the house and the bear cub was live, whole, and playful, and I had the sense that it was greatful to me for its life. Other aspects of my dream were vague and not closely related, but the bear (and it being a bear cub), it’s injuries, the fact that it was healed, and become my friend were particularly vivid in my dream. Anyone wanna take a guess as to what this might mean?
@Jeff, may I offer a bit more reading material to aid in fleshing out your dream meanings?
http://www.whats-your-sign.com/bear-meaning.html
http://www.whats-your-sign.com/native-american-bear-meaning.html
http://www.whats-your-sign.com/animals-in-dreams.html
http://blog.dreambuilders.com.au/journal/2008/7/28/grizzly-encounters.html
namaste
I had a dream where it was absolutely dire to save to young Panda bear cubs. It was of great importance that these 2 baby pandas were not harmed. What does this mean?
ok
i had a dream of a big bear
where in the dream i ate from the bear and then had visions and was talking in the native language
i want to know what it means?
so if you can email me and try to tell it would help a lot
ty
I had a dream where I was being transformned into a bear. I was then disturbed by noisey neighbours which awoke me from my dream. What is the meaning of this.
In my dream I walked down a semi forested path, away from a community of people, the path brushy on both sides. Ahead..a beautiful, large healthy,shiny coated black bear (I immediately thought male) ambling toward me. I love bears, but for some reason this one made me want to turn and run. I seemed to be feeling the power of this bear and its unpredictability. Any thoughts?
I had re-occurring dreams for years about a large brown bear on my trail, over many paths, it was bearing down on me many times, and there was always some way out, until it became frequent enough I realized it was my dream and I could create a path out. Now I miss the bear and seem to seek it, and what it was about. this started in the 80’s and ended in the 2000. Thanks.
I just woke from a dream where there were 2 bears in my room. They seemed non-aggressive/lazy, but perhaps curious and I felt a distinct fear and urgency to get them out of my house. I kept trying to carpal them but they kept getting closer to me. At the same time, I was trying to protect my 3 year old son from them. For some reason, he seemed to be protected, like in a bubble?…or perhaps they were so focused on me that I didn’t consider my son as much as I believe I should have. In between my bedroom there’s my dining room and then my living room.. off to the right of the dining room is the mud room. I felt the bears were getting more “aware” or “wakeful” and coming towards me more determined in nature. I became more nervous and decided it was time to get out of there. I had been somehow closing the door on them and locking them in my bedroom but I could now feel them pressing up against the door. The weight was powerful and threatening without being loud. It was a sign to me that if they were to get mad, I’d be in serious trouble. I might have grabbed my son, and I quickly ran out of the house, slamming doors behind me, knowing that there was only this shot to get out, and knowing that the bear (only one bear, I feel like it was the male bear, the other female stayed in the bedroom laying down) was chasing me. Once I got down my driveway (Ps I had attempted to call the police but knew they wouldn’t arrive at all or in time) and casually told my husband that our son or our dog was still in the house. He was parked in his car behind me. My sliding doors opened but I didn’t have car keys. Alexs (my husbands) car had keys. My husband rushed into the carport towards the house and I heard my husband yelling and struggling and all of a sudden I saw my dog run by. Then I heard Alex screaming, “Jen!! Help me!! Help!” And he was making sounds as if he were being attacked/eaten and I was scared for him. I looked at my dog and felt angry that he wasn’t protecting my husband. I immediately thought about how I wouldn’t be able to survive financially without my husband and that pushed me into a dangerous position (of running into the belly of the beast) all of a sudden the carport was messy and I was climbing over things to get to Alex and the bear, who weren’t in the house but we’re in between it. I knew that the bear must have been close behind me and maybe Alex got attacked instead of me. I feel like I wasn’t supposed to intervene on my husband’s behalf. The bear was standing and they were in an aggressive hug-like embrace. My husband appeared tired. I grabbed a bent pole and stuck it under the bears chin and pushed up. The pole bent slightly (as it wasn’t sturdy to begin with) and the big Brown bear, standing, looked me in the eyes in a threatening way, as if to say, “I’ll get you ” and I got the sense that my husband could get away. Then I woke up. Before going to bed I realized that I have some serious anger issues that I need to deal with. Right before that dream I also had a dream that led into the bear dream, of a sexual nature that had to do with someone who wasn’t me, but who was, dealing without pornography and shame around it. Then I was in my bedroom with two bears. Not sure if the have anything to do with each other. Also, I’ve seen (in reality) over 40 bear sightings in 2 months where I live. They have been all over town. They have broken my trees, stolen our garbage and trapped us in our home from being in our yard for hours.
I dreamt off a bear laying next to my feet.while i was haveing a dream withen a dream. My brother shot it while i was laying down .by the looks off it the bear was protecting me. Looked like a grizzly
I moved from CO to north-west OR about six months ago, I’m originally from Northern Michigan. I’m 37 years old and I hadn’t had a night terror since I was a child. I’ve been having violent night terrors and vivid dreams for the past month; litteraly striking and choking myself in my sleep. I don’t abuse drugs, meds, etc… The last few dreams that I remember, have always had a bear in them, and they were peaceful. I don’t remember the night terrors, you just kinda wake up and wonder what happened, like you were blacked-out or something. The dreams about the bears…I remember them like a movie I just watched.
Hi Avia,
Real bears has been coming to me and in the past 3 weeks I’ve been having bear encounters some so close I could have touched the bear. I know your talking about dreams and symbolic meaning. Do you have any idea why I might be attracting bears or suggest info on what real bear encounters might mean at a spiritual level ? I think of myself as a normal regular person , but what’s with all these bears?
In my dreams the bear always comes near me. Scary and intimidating but hardly aggressive, this takes place at my cottage (usually a safe space for me) where it just walks around, I am always scared of the bear never letting my guard down. I’ve had this same dream almost every night for the past two weeks that I’ve kind of got used to the bear visiting me and I have also gotten used to the fear I feel while i sleep, I’m always watching where he moves to make sure he wont attack me when he gets the chance. Sometimes there is more than one bear, but they always look the exact same as when I left the night before. Im 17 years old first nations woman and i need some insight on why i have this re occuring and scary dream