Dream dictionary: Demon. What does a dream about a demon mean?
Demons in dreams are, in tradition, temptations, fears and evil influences.
Ezostylia Editorial Team · dream lore and psychology of sleep · updated 31.10.2026
What does a dream about a demon mean?
Demons in dreams are, in tradition, temptations, fears and evil influences. Fighting a demon foretells the overcoming of difficulties.
The most common variants of the dream
- a demon is chasing you: a fear from which you are running away
- to fight a demon: an inner struggle with an addiction or a habit
- a demon in the house: tension within the family
- to drive a demon away: liberation
What psychology says
Psychologists understand demons as personifications of fears and repressed emotions. A dream about a demon may also be part of sleep paralysis.
In English-speaking tradition
In English-speaking folklore, demons have long been associated with the figure of the incubus or succubus — a malevolent spirit said to torment sleepers — and with the old notion of being "ridden by the devil," which gave rise to the very word "nightmare." Classic English dream books, such as those in the tradition of the nineteenth-century penny dream dictionaries, generally interpreted a demon as a warning against temptation or the influence of wicked companions. The idiom "to wrestle with one's demons" remains in widespread use in British and American English to describe a personal struggle with destructive impulses or addiction. In popular culture, the demonic dream-visitor is a recurring motif, perhaps most famously embodied in Henry Fuseli's celebrated painting *The Nightmare* (1781), which depicts a sleeping woman oppressed by a leering imp.
A question for yourself
What fear do I not wish to face?
Write your answer down right after waking up. The dreamer understands a dream best; the dictionary is only a hint.
Is your dream different?
The dictionary gives general meanings. Describe your dream in your own words, and the AI dream reader will connect all its elements into one interpretation.
Describe your dreamOther dreams in the dictionary
All entries: Dream dictionary A–Z.
Frequently asked questions
What does a dream about a demon mean?
Demons in dreams are, in tradition, temptations, fears and evil influences. Fighting a demon foretells the overcoming of difficulties.
Is a dream about a demon a bad sign?
The dictionary describes dreams as symbols, not predictions. The meaning depends on the emotions in the dream and on your situation; the same image can be a good sign or a warning.