The short answer
Dream interpretation is not prediction and not diagnosis. This article separates what sleep research observes from what popular interpretation associates with the theme.
Dreaming about poop does not bring money and does not signal illness. The dream tends to come with embarrassment, a feeling of being dirty or of losing control of a situation. Often it also has a simple explanation: your body telling you, during sleep, that it needs the bathroom.
Read also: Dreams about being naked in public and Dreaming about money.
What research observes
Signals from the body and the room can slip into the plot of a dream. In classic lab experiments, spraying water on the skin of sleepers made water appear in the dream story of several participants. In the same way, a full bowel or bladder can turn into scenes of bathrooms, of looking for somewhere to go or of getting dirty.
Continuity explains the rest: changing diapers, caring for someone who is ill, cleaning up after a pet or going through a stomach bug often show up in dreams over the next few days.
Source: Dement and Wolpert, Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1958.
The most reported variations
| Scene | What it usually comes with |
|---|---|
| Stepping in poop | Annoyance at something that got in your way, a sense of passing bad luck |
| Being covered in poop | Shame, fear of being judged |
| Not finding a clean bathroom | Lack of privacy, hurry, a real need to go |
| Going to the bathroom in public | Exposure, much like dreaming of being naked |
| Cleaning up poop | A phase of sorting out piled-up problems or caring for someone |
The exposure scene has a lot in common with dreams about being naked in public.
When it is worth paying attention
If the dream keeps coming back along with frequent urges to get up at night, abdominal pain or changes in your bowel habits, the issue is your body, not the dream, and it is worth seeing a doctor. If the scene comes with a lot of distress and disrupts your sleep, frequent nightmares can be treated: see how to have fewer nightmares.
Source: Morgenthaler et al., Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2018.
What dream books say
Livro do Sonho, a popular Brazilian dream dictionary, confirms the most famous folk belief about this dream: a good moment at work or in business, with finances going well. Curiously, the same dictionary takes the chance to give health advice, like getting routine check-ups and quitting smoking.
Freud described dream books as a kind of dictionary that translates each image into another with a fixed meaning. Artemidorus of Daldis, author of the oldest dream interpretation book that has survived, advised looking at the dreamer's life before interpreting. If you see the dream as a message, both paths suggest the same thing: ask what this image brings to mind in your life right now. See dream meanings according to science and culture.
Source: Livro do Sonho, Brazilian dream dictionary; Freud, Die Traumdeutung, 1900.
What folklore says
In Brazil and much of Latin America, the best-known folk reading says that dreaming about poop means money is on the way, an old belief that links what is discarded to fertile soil and plenty. Other readings say the dream is about something that needs to be let go. These are cultural interpretations with no evidence behind them, and none of them is a guide for spending or betting. See dream meanings according to science and culture.
Sources
- Dement W, Wolpert EA. The relation of eye movements, body motility, and external stimuli to dream content. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1958. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0048908
- Schredl M, Hofmann F. Continuity between waking activities and dream activities. Consciousness and Cognition, 2003. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1053-8100(02)00072-7
- Morgenthaler TI et al. Position Paper for the Treatment of Nightmare Disorder in Adults: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine Position Paper. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2018. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.7178
- Freud S. The Interpretation of Dreams (Die Traumdeutung), 1900. Project Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/66048
- Livro do Sonho. Sonhar com fezes. https://www.livrodosonho.com/significado-dos-sonhos-sonhar-com-fezes-1431.htm
Frequently asked questions
Does dreaming about poop mean money?
It is a belief from the dream tradition; it works as reflection, not as a guaranteed prediction. The dream does not predict any gain.
Why do I dream I cannot find a bathroom?
Often it is your body signaling that it needs to go. It can also reflect a lack of privacy or a sense of hurry.
Is dreaming about poop a sign of illness?
No. It is only worth seeing a doctor if you have real symptoms while awake, such as pain or bowel changes.
Is stepping in poop in a dream bad luck?
There is no basis for that. The scene usually reflects a passing annoyance.
