What Does Dreaming of an Earthquake Mean?
Traditional Interpretation
According to traditional interpretation and Ibn Sirin, seeing an earthquake in a dream may—depending on its severity—indicate that hardship, sorrow, loss of property, or upheaval in one's affairs could befall the people of that region. That said, some interpreters, likening it to the earth coming alive, have also read the earthquake as a herald of abundance, activity, and new ventures in work and livelihood.
Psychological View
From a modern psychological perspective, an earthquake can represent a fundamental change in the dreamer's life, a shaken sense of security, or repressed anxieties breaking to the surface; in the Jungian reading, it may point to a transitional period in which old structures collapse to make way for transformation.
By Context
Surviving / Escaping the Earthquake
It may indicate that one will pull through difficulties by one's own effort and patience, and that sorrows are temporary.
Buildings / the House Collapsing
It may point to a financial loss, hardship in livelihood, or the shaking of an order once thought secure; in some interpretations it signals the need to devote more time to family.
Feeling the Quake / the Tremor
It may point to an inner fear or unease, or to unexpected problems that could arise in one's work life.
A Light Tremor / the Earth Coming Alive (positive Reading)
According to some interpreters, it can herald vitality, abundance, and new opportunities in work and livelihood.