Gorilla Spiritual Meaning & Symbolism

Gorillas are gentle giants. They do not usually display aggressive behavior. Researchers have identified roughly two dozen vocalizations (including grunts, screams, roars, and belches) that gorillas use to communicate with each other and coordinate when traveling through forests. Gorillas often settle disagreements by displaying and not fighting. Thus, gorillas are closely associated with restraint and de-escalation.

Within each gorilla troop, the members have defined roles. The adult males lead; they also protect the troop from danger by scouting ahead and mediating between members who are in disagreement. Most disputes between members are resolved through display of force rather than using actual physical force; therefore, gorillas represent earned authority based on trust rather than dominance.

Life within the gorilla troop is based on cooperation rather than conflict. This is why Gorilla symbolizes balancing feminine and masculine energy while emphasizing the need to work together as equals.

Gorillas also function as a model of balanced parenting because each parent plays an important role in caring for their children. Adult males are responsible for assisting other parents with child rearing, including helping to socialize older children. Females nurse their infants for years after giving birth; males assist them in socializing older children.

Humans share our DNA with gorillas, who show great intelligence: some specimens have been observed using simple tools in their natural habitats, and one well-known captive specimen named Koko learned how to use hundreds of signs to communicate with humans.

Besides demonstrating intelligence (such as tool use), gorillas also demonstrate emotions such as grief or affection without any attempt to conceal these emotions from their community. As a result of these characteristics Gorilla represents authentic emotional expression along with sound judgement when making decisions about one’s own life and the lives around you.

If you keep seeing gorillas, it’s time to shake off your feelings of being little or ignored and walk in your own quiet authority. This isn’t about taking up for yourself at the expense of others, but rather in stepping up even when you don’t get the respect you’d like.

Gorillas can also remind you to choose your friends and coworkers wisely. People may seem like they’re there for you, but really their intentions can be less than pure.

If you’re suddenly in a leadership role, gorillas remind you that this is a time to really shine; let your calm and compassion carry the day and act as a model of behavior for others to follow. They can also remind you that you can never outgrow the need to love and care for family members, whether little or old.

People with Gorilla as their animal totem are natural leaders. They understand that listening to other people quietly is more useful than bossing them around. Gorilla totem people don't have patience for people who boss around other people.

If you're born with Gorilla as your totem, you'll go through life with a healthy confidence. You'll be grounded, and you'll get along well with the people around you. You're fiercely loyal and others trust you.

Your gift is being able to bring together a group of people behind a shared purpose and to carry this project through to the end. If somebody threatens what you built through hard work, you get an energy where it's hard for you to let other people help. You argue for what you believe in, and if someone else doesn't agree with you, you fight for it.

This makes the person with Gorilla as their animal totem look more intimidating. But it's a false impression because underneath the hardness is a softness, a heart, that is warm and tender toward other people. They want trustworthy and sincere friendships.

But the one blind spot of this person is that they can forget about taking care of themselves.

Call on Gorilla power animal when you need to be both fierce and humble. Respect and trust must be earned slowly.

If you're wondering what to do with your life, turn to Gorilla for some help. The gorilla knows where it belongs in the jungle; figure out where you belong too, and make sure you do the same.

Think about how Gorillas pick food. They don't grab what's at hand like animals do and keep grabbing more. They take what they want and move on. Use this good example from the forest to figure out how to get what you want from the world.

The Gorilla also knows about strength and protecting things.

Many of the early European descriptions of great apes were both frightened and fearful. The animals seemed, at times, to be part-human, part-monster. These stories also hinted at mischievous spirits whose presence would scare off intruders. Some stories tell of how these spirits would seize women and drag them off to the forest.

Symbolically speaking, stories about fierce gorillas may have more to do with human nature itself than with gorillas. In some ways, they speak to the instincts and yearnings that lurk within us all.

Across the forests of central Africa, the gorilla carries an impressive array of folklore. To many tribes, gorillas are totems for family, safety and group unity, virtues that chime with their quiet good nature and their ability to work cooperatively in troops.

Among the Pangwe people, a spiritual practice grew around the Gorilla Spirit of Ngi, honored with rites and offerings that were believed to draw its protection over the community. Much of this tradition was passed down within their own people rather than spread more widely. To the Fang, Ngi represented a positive force — or god — opposed to the Chimpanzee.

In Kwele communities in Gabon and Republic of Congo, Gorillas were revered through wood-carved masks that were used in cleansing rituals, meant to draw attention to ancestral relics and mend disputes between groups. Taken together, these traditions treat Gorilla as a source of harmony, cleansing away division among communities rather than as something to be feared.

Most of the time when gorillas appear in dreams, they're signs that it's time to stop standing on the sidelines and go for what you really want. This message is doubly important if you're currently feeling powerless.

Dreaming about a calm gorilla could also mean that you need to do some quiet meditation. Turn off the noise inside your head, and let your spiritual side develop at its own pace.

Here are some possible meanings of other gorilla dreams:

If the gorilla seems aggressive, it could mean you're focused too much on lower desires. Slow down and really think things through before you take action.

A friendly gorilla approaching or coming into your home could be a sign of good luck ahead. It can also be an early warning about possible new love on the horizon.

And finally: If you dream about seeing a curious gorilla, just sit back and trust your intuition. Let yourself be more open to being your authentic self.

True strength doesn't need to prove itself, and the Gorilla, an extraordinary animal with tremendous physical power, is a powerful symbol of this lesson. A strong animal like the Gorilla leads by example, protecting those around them without dominating them or resorting to conquest. Instead of holding power over others, a Gorilla is self-reliant and chooses to use their great strength for community rather than personal gain. A Gorilla can teach us how to balance gentleness with forcefulness.

Learning how to hold your ground with calm certainty while also caring openly for those who depend on you is an important step in developing a strong personality. When a person recognizes their own dignity and gentleness they will have truly learned how to be a strong human being.

The most famous moment for anyone who thinks of gorillas is the chest-beat — and it's usually read wrong.

It happens when the boss of a group stands up straight, makes a deep roaring sound while slapping his hands against his chest. It's a warning signal, not an attack signal: a clearly defined limit to let both sides back off. You see it in the wild when an adult male gorilla wants to make sure its group feels safe from an intruder. Usually neither side will need to react to the threat.

Similarly, gorillas teach you to hold your power without being violent. It's using your strength loudly enough to be respected and powerfully enough to make other people step back. You can practice this yourself when you need it, like when you're really angry about something but trying not to lose control.

Gorillas also teach you to find peace when things are tense. If you've been holding in your anger or aggression or anything else too long and are starting to lose control over it, a loud release in the moment might help calm things down before they spiral out of control.