Dreams have been a topic of study since the age of mankind. Just about anything can happen in a dream and the ones we remember are usually the ones that are the most meaningful. What are dreams you ask?
Dreams is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as a “sequence of sensations, images, thoughts, etc., passing through a sleeping person’s mind”. Lets take a look at some of the most common dreams and what they mean.
Bad or Missing Teeth
Teeth dreams are fairly common and they usually involve the discovery of extremely decayed or missing teeth in your own mouth. Common dream scenarios include having your teeth crumble in your hands, fall out one by one with just a light tap, and even grow crooked or rot. Such dreams are not only horrifying and shocking, but often leaves the dreamer with a lasting image. At the most basic level it means that we are afraid of being found unattractive. Another rationalization for these dreams may be rooted in your fear of being embarrassed or making a fool of yourself in some specific situation. These dreams are an over-exaggeration of your worries and anxiety.
Dream Nudity
Apart from daydreaming about other people being nude, dreaming about yourself nude isn’t uncommon. In this type of dream, you may be undressed, partially undressed, wearing something inappropriate, or witness someone else naked when you’re not. Feelings of embarrassment or even pride/freedom may accompany the dream. The meaning of this dream is that you are feeling exposed, awkward, or vulnerable, or you are afraid that you have revealed too much of yourself in a real life situation. Freud interpreted dreams about being naked as repressed sexual wishes. An interesting fact about this type of dream is that it occurs much more frequently in people who are involved in a wedding ceremony in their real life.
Falling or Sinking
Falling or sinking is one of the most common dreams people have, and its not surprising after you find out what it really means. No, you won’t die when you hit the ground, and occasionally, you may feel as if you are sinking in water or drowning. Typically a person having this dream is feeling insecure or lacking in support in their waking life. These dreams often occur when you are overwhelmed in life and feel ready to give up. If you have this dream you should evaluate your current situation and try to locate the problem that is overwhelming you.
Flying
Dreams of flying through the air can be both wonderful and frighting at the same time. Many dreamers describe the ability to fly in their dreams as an exhilarating, joyful, and liberating experience. The important part of the dream is how you are flying; since the flying itself represents your ambitions. Are you failing or trying to fly as high as possible? If you are flying with ease and enjoying the scene and landscape below, then it suggests that you are on top of a situation. Having difficulties staying in flight indicates a lack of power in controlling your own circumstances. If you are feeling fear when you are flying or that you feel that you are flying too high, then it suggests that you are afraid of challenges and of success. Whatever the reason, you may want to evaluate how you felt as you flew and how it connects to your real life.
Faulty Machinery
In a faulty machinery dream, you are trying to operate mechanical equipment which either fails to work, or fails to work in the way that you expect it to. The vast majority of these dreams involve a telephone – either trouble dialing, losing a connection, or dialing a wrong number. It can involve a lost Internet connection, or something manual like a jammed or broken machine. This dream often means that you feel that you are losing touch with reality, or that a part of your body or mind is not functioning as it should. It can also occur when you are feeling anxious about making a connection with another person in real life.
Lost or Trapped
Dreaming about being lost is very common and will usually occur when you are having conflict in deciding how to react in a situation in real life. In the dream, you are trying to find your way out of an area – such as a forest, city streets, a large building, or other maze-like structure. The dream could involve you being trapped, buried alive, caught in a web, or unable to move for some other reason. This is often accompanied by a feeling of terror. This dream usually means that you are trapped in real life – unable to make the right choice.
Missing An Important Event
In this type of dream you are rushing to make it to an event – but you miss it – usually by a fraction of a second. Rather than feeling fear in this dream, you usually feel frustration. This can indicate regret over a missed opportunity, inability to make a connection, or desire to pull oneself together. It will often occur when you are struggling over an important decision. You may want to ask yourself questions to determine how it relates to your waking life – What are you missing? Who is disappointed by the missed event? Is it only you or are there others involved?
Failing a Test
To dream that you are taking an exam, indicates that you are being put to the test or being scrutinized in some way. This dream usually manifests itself in people who have been out of school for a long time. In the dream you are prevented from passing a test in a variety of different possible scenarios. In one situation, you find that you are unable to make it to the test on time, often involving being unable to find the test room. In other versions you are unprepared (either through lack of study) or you are missing equipment. Generally, you feel distressed and frustrated. These feelings may parallel how you feel about a particular challenge or situation in your waking life.
Ill or Dying
In this dream, you (or a loved one) are ill, injured, or dying. It is a moderately common dream and not surprisingly, occurs often at the onset of an illness. Aside from becoming ill, this dream can mean that you are emotionally hurt or are afraid of becoming hurt. The dream may also be warning you of an upcoming physical risk to yourself or a loved one. When it is someone else in the dream that dies, it can feel as if a part of yourself (that you see represented by that person) is dead. It may also mean that you wish the person would go away, or that you fear losing them.
Being Chased
If you have a dream of being chased by something horrifying, then you’re certainly not alone. The meaning of these dreams is that someone or something (possibly something as obscure as an emotion) is making you feel threatened. Try to determine who or what is chasing you, where the dream takes place, and what your feelings are during the chase to understand what this dream means to you. The person or creature chasing you may be someone you know, or could just be a replay of an actual life event.
