Yup, we're all unique flowers who are special and individual in every way. Except when it comes to our dreams. However different we might seem as humans, how similar we really are all shows up in our dreams. The top 10 dreams everyone has and what they mean.
Skip right to the dream meanings.
In the great tradition of people who bore other people by recounting their dreams, I … am going to recount my dreams to you. Don't worry. You're gonna get the chance to bore everyone else, including me, later.
Since I was young I've had nightmares. Lots of them. Death, destruction, chasing, kidnapping, murderous heart pounding dreams. You name the nightmare and I've had it. Oftentimes over and over again.
In the past few years I've switched over to general anxiety dreams that are still very disturbing but not quite as death filled. I've never thought much about these nightmares of mine. They're just who I am and believe it or not, and this will sound really insane, but … I find them kind of comforting now.
I'm sure it's some sort of subconscious appreciation of how my dreams are dealing with the real life problems I have. Not that I feel like I have any at the moment, but my dreams know better - they know we're all dealing with something.
That's generally what dreams do. They deal with all the stuff you aren't dealing with in your waking life because you're too busy paying bills and wondering where you hid the vodka.
According to the Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders only a small percentage of people have nightmares on a regular basis. Nightmares aren't just scary dreams, they're terrifying. They can wake you up and the fear will stay with you.
About half of all people who suffer with nightmares also suffer from psychiatric disorders. I don't think I have a psychiatric disorder, at least not one fierce enough to cause nightmares every night so I'm more inclined to go with the Encyclopedia of Mental Disorder's other rationale for people with nightly nightmares which is the fact that artistic or creative people are at a greater risk of nightmares. Mainly because they have better imaginations.
5 or so years ago, around the time my fella of 11 years ran away from home, I was having nightmares that revolved around cloudy, scary, turbulent water. And I was in the scary water. I wasn't afraid of drowning, that wasn't the feeling - it was just dark and ominous. The dreams were me finding my way.
1 year ago, just after I had the relief of finding out that I *didn't* have breast cancer (I really encourage you to read that post here), I started having anxiety dreams.
It's amazing that there are so many of us with such different brains and personalities - yet we all have the same themes in dreams. Don't believe me? Here's a look at 10 of the most common dreams. I'm guessing you've experienced at least half of them.
If you're looking for a little more information on dream interpretation get The Dream Dictionary for Dummies.
Table of Contents
Dreams Analysis
Being Chased
Having a person chasing you in a dream can mean you feel threatened by something in your life or you're avoiding something. You are running from something in your conscious life; emotions, a relationship, worries or even your taxes.
It's a classic anxiety dream.
If you're being chased by someone who is trying to to kill you, you can take that as a pretty direct translation. That something or someone that has to do with you is bad for you. It doesn't necessarily mean it will literally kill you, but could kill parts of you. Your creativity, your happiness or your sanity for instance.
It could be a direction you yourself are going in that isn't healthy like hard drug use or other bad habits like eating a pound of butter for breakfast every day.
NOW, if you're the one doing the chasing it can mean a couple of things. You're possibly trying to run off that morning pound of butter orrrr you're running towards something (an ambition, person or goal).
Water
If the water is calm and clear, you're at peace obviously. If the waters are murky or turbulent you're struggling with equally turbulent emotions.
THIS is the dream I had a lot after my breakup. Murky, turbulent, violent water. I had no idea it was such a common dream because I don't remember ever dreaming about it before.
Teeth falling out
It's surprising how your teeth falling out in a dream can be every bit as horrifying as it would be in real life. You're in your dream, walking down the middle of a highway with your new florist Jeff Goldblum, as one does in dreams, and you feel something in your moth. A tooth. Then another and another and soon you have no teeth.
This seems like a bad sign.
BUT as with a lot of dreams, something that seems negative in a dream isn't necessarily bad. There CAN be a positive interpretation.
When you lose your baby teeth in real life it's a step towards growing up. The meaning of the dream about your teeth falling out could be that you're maturing and growing as a person.
On the other hand, it can have a negative connotation too. (Weirdly, dream science isn't very sciency. Actually, that's not weird at all)
The negative analysis of dreaming that your teeth fell out of your head is that you're afraid that you're losing control over something. It's a symbol of powerlessness and insecurity.
Flying
You live in Canada where pot is legal and you're super high. No wait, that's not right. Flying dreams represent experiencing a newfound sense of freedom or control. The next time you dream about flying make a point of thinking about whether you are experiencing either of these things in your life. You know. Just for dream analysis fun.
The most reasonable explanation for dreaming about flying is that you got a new cape, so ...
Exam time/Audition time
Dreaming about missing exams or suddenly realizing you haven't studied for a test make sense for someone in high school or University. But these dreams continue into adulthood.
The ubiquitous "I have an exam or test and I never went to class and never studied" dream can happen through your whole life. The test could be in another language or you can't get into the exam room … whatever the case it's a test and you're anxious about it. This is a classic anxiety dream and usually means you feel like you're being judged or evaluated by someone in your life.
I have both exam and audition dreams. Audition dreams happen more often than test dreams in people who went to performing art schools or studied music and acting. I have them because of my career as a television host.
omg i'm naked
You're feeling exposed or ashamed of something if you dream you're naked in public. It can also mean you're feeling vulnerable. Or you're just a hippie.
Death
Dreaming that you die means you actually died while sleeping. Just kidding. My 12 year old self couldn't resist saying t hat.
Dreaming of your own death signifies starting over. So it's not a bad thing, it's the chance to start over. New job, new relationship, or a new you after coming out of a relationship.
Dreaming of a parent's death can mean a couple of things. Well, a million really, but I'm trying to keep these interpretations to what most experts believe is the most plausible explanation. Dreaming of a parent's death is often literal. You're literally afraid of your parent dying either because they're sick or it's a deep seeded fear of yours.
It can also mean that you're finally a grown up - the dream is like a rebirth. Dreaming of a parent dying can mean you're personally at the point where you can live your own life. Your own mature life where you can survive and take care of yourself without any parenting. For women this kind of dream is typical around the age of 10. For men, it's around 73. Just kidding.
Dreaming of a sibling's death generally means you miss them.
If the death of the person in your dream doesn't make you sad do you feel like that person betrayed you in real life? Having them die in your dream is your retribution. It doesn't mean you actually want them dead, your dream is just giving you a chance to punish them so you can get over it.
Cheating
Cheating dreams are another common anxiety dream. If you dream your husband/wife is cheating it can mean you're actually worried about them cheating. It can also mean you have trust issues with them or are feeling insecure for some reason.
Sex
Dreaming about sex means you want to have sex. Seriously. Well sometimes it does.
Gay Sex (when you're not gay) means you're secretly gay. No it doesn't.
Same sex dreams often mean you need to get in touch with your feminine side (if you're a gal) or your more masculine side (if you're a dude). So break out the nail polish or start swinging that hammer.
Falling
Dreams where you're falling are also classic anxiety dreams. They usually mean a situation in your life is spiralling out of control. It could be your job or a relationship.
If you're falling but aren't afraid, it means you're in control of your situation and will easily get through it.
Some interesting less common dreams??
Poop. Dreaming about poop is NOT common. Butttttt, it's the 3rd most Googled dream, lol. So I guess even if it doesn't happen often, dreaming about poop is alarming enough that everyone who does it searches for the meaning of it.
So what does it mean if you dream about poop? That your life stinks? That you feel like crap? No. Shockingly, dreaming about poop is kind of a good (albeit disturbing and gross) thing. It means you're letting go of negativity and positive changes are ahead. But maybe buy some Immodium, just in case.
Alligators. Dreaming about alligators means you're feeling vulnerable about something. It can also mean that you're worried about a decision you're having to make in real life.
Keep in mind dreams can be interpreted in a few different ways. Also keep in mind some people think dream interpretation is a bunch of hoodoo. By nature, I'm a skeptic who always wants to be proven wrong. So my inclination is to scream HOOEY about all of this.
But if that was the case, if dreams and dream interpretation was hooey, then chances are we wouldn't all be having the same dreams as each other. A dream may mean one thing for you and another thing for someone else but as long as you know what you're going through in your real life you should be able to figure out what your dream means to you.
If you don't know what you're going through in your own life you're very, very dead so it doesn't matter.
If you want to delve a bit further into your dreams (and who doesn't) I can recommend 2 books to keep on your bedside table.
The Dreamer's Dictionary which as published in 1986 with the majority of hundreds of readers on Amazon giving it a 5 star review and The Dream Dictionary for Dummies which includes not only dream interpretations but also techniques for dreaming more and remembering the dreams you do have.
If you want to keep track of your dreams, you need to keep a journal beside your bed to write them down immediately when you wake up. You think you'll remember them, and you might for a few hours, but then they're gone.
THIS is the most fun dream journal I've ever seen. I mean, it has a strangeness meter at the top of every page.
It's now time for you to bore everyone with your dreams!
Can you remember what you dreamed about last night? Lay it on me!
[ratings]
Patti
I'm sitting at a round table with my boss and 3 male colleagues and they're all poking at me with their fingers, not in a funny tickling way but in a mean menacing way. I'm laughing uncomfortably and want to run but I don't.
Debbie from Illinois
I rarely remember my dreams...such a bummer.
Karen, how is your blackeye?
Karen
It's almost completely faded, lol! ~ karen
shantel montel
I had a dream that I was in a big bus with my parents and other members of the family heading to somewhere I don’t remember and all of a sudden , the driver wasn’t in the car due to a reckless driving , I think he died and a lion was now driving the car all I could remember was the car started hitting other cars , I was at the top of the car trying to hold something before the car crushes ..that was all.i found myself on a bed unconscious and heard noises .when I got up, I asked for my parents but they said they where dead
Allergy Solace
Please I had a dream where I and someone close where in a hurry at a location that is unknown to us and we were looking for a bus to take us back home so like immediately I found a bus and it was going our exact location so in a haste to pick us up and still not waste time the bus hit a frame headlong and everything and everyone in the bus turned a bit upside down but we entered and everything later became smooth as we drive along...the person with me was a lady seem to be the cause of the slight delay and accident for not being smart like me in the dream but I still had to wait for her to enter the bus like I took her out at the first place...h
Mary Werner
With my 3 year old brother beside me in the big back seat of the 1940 Chrysler, we are riding with Dad and Mom to the top of a hill and I can't see the other side yet. Once at the top of the hill, the car falls into a giant pit of five-foot wide, hairy spiders that pull everyone out and are coming for me. Then I woke up.
This was a several times a week dream I had for years as a girl before I was 8. I was deathly afraid of spiders and never saw any "gore" in my dreams but having my family pulled away was terrifying. When I was in my forties and was told that abnormal fear of spiders represented your mother I began not fearing spiders as much. Strange. (Mom was not mean to us.)
JMC
Recurring are dreams like this: The movers arrived nothing is packed. Suddenly we're all on the road and I'm freaked that something was left behind.
One time dream that started scary then made me laugh: A man walking towards me yelling at me grabs me. I start running which lifts his feet off the ground. I run him full force into a wall, he loses his grip slumps to the floor and I stand over him saying, "Are you kidding me? Doe you KNOW how much I weigh?"
Katie Grace
I'm 12 and our family is just getting home from vacation. My parents are unloading the trunk of the car while I'm walking towards the garage to go into the house. A masked man opens the house door (no one sees but me because they're behind the car), points a gun at me with one hand and with the other, puts his finger to his lips in a shushing manner.
had it ALL. THE. TIME. when i was younger.
Linda J Howes
I'm alone, trapped, and wolves are about to attack.
Rondina
For years, I've been able to analyze my dreams---normally right after I wake from them. I've gotten to the point where I believe I've trained myself to wake up in order to analyze them. I had chasing dreams for years. Same neighborhood, same houses. The person chasing me caught me one night revealing who they were. Those stopped. Airplanes crashing into buildings I was in.(pre-9/11) Those stopped. Tornadoes. Those stopped. Rising water. Those stopped. Not that I don't have a significant amount of anxiety, but I guess I've moved past the trauma of early life.
Becca
Explain this one. I'm sick but have to get groceries anyway so my friend (who happens to be seriously hot but fantasy material) comes along to keep me company. I push the cart and he follows along behind, sitting cross-legged on his two-headed, orange turtle. He's playing his mandolin and, every now and then, the turtle can't help itself and starts to crazy dance, dumping my friend on the floor and stopping the music. FYI, the store employees are not thrilled with two-headed turtle messes.
Pam
HA!! The crazy dancing two-headed orange turtle made me laugh so hard! I wish I had such entertaining dreams!
Karen
LOLOLOL! ~ karen
Hailey Green
Karen! What does it mean if I keep having this same reacurring dream. I am almost 17 and I have 4 younger siblings. My dream starts off with my parents leaving and I’m watching my siblings, then someone starts to break into our house. And at first my siblings listen to me and be quite and hide. But it seems that everytime they make eye contact with the person they want to let them I and they start opening doors. And literally the rest of my dream is me chasing them and closing windows and doors behind them and holding them back. And then the person gets in the house and I always wake up. I’m actually quite scared. Another dream I have quite often is dreams of falling.
Langela
You feel badly that your friend is "fantasy material"--sickness
Your feelings for him follow you everywhere you go.
You try to distract yourself--two-headed orange turtles
He keeps pulling you back in with his "music" and your distractions aren't enough to distract you.
Every once in awhile your distractions work- he falls off and music stops.
Or maybe not any of that.
Becca
Seems entirely reasonable. Perhaps you could shed some light on this one.
I'm camping with a somewhat younger than his current age George Clooney. It's a lovely night and the tent is cozy. In his most gentlemanly manner, he is attempting to persuade me to let him join me in my sleeping bag. I rebuff him gently. Repeatedly. I know it's a dream but I keep turning him down.
When the alarm woke me, the thought foremost in my mind was "WTF!!! What kind of idiot turns down George Clooney in potentially the hottest dream of her life?" Menopause throws some wicked curve balls.
Langela
He's sweet and nice to look at, but not the man of your dreams. You need more than looks to let someone close to you-- in your sleeping bag. Plus, he's sweet and you want a loud man who rides a two-headed orange turtle, casually. :)
Age has a way of changing who I would be attracted to. It's no longer looks, but responsibility, stability, honesty. Though looks don't hurt.
Laura Bee
Bruce Willis wanted me like no man has ever wanted me. I had my chance and I turned him down. It's been ten years and I still remember that night.
Natalie Foster
What does this dream mean? Last night, I was dreaming about my mom & I walking along the beach, when I woke up inside an ambulance. I asked my mom what happened and where I was, she said that I passed out & that she had called 911. I was shocked, then I just fainted. Then I woke up at the hospital. Then I actually woke up. I'm not sure what that actually means. 🥺🥺
Jake
I win the lottery, lots of money, and build six small cottages for my 4 BFF and myself. One cottage left and we end up fighting about which favorite MAN gets lucky enough to live with us. So far the winners have been, Prince Harry, Hugh Laurie, Prince Harry, Elvis, Brad Pitt and Prince Harry.
Shanelle
The day before High School we had to attend an Orientation evening. The night before this, I dreamt that I wore the school uniform but everyone else wore casual clothes. On the actual evening I wore casual clothes and everyone turned up in their uniforms! I might be a dyslexic psychic...
Shelagh
Omigosh....my first day of high school I showed up wearing the school uniform....it is still traumatic to this day...and I'm over 60
Haley
So me and one other person were being chased by something like IT and we had to collect tomatos (3) to be exact and put them into this thing with three holes and a lever and each time we collected three we pulled it and had to restart. Finally after each time we could stop after 3 times (keep in mind this entire time the clown was chasing us) and then we got to this car and there was a black cat just staring at us and then we had to put like jelly (actual grape jelly) into the back of the car that was caping red/orange and then I woke up and I know that I am awake and I see red lines in the shape of like honey cones. Do you have any clue what this could be?
danni
Had the most wonderful, amazing, orgasmic toe curling sex with this person...
(woke up in a love haze... slowly realized that this person was someone I see all the time and despise!!! Made for very awkward blushing and stammering at work I tell you!)
Su
love the cape... rarely remember dreams.....
mbaker
I met up with my friend and his twin brother; he had never previously had a twin so I pointed this out. He told me that this was my body's way of telling me that I was having twins (I'm pregnant in real life).
Needless to say, I'm quite anxious for my next ultrasound.
Jacquie
Please update us when you have your scan, I'm very interested to know :-)
mbaker
I had my latest appointment yesterday, and thank God no twins! Just my body's twisted sense of humor.
Erin Hall {i can craft that}
I have 3 disturbing recurring dream themes.
1 is the teeth one. My teeth keep coming loose and falling out to the point i only have about half of them left.
2 i am cheating on or leaving my husband and kids for an old boyfriend and he is leaving his wife and kids too. We are so happy together that i am sad when i come to reality and realize its not my life. mostly because i dont have that happiness or love in my life not because i dont have him
3 is more disturbing than nightmare. I am in a house or place and i know that is a dream and i am fighting and struggling to wake up because i know its all a lie. I finally do wake up and feel a bit better and lighter but inevitability fall back into the cage of the dream. Meanwhile all this is a dream i am actually having. A dream within a dream and i know that because when i wake up for real life everything is very heavy and i am sad. I actually have fitful sleep these nights waking within the dream waking to reality and falling back asleep over and over. When i do hit reality its for a few fleeting seconds and i am unable to stay awake and feel like i am dragged back under. I am often yelling in my dream for help because i know i am trapped in the dream.
Sarah
Your third example, dreams within dreams, is something I have experienced many times. That, and being stabbed, are the most terrifying of all my dreams. The dream is very realistic. I am always in my own bedroom. I dream that I awake from my sleep to discover a stranger in my room. A stranger with the intention to do me harm. I am trapped, paralyzed and afraid. I realize it is a dream and make myself wake up, but I have not awoken and the dream continues. This can happen multiple times. I have to force myself awake by making a violent motion. Sometimes I am able to, sometimes not. When I finally awake, I am left exhausted and with a lingering sense of terror. I have to get out of bed to break the grasp of the dream. I am always afraid to go back to sleep. Sometimes I just turn on the light and wait for morning.
Any suggestions?
Kavarius Hester
That is really horrible and i just had a dream where i woke up but i really didnt wake but only in my dream and i was struggling to wake from it multiple times and i am wondering do you have any advice for me?
Nate
Perhaps if you leave a bb gun by your bed and memorize where it is in real life, you can imagine in your dream that it's a revolver or a modern pistol. Then simply shoot the intruder in the shoulder. Run to him and scream, "Who are you and why are you in my house?"
Alternatively, in your dream, think of your husband next to you. Don't ask if he's there, simply reach for him. Perhaps the dream is trying to teach you to rely on him.
Blandine
Elvis laughs at the cute doll house I've just built. I'm offended and wake up cranky...
Mel
I'm giving birth but there is something wrong with my baby. Something different each time. I've been dreaming this for months now. I am seven and a half months pregnant with my second and I had a scare with my first so I guess that explains it.
I have frequent nightmares. One reoccurring one that I've had since I was a child was that I am small and hiding in the carpet under the edge of my bed. My dad is vacuuming and he can't see me or hear me over the sound of the vacuum. I wake up before it sucks me up.
Bonnie
I think pregnant women tend to have vivid dreams. Or maybe, just remember them because they don't sleep very soundly.
Auntiepatch
This sounds like the movie, "Honey, I Shrank the Kids!"
Cindy
wildlife dreams! #1: I'm in bed and two lions are peacefully curled at my feet. #2: I'm in a forest and all manner of wild animals--elephants, hippos, lions, wolves--are walking past me, on their way to somewhere important. #3: I'm walking on a snow road, surrounded on either side by huge snow banks. Everything is bright and white and clean. A large buck is standing in the middle of the road and as I approach it an eagle or hawk flies to land. These dreams always fill me with a sense of something quite meaningful is happening or about to happen.
Beckie
I am eating a meal in a nice restaurant and as I pick up the last bite, I watch a fat, but "only" 1" long millipede crawl over the edge of the plate.
Biggi
Hahahaha omg this happened to me in real life!!! Having a candle lit dinner in NT BUT the millipede was a 6inch long centiped crawling up the tablecloth! Never jumped up this fast in my life!!!
~JackieVB
I'm on my way somewhere and I have to get there by a certain time. Along the way I encounter different people who need me to do something for them so we have to go to this place and get this thing before I can go to wherever I'm going. I can feel how frustrated I am and am starting to think I won't be able to find the place I'm trying to get to. We always pass some sort of stormy water, or spend time in a house that has many more rooms than you would think it has (that's actually the cool part of the dream). Then at the end I try to run so I won't be late but I can't run, no matter how hard I try - it's a slow walk.
I've never known where I'm trying to go, but I have a hunch it's to the liquor store to buy more Vodka.
Kristin Ferguson
Sounds a bit like The Wizard of Oz.
Natika
Giant snake rumors going around the beach in Australia. Later, it enters our high school classroom, but we are all saved by standing on our chairs.
The easy to read symbolism:
Beach in Australia = care-free times
Classroom = my job
Fellow students = my co-workers
Snake = that one evil co-worker
Chairs = her temporary contract up in two months :)
Chica
OMG LOL