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]
Sem de voogt
Some man I don’t know has to be sentenced because he created some sort of music video that appears normal to most people but some people see it differently. Somehow I’m there, sitting in a classroom behind him. “I’m going to see it normally” I say to him. The music video starts playing on a screen with a few men singing “ooooh” in a weird melody. Then suddenly I see the men with creepy dog masks on shaking their heads very fast and the “ooooh” sounds like it does in a horror movie. I kinda feel like I’m having a bad trip. I want to scream “STOP! TURN IT OFF” but I can’t and the man just keeps laughing. I woke up whispering “turn it off turn it off” at 2:59 a.m, I saw the time on my phone switch from 2:59 to 3:00, back to 2:59 and then back to 3:00. Scariest night I ever had. This was yesterday and now I’m afraid of going to sleep because I don’t want to dream it again
Angelice vasquez
So I had this dream where I’m in school and my ex friend is with my friends and the reason why we’re not friends walks in I say have a nice day. And then I use the bathroom with my bestfriend. Half of this bathroom is blocked off because it is believed to be haunted. All of a sudden something starts chasing us I get away and lose my bestfriend. Next thing you know I’m seeing teachers talking about the haunted bathroom. And then I’m in the forest I’m the girl from once upon a time and I have a baby with me and this creature tried killing me. It shoots 3 arrows at me missing the baby. I’m falling next thing you know my alarm goes off and I wake up. And I have really bad chest pain even now writing this. But I feel scared now I feel watched.
Am I crazy?
What does this mean?
Karen
It's just a nightmare Angelice. The panic from true nightmares and not just scary dreams stays with you after you wake up. It'll go away. Chest pain is often associated with panic attacks but as always with chest pain be aware and check with a doctor. ~ karen!
Wanda
My dream really cream me out bec it took place in this really old building with secret rooms. I've never seen it b4 in my life yet I've dreamed about it plenty of times b4. It was in a neighborhood I've never been in yet I've dreamed about it plenty of times b4. I could handle all that until my dream self realized my real self was sleeping & that she was only a dream. My dream self ran up a hill & reached out her phone 2 take pictures of a dead dear then my dream self tried to call my real world. She tried to call my mom who lives in a different state than me, she wanted to tell her to call me and wake me up but the cellphone was blank as it was a dream phone looking exactly like my real phone. Then she ran up to my dream husband who looked just like my actual husband & told him that she wasn't real & that he needed 2 wake the real me up so she took him n2 this room where another dream me was sleeping in a wedding dress, the one I was actually married in. He tapped my leg & told me 2 wake up & the other dream me woke up. I looked down & noticed I was in my wedding gown so I said, "Oh man, I'm still asleep. " I think the dream me in my wedding gown was the gate keeper of my wake & sleep state bec when the other dream me started yelling wake up or we will be stuck in this room 4 ever, the dream me said, "Okay, it's time 4 u 2 wake up. Wake up now. " And she was calm about it & then the actual real me woke up. I began 2 believe that the dream me realizing she was a dream had 2 go through the gate keeper dream me 2 wake the real me up? Can anyone make any sense of this?
Wanda
I meant creep me out not cream. Auto correct kicked in & I can't change it. Sorry.
Sherry Hoffman
When I was little I was scared of dolles
They would hurt me some time in my dreams. Had those dreams until 4 untell 12 years old then those dreams stopped. Then still dream about dinosaurs and that means flashraptors still dream about them it suck
I think my ded dog is hunting me in my dreams sometimes tuning into different dogs a couple different dogs weard. Then turning into a cat ghost my dog did in my dream . Then the dog was a black taller dog I pet her she turned bad to her regular self as a dog she is a small dog of core .
Solomon
So what does it mean if i have a dream I'm in a hospital dicter said my mom is dead they wrote time of death they then showed cause of death was a certain part of her heart so then dream changes to where I'm riding home with my moms boyfriend who I hate because he is mean he drops me off on side of road then dream changes to where I'm in this woman's house who is a person I don't know and I'm crying and then I was told its alright Basicly I was calmed down by the woman I didn't know and then the woman said I'm gonna kill him I said who and she said the name of the guy who was my moms boyfriend who dropped me off on side of road and then I woke up can someone tell me what this means it was way to detailed
Kristin Conley
Shoot Karen!
Don't know how I missed this post.
Love it!
Had a dream a few nights ago that I had a fling with Robert Redford... Hummm, well I hope it's a sign of things to come.
Karen
LOL. Fingers crossed for you. ~ karen!
DAYALAN
SIR, A BOY KICK ME 3 OR 4 TIMES UNDER MY PENIS( AND AFTER MY WAKE ALSO PAIN IN MY BALLS. PLEASE NOT PUBLISH. INTIMATE ONLY REASON FOR THAT THROUGH MY E MAIL immediately most urgent. I think is it devil sent by somebody.
milan
i am 17 end i am from serbia and my english is bad , i dreamt last night of a men beside some house end ima old like 50 in england i think end then like a movie starts in my head and it was so real like collors werw green end evrzthing was so realn end it was like a movi in my head there was a boy with blue heir en and black guy end an gun end like in a dream a cinda desided to stop it and i wake up what does it mean help
Karen
I'm sorry milan, I'm not a dream interpreter. There's nothing to worry about though. Dreams are just dreams. ~ karen!
Milan
Thanx
Morriah
I had a dream I was sleeping and a lady cut my head of Then i was in the after life it wasn't like I expected just like the real world just easier unlike everyone eles in the after life I was fading/see threw. That was. Cause I was not yet dead urban was dreaming and the ppl said it was a sign I was gonna die later that day at 6:00pm in perticuler a at accident
nathan krueger
i have had a dream in past being eaten by group of wolves and woke up freightened because me seing self guts and being eaten
Martha Monkman
I dreamed that I was asleep in my childhood bedroom comma and was woken up to noise in the living room. I opened my door and there were people ripping up my brand new carpeting. When they saw me they jumped over the staircase ran away. Then I notice that my grandmother's Diamond Channel set ring had been stolen from my hand. My mother had passed away last year, and I had found that in a tiny box in her dresser. Then someone called me and said I had to come and get this lady's baby, because she had not come home from work.
Samantha
I'm dreaming that my childhood home is going to be sinking to the ground from the basement up and everyone's houses around us and we can need to pack only important things I'm packing most everything of mine in bags and it my stuff I own now as a grownup and don't live in that home anymore I also grab all my brothers stuff and everyone is waiting but I'm asking for help packing up the dog and cat but no one helps I go inside to get food and water for the pets but keep putting dry food in water bowls. Then the stove keeps turning on and I look out the window and cars are pulling up with people I don't know and all their cars are full of clothes I can't seem to move fast enough and you dog is running around. I wake up before knowing if I got everything in the car.
When I fall back asleep I dream that planes are dropping bombs on the area I'm driving at and we need to get home and pack up our stuff but my BF keeps telling his friends they can get a ride I said no since my 16 year old and dog and cat are with us and there's no room and then I'm in the bank withdrawal all my money when I get out my car is gone my BF let his friend take it to pack his stuff we argue about why he says it's my car as we are walking down a lot of stairs I'm yelling where is my 16 year old and pets he keeps walking then I hear my dog whining so I go down a dark street and he continues to walk away then I wake up. ( I keep having this dream each night well it's my second night now)
Can you help explain this please? Thanks
Daisy
I had a dream that I was having dinner with my teacher and a few of my friends but the rest of the people I didn't know and then someone or something got one of the people I didn't know really mad and they had powers all of the sudden he was trying to kill everyone there I was running and I got out but one of my friends didn't so then me and these two other girls where running and my eyes started to turn purple and I didn't know what was happening then the girl that was next to me started to have these sparkles follow her and then the girl in front of us just stared at us and then said "I don't know where we are or how to get back to my house" then I replied "I don't know either" but the I started to recognize where I was at then I said "you can come to my house and my parents can take you home" then she started to walk with me well run with me and the other girl. But as we were walking I was starting to get confused because I didn't know what was going on with the girl that was next to me there sparkles practically following her and at this time i didn't know that I had purple eyes. But then we got one a certain street and the girl with the sparkles following her just stopped and stared at this one house and said "I almost died there" and at this point I was already scared because scared because we were being chased by A maniac and this girl is saying she almost died at this house and I was wondering how did I get myself into this situate. Then a girl wearing all black approached us and said "funny seeing u around here" to the girl with the sparkles. The girl with the sparkles didn't reply but she looked at me and said "carriage" then I said " um ya I guess" I was really confused and the girl other girl that couldn't find her house just disappeared but I wasn't really worried about that I was more worried if I was gonna die today or at that moment even so then the girl looked at her finger and then all the sparkles around her just tured into a carriage so we got in it and the girl wearing all black got into the carriage and just started talking to the girl with the sparkles but I couldn't really understand what they were saying so then the girl with the sparkles said "can I have directions please" to me and I said "yes" but then It was like she read my mind because she just went straight to my house and got out with the girl in black and my dad wasn't out side so we started to walk.
Then I woke up.
What does this dream mean?
Tinkerbell
I used to be afraid of nightmares to a pint where I had stopped sleeping in my room alone. I'd find excuses to fall asleep on the couch or I'd watch educational videos on YouTube till my eyes would force shut just so I didn't have to fall asleep in silence. My nightmares consisted more of fires and my body detaching itself from my physical body. I'd feel trapped and would struggle to get back into my body on my bed and freak out that in the waking world I died. And I was trapped.
Over the last 6 months something has changed dramatically in my life. I've been travelling and began meditating.. not to overcome fear but as a lifestyle choice. Meditation helps me declutter my mind. Infact I tend to meditate myself to sleep.
Ie meditation of breathing.. as I sleep I focus on my breathing embrace a sense of peace and bam. I'm knockout.
The shocking bit is that my recording dreams are now me seeing nightmares but somehow they change into nightmare happening to other people not me and the story then somehow changes. My recent reoccurring one was people being swallowed by a giant shark... it was gruesome and I seen the water stained by blood from the cut but then magically it turned out that these people went into the sharks mouth to take out a piece of a giant piece of lemon that was killing him.
It's then a whale.. or two actually two whales offering me to ride on their back to take me somewhere. I was timid and afraid and kept saying no. They told me it's fine and to trust them... the second whale spoke and said GO. So I did I jumped on the first whales back and we went for a swim. It was euphoric I couldn't stop laughing.
Sometimes I wake up laughing now. It's a massive change from waking up in a state of fright.
I think our dreams represent out subconscious fears. Try focus on how you feel.
Ie I thought this dream tells me to GO and do the things I want to do. Start the business and not worry about it.
But as I'm writing this it can also mean that i should consult my doctor about my reoccurring back pain ...what if there's soemthing else that's causing it?
I'll be doing both:)
ANNONYMOUS
Well i don't know what is this its not like normal*
i was in the house ( i was not like my look in real life )
and 2 BIG fat TALL girls stand front of me and i started kicking her butt and she was okay
BUT i even in real life when i see people doing Se i feel like its gross
but this dream was not gross it was like cool
Jordan
I was dreaming that me ands my whole family cousins, aunts, uncles everyone was out by a big lake. We were sending out boxes full of memories and we were letting them drop to the bottom. Well I was one of the people that got to push the box out into the lake well when it sank to the bottom I fell with it. I started to drown and hoping someone would come save me. It felt like life time, b4 I was brought up. My dad and cousin had to do CPR on me to bring me back to life. When I woke up I started to scoot my way back away from the water but my family acted like nothing happened they just laughed it off and made me feel like a outsider that I made it all up. I woke up crying just because it felt so real and my heart was beating fast with my chest feeling extremely heavy.
Annej
I had a dream where I was being chased down a dark alley by a man with many tatoos and he had a long beard. I one part I got away from him and I was hiding behind a wall. I pulled out a small mirror or shattered glass whichever it was and caught sight of him. Unfortunately he saw the glass or mirror. He began to chase me again finally catching up to me and grabbing my throat tightly in his hand. I woke up sweating and crying. Then the next day I was walking through walmart and saw the same guy with the long beard and the tattoos sitting on the bench by the girls restroom he was staring right at me. His gaze never left mine until I ran to my mom. I am 16 and this happened three months ago. What exact;y does that mean???
Fern
Anne, it means listen to your intuition and stay away from that guy.
cat
hi, can anyone help....I dreamed that i was overseas in a big country i had never visited before and i went to a hospital were i met a friend of mine who lives in texas now.We spoke for a few seconds then i left. I went up on the road to go in to town and when i turned the corner all i saw was a big cliff and seawater surrounding me i turn back in the direction from where i came and it was the same thing i was blocked ..i had to make a path out of the bushes then i found the main road was on my way to town then i wore up?????
help.........................
Carly
I had a dream, where I was stuck in a basement. Whith someone, but when I woke up I completely forgot who I was with, but I knew that they were helping me. I was being chased by someone. So anyway.. We were stuck in a basement, and then we saw Windows. For some weird reason we took off our shoes. Then I started to crawl out the window. There waiting for me was my chaser. I think it was a man, but I'm not sure. When I woke up I didn't remember anyone's faces.
Sara
I had a dream that I was kissing someone, passionately. And when I woke up, but I had no clue who I was kissing.
Does This Mean Anything?