This is what your dreams really mean

Imaginary monsters under the bed won’t hurt you, but unresolved stress manifesting as nightmares just might. We’ve analysed some of the most common recurring dreams and what they could mean for you.

It can be difficult to get a good night’s sleep when many things are weighing on your mind.

Have you ever dreamt of casually walking around in public, completely naked, and everybody is looking at you? Although mortifying, almost every person has had this nightmare at least once in their lives. But what does it mean? We’ve analysed some of the most common recurring dreams and what they could mean for you.

Falling or dying

Dreams that involve falling or dying are highly connected to your emotions in waking life. It could mean that you are struggling with losing control in one aspect of your life, represent a feeling of vulnerability or that a new period of transition is about to start. While those dreams may be unpleasant, they are often indicative of something you may need to confront.

Spiders

Depending on how you feel about arachnids, dreams involving spiders can be either negative or positive. In waking life, spiders, for many people, are associated with fear and unease. In dreams spiders could represent feeling trapped in a situation you cannot easily escape, or if you are not particularly afraid of eight-legged creatures, a spider web could represent creativity.

Seeing spiders in your dreams could represent feeling trapped.

Fire

Dreams about fire often symbolise destruction or a fear of losing something that is important to you. If your childhood home is on fire it could represent a new period of your life in which you may no longer need to hold onto something from your past as closely. Fire can also be a purifying force. If you see a campfire or a controlled burn, the fire could represent a desire to cleanse yourself of negativity.

Being late or being chased

Feeling as if you rushing to get to a destination in your dreams, whether it be for an important meeting, or running away from something, is often linked to anxiety in your waking life. You could be feeling overwhelmed, struggling with the consequences of an action, or an issue that you might not be ready to confront yet.

Being late for a meeting in a dream could represent struggles in your waking life.

Former workplace

Dreaming of your former workplace is often linked to strong emotions from the past, or something from that time period that isn’t quite resolved. It could serve as a way to reflect on your personal growth since working there, it may symbolise a desire for change back to a more simplistic time in your life, or can mean something in your past is holding you back from reaching your full potential.

Losing teeth

Losing your teeth in a dream can be particularly uncomfortable, but the meaning behind the dream isn’t always straight forward. It can represent a feeling of insecurity, an inability to communicate, a loss of control, or for some, it can be tied to a fear of ageing.

Theft

Dreaming of your personal belongings being stolen, or your home being broken into, is often tied with a fear of loss of control and stability. Dreaming of someone gaining access to your home without permission can be indicative of trust issues, unresolved guilt or a violation of personal boundaries.

Public nudity

Despite how embarrassing it may be, dreams involving public nudity are quite a common experience. It is often linked with feelings of vulnerability, insecurity, or representative of certain aspects of yourself that you may be afraid to confront.

Dreaming of speaking in front of people while naked can represent a feeling of vulnerability.

Flying

Dreams that involve flying are indicative of a feeling of freedom and liberation and are often associated with personal empowerment. It can represent a desire to achieve new goals, or feeling positive about your own personal growth. Alternatively, dreams that allow you to fly can also represent a desire to escape something that makes you feel uncomfortable in waking life.

Tests or exams

Being asked to complete a test in your dream can represent a feeling of anxiety or self-doubt in your waking life. It can often mean a fear of failure, or a lack of preparedness in certain areas of your life, while a desire for approval in waking life can often manifest in your dreams as an impossibly difficult test.

Other common dreams

– A plane falling out of the sky is often linked with a fear of losing control.

– Meeting a celebrity is often linked with your self-image and aspirations in life.

– Someone you love dying is often linked with a fear of loss or abandonment.

– The world ending can represent a feeling of helplessness or overwhelm.

– People being mean to you can often be linked to insecurity and low self-esteem.

– An alien invasion can be linked to a fear of unknown or uncertainty.

– Playing a video game often comes from a desire to escape responsibilities.

– Cheating on someone is often linked to guilt from doing something that goes against your values.

– Being trapped in a different universe could represent feeling stuck or disconnected in life.

– Exploring a shopping centre can represent decisions you may be grappling with.

– Your workplace could represent a desire for career projection, or a desire for validation.

– Childhood toys often represent a longing for simpler times.

– Pets being injured often represents a fear of losing trust in close relationships.

– Dreams set in the morning are linked to new beginnings, the day can represent clarity, the afternoon can represent reflection, while dreams set at night are often linked to uncertainty.

Originally published as This is what your dreams really mean