Dream Interpretation

Possible Interpretations for Common Dreams

While dreams are shaped Trusted Source Trends in Cognitive Sciences View Source by each person’s unique personality and interests, many people experience recurring themes that are surprisingly common across different individuals. Here are some of the most common dreams and their possible meanings.

Teeth Falling Out

Dreams about teeth falling out are one of the most common Trusted Source Frontiers in Psychology View Source dream narratives. Numerous theories have been proposed to explain the deeper significance of dreams involving teeth.

Artemidorus, an ancient Greek dream interpreter, believed the meaning of these dreams depended on which tooth (or teeth) a dreamer loses. The early 20th-century psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud theorized that dreams about teeth relate to sexual desires. 

Other experts have proposed that this type of dream represents anxiety around aging, while recent research suggests that dental irritation or tension in the jaw while sleeping may contribute to dreams about teeth.

Sex and Cheating

Dreams that include sexual content are frequent, with more than 70% of people Trusted Source Medicine View Source experiencing dreams about sex. In our survey, about one-third of people reported having dreamed about having sex. 

Sex dreams may mirror a person’s feelings about sex or reflect unsatisfied desires. Dreams about a cheating partner may be linked to low levels of intimacy or feelings of jealousy in a relationship.

Dreams About Your Ex

Although people tend to dream about current romantic partners more frequently than they dream about exes, dreams about an ex romantic partner are also fairly common Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source . Dreams about exes tend to involve intense emotions.

In some cases, these dreams may represent a desire to be with the ex-partner again. However, emotional dreams about an ex may also indicate you’re processing the relationship or breakup in a healthy way. A study of people going through a divorce found that those who were not depressed had more emotional dreams about their ex than those who were depressed Trusted Source Psychiatry Research View Source .

Being Naked in Public

Freud believed that dreams about being naked in public stem from uncomfortable feelings experienced as a child while undressing in front of strangers . Contemporary scientists tend not to comment on this dream’s potential meaning, but online dream analysts argue that it represents worry that you’re unprepared for something or harboring underlying feelings of vulnerability, perhaps about a change in your life.

Taking a Test

Dreams about test-taking often involve the dreamer running late for an exam or don’t realize they have a test until they arrive at school, not having studied. Thus, they’re often thought to represent underlying anxiety about being late or unprepared Trusted Source Trends in Cognitive Sciences View Source .

If you dream about doing poorly on an exam when you actually have one coming up, don’t worry. Research shows that those who dream about taking a test in advance perform better on tests in waking life, even when the dream was negative Trusted Source Consciousness and Cognition View Source .

Falling

The feeling of falling through the air while dreaming is a frequent theme that has emerged from dream research. Falling is a common sensation people experience before a hypnic jerk. Hypnic jerks are involuntary lurches that can involve a part of the body or the body as a whole.

Flying

Freud believed that people dream about flying because of their childhood memories of being thrown into the air or swung around. Research conducted in the 1970s found that flying dreams were connected to a desire for freedom . Because flying dreams often involve vigorous physical activity, people may be more likely to remember them than other types of dreams.

Dreams About Someone You Know

According to the continuity hypothesis, the people, places, and feelings present in waking life often make their way into dreams Trusted Source Consciousness and Cognition View Source . For this reason, dreams about people you see in daily life are expected, and may not always have special meaning. About 29% of our survey takers report doing something they’ve already done in waking life when dreaming about a person they know.

That said, if you have a dream about someone you don’t see regularly, there may be a reason. Reflect on if you have any unresolved feelings regarding the person or your relationship with them, or if seeing them in the dream reminded you of something from your past that needs addressing.

Dreams About Celebrities

Just as people in our daily waking lives often show up in our dreams, so might those who we frequently see on television or social media, or in movies, newspapers, or magazines. These dreams can be meaningless, but if you have a celebrity dream that feels meaningful, think about what that person reminds you of or means to you. They could symbolize something you desire or a situation in your waking life that requires your attention.

Being Late for Something

Over a third of our survey respondents have been late to something in their dreams, like school, work, or a bus or train. Like dreams about test-taking, dreams about being late can simply reflect daytime activity carrying over into sleep, or they can signify underlying anxiety about being unprepared or not quite making it in some area of life. Pay attention to whether these dreams become more common during times of stress or overwhelm. If so, relaxation techniques may help.

Natural Disasters

About 20% of our survey respondents have dreamed about a natural disaster at some point. Dreams about natural disasters may involve a flood, fire, earthquake, or apocalyptic narrative. Natural disaster dreams may be related to the traumatic events Trusted Source Medline Plus MedlinePlus is an online health information resource for patients and their families and friends. View Source and stressors of a person’s lived experience. 

People affected by natural disasters such as hurricanes Trusted Source The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) SAMHSA is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. View Source and tornadoes Trusted Source The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) SAMHSA is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. View Source may experience feelings of depression, anxiety, or fear about the storm in the form of nightmares.

Being Chased or Attacked

Dreams of being chased or attacked are common, and they’re often bad dreams or nightmares. Just over half of our survey respondents have dreamed of being chased or attacked before. 

Some experts explain these types of dreams using the evolutionary theory of dreaming. According to this theory, certain dreams, such as those of being chased, may have provided the opportunity to practice a skill during sleep that helped people better survive in waking life.

Nightmares

The majority of our survey respondents have had a nightmare—a vivid dream sequence that involves distressing events—at least once. Nightmares may signify that a person is struggling with stress, trauma, or a sleep disorder. They can invoke feelings of fear and anxiety, but nightmares can also cause embarrassment, anger, and disgust.

People of all ages can have occasional nightmares, though they’re more common in children. And though they can be disturbing, most people who experience nightmares don’t require treatment. They may be a sign that a person is experiencing a stressful life event like a move, starting a new school or job, or having troubles at home.

Other reasons a person may experience nightmares include starting or stopping a prescription medication, using illegal drugs, drinking too much alcohol or sudden alcohol withdrawal, taking non-prescription sleep aids, or having an illness accompanied by a fever.

People who experience repeated nightmares may want to speak with a health care provider. Frequent, distressing nightmares can be an indication of sleep apnea or another sleep disorder. Persistent nightmares may also be a sign of a mental health condition such as an anxiety disorder, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Recurring Dreams

Many of the above dream themes can be recurring dreams for some people, which means the same dream or a very similar version of the dream appears on different nights. A majority of our survey takers reported having had recurring dreams before, and about 11% have them regularly. Many experts view recurring dreams as an indication of an issue in a person’s life that remains unresolved Trusted Source Consciousness and Cognition View Source .

Recurring dreams that feel negative have been linked to stress and emotional difficulties. But resolving recurring dreams has been linked to greater well-being. That said, some experts believe that recurring dreams, such as those about being chased or fighting, may allow people to practice addressing a threat they could face in waking life.

Theories of Dream Interpretation

People have tried to decipher the meaning of dreams since the dawn of civilization, though scientific research on dreams is relatively new. The most prominent theories of dream interpretation include psychologists and psychoanalysts Trusted Source Frontiers in Psychology View Source from the early twentieth century to modern neuroscientists Trusted Source SpringerLink SpringerLink provides researchers with access to millions of scientific documents from journals, books, series, protocols, reference works, and proceedings. View Source .

• Freud: Sigmund Freud published The Interpretation of Dreams in 1900. According to Freud, dreams represent a form of wish fulfillment Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source and hold the key to a person’s desires. He believed dreams are rooted in real-life experiences but shouldn’t be taken literally, because their true meaning is hidden in the unconscious mind.
• Jung: Carl Jung, originally influenced by Freud Trusted Source Behavioral Sciences View Source , later developed his own view of dreams as a form of “compensation”—a way for the unconscious mind to balance inner conflicts or underdeveloped parts of the self.
• Hall: In the 1950s, psychologist Calvin S. Hall proposed that dreams reflect a person’s thoughts and beliefs, acting like staged scenes based on their view of themselves, others, and the world, as well as offering insight into their daily behavior.
• Domhoff: William Domhoff, whose work spanned from the 1960s to 2018, combined dream content analysis with brain imaging and EEG. He argued that dreams are similar to waking daydreams, likely don’t serve a specific function, and are simply a byproduct of brain activity.

Contemporary Theories

The complex theories developed by early pioneers of dream interpretation have largely been replaced by a neuroscience-focused approach.

• Emotional processing: One prominent theory suggests that the contents of a dream may help the dreamer process difficult life experiences Trusted Source Frontiers in Psychology View Source . In particular, the vivid dreams of REM sleep may help the brain process waking experiences and regulate emotions.
• Memory consolidation: Dreaming may also play an important role in forming new memories Trusted Source Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports View Source . This theory asserts that dreams are a key part of the nervous system process that converts short-term memories formed during the day into long-term memories.
• Performance and creativity: According to the overfitted brain hypothesis Trusted Source Patterns View Source , the typical experiences of daily life don’t prepare the brain for unexpected events. Dreams offer people a hallucinatory narrative that serves to improve cognitive performance and boost creativity during waking hours.

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Tips for Analyzing and Interpreting Your Dreams

Interpreting dreams is far from an exact science, but a few strategies can help people better understand their dreams.

• Keep a dream journal: Using a journal Trusted Source American Psychological Association (APA) APA is the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States, with more than 121,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students as its members. View Source or smart-phone app to record your dreams shortly after waking up can help you document the details of your dream. Researchers have used dream journals and dream diaries to help study participants recall their dreams with more accuracy Trusted Source Nature and Science of Sleep View Source .
• Consider your biases: Research suggests that your interpretation of a dream may be influenced by religious beliefs and interpersonal relationships. When reflecting on a dream, consider whether you’re looking for information that confirms Trusted Source SAGE Publishing SAGE produces high quality educational resources that support instructors to prepare the citizens, policy makers, educators and researchers of the future. View Source your current beliefs.
• Talk with a professional: Consider speaking with a healthcare professional if you have recurring dreams or nightmares that negatively affect your well-being. These may be a warning sign of another medical condition such as anxiety, depression, or a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea or nightmare disorder. A health care provider can help make a diagnosis and discuss treatment, if needed. If you feel that your particular situation doesn’t warrant the help of a medical professional, you can consider speaking with a sleep consultant. Sleep consultants are trained to handle a number of sleep issues and can guide you in the right direction toward a better night’s sleep.

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