Psychologist Explains The Most Common Dreams And What They Mean

If you’re the kind of person who experiences a lot of vivid dreams that you can remember upon waking, it can be a puzzle to try and come up with explanations about the meaning of the images you see and experience while asleep.

More often than not, dreams send us messages that our conscious minds are unable to fathom while awake, and these messages help us understand what to do.

Such is the wonder of our minds.

Receiving instructions from our subconscious while deep in R.E.M. sleep.

Psychologist Ian Wallace who has interpreted over 150,000 dreams during the course of his 30 years of experience as a practicing dreams analyst, has assembled a list of nine common dream occurrences, and what they may mean in our lives:

#1. Falling

If you are frequently visited by dreams of falling, where it seems as if you have lost control of your circumstances and you cannot stop your downward drop into danger or a dark unknown, it may point towards your holding on to a certain person, situation, or position too tightly in real life…and you need to let go to release your anxiety over keeping the object of your concern in your life.

#2. Discovering an unused room

In your dreams, if you often encounter a room with an air of abandonment or a feeling of never having been used before, it may mean you are on the verge of discovering, or have recently discovered a heretofore unknown talent or skill. Examine your own gifts in real life and determine whether you have just come upon an aptitude worth exploring.

#3. Unpreparedness for an exam, presentation or speech

A lot of us have had this anxiety-riddled dream at one time or another. No matter how much preparation you put into a major upcoming event, fear of failing will always beget dreams like these. It is our subconscious telling us we are putting so much pressure on ourselves to succeed that the worry has spilled over into our dreams.

#4. Flying

Dreams of flying are one of the most common dreams people have, and they indicate freedom or liberation after making a major decision during waking hours, particularly over a matter that has been causing concern and anxiety. Flying dreams also signify being spiritually ready to take on challenges upon waking.

#5. Trapped in an out-of-control vehicle

Whether the vehicle be a car, boat, plane, or train, the feeling of being shut inside while in the middle of the wildest ride of your life indicates a waking concern of being out of control in a certain situation. It can also signify a worry over being unable to take charge over your own path to success.

#6. Nakedness in public

Nothing can be more mortifying than finding yourself naked in public. The dream points towards a worry over being vulnerable during your waking hours, and a lack of confidence in your own abilities.

#7. Wanting to relieve yourself and finding no toilets anywhere

Being unable to relieve oneself and finding no toilet in sight can bring on panic and desperation during waking hours. Imagine it happening in the dream state. One particular psychological interpretation of this recurring state in dreams points toward being unable to express one’s feelings and needs in real life.

#8. Dreams of teeth falling out

Taking on the shape of a nightmare rather than a pleasant dream, experiencing your teeth falling out in while in REM sleep signifies a feeling of weakness or failure during waking hours. Teeth symbolizing confidence, teeth falling out in a dream means a loss of self-assurance and vitality.

#9. Being chased by something or someone

This is another common dream theme, which can also take on nightmare proportions, point towards certain issues plaguing you during your waking hours that you need to confront but don’t know how to. These issues manifest themselves as the entities chasing you in your dreams.

What have you been dreaming about lately?