Decoding Dreams

Have you ever woken up in a panic, after having a nightmare or intense dream that was so real, you pinch yourself to prove it isn't? How come you remember almost every detail of a nightmare, but have trouble recaping a dream? Have you ever wondered what your dream may mean? Below I have researched the most popular dreams, what they may mean to you and why we remember nightmares so vividly.

Dream that you are falling:

This is by far the most popular dream out there, and it's meaning varies depending on the person you speak to. From personal experience, I have had this dream many times, and it usually meant that I was extremely stressed and felt out of control. It usually indicates a feeling of insecurity, anxiety and instability. You are usually feeling out of control in one or more aspects in your life. It may be work or it may be home or both. It may also mean you have a fear of failure, such as failing in school, losing your job or a loved one. Falling dreams usually occur at the beginning of sleep and are accompanied by muscle spasms and muscle jerks called "Myclonic Jerks".

Naked Dreams:

If you have a dream that you are naked in public, and are feeling embarrassment and humiliation, it usually indicates vulnerbility or shamefulness. You may be hiding something and are afraid people can see the truth. You may also be trying to be something you are not or may be afraid of being riduculed or disgraced. Sometimes people have these dreams at the beginning of a new relationship, indicating some apprehension to revealing true feelings.

Dreams you are being chased:

Chase dreams often come from feelings of anxiety in your waking life. Our response and reaction to being chased in our dream, is often reflective of how we feel in real life. They often represent how you deal with stress and anxiety. For example running away from an attacker in your dream and running away from problems in your waking life. The pursuer or attacker in your dream may also represent another side of yourself. You may have underlying feelings of anger, jealousy and fear, that are projected by the attacker. Next time you have a dream like this, turn around and confront your attacker, ask them why they are chasing you. You may gain valuable insight into why you are having these dreams.

Dreams your teeth are falling out:

This is another extremely popular dream, that almost everyone has had at least once. Sometimes in your dream your teeth just crumble in your hands, and other times they fall out one by one. This usually indicates anxiety over appearance and how one is percieved by others. Another possible meaning is that you are afraid of making a fool of yourself or being embarrased. Our teeth play a huge role in our overall appearence, and having good teeth is greatly portrayed in the media. Because teeth are used to bite, tear and chew, sometimes dreaming they are falling out means you are lacking power in your waking life, and that you need to be more assertive.

Flying Dreams

Flying dreams fall under the category of "Lucid Dreaming". It occurs when you become aware you dreaming. If you dream you are flying with ease and are enjoying the scenery below, it may mean you feel you are on top of a situation, or gained a different perspective. If you dream you are struggling to keep in flight, it may indicate a lack of power controlling your own circumstances. Things like power lines, mountains and trees that obstruct your flight may mean a person or obstacle is in the way of you moving forward.

There are a great many books out there that give in depth analysis on what dreams mean. To some it may mean absolutley nothing, and to others, they base there daily lives on what they dream about. I believe dreams do give us insight into what is going on in our subconcious, showing us something we fail to see on our own.