The occasional bad dream can leave you with an unpleasant feeling in the morning, but nightmares have their own way of playing on our conscious all day long. Some say nightmares are just a way of the subconscious resolving things that it fears; others say these nightmares are reminders being given by our subconscious to resolve issues in our waking hours. Some nightmares we commonly counter – like being chased, being naked and falling – have already been covered, and defined as anxiety issues, in our earlier article about dreams. But what do other common nightmares mean, and why do we get them?
1. A Whirlwind Of Sorts
Dreaming of natural disasters such as erupting volcanoes, earthquakes and the like relate to control and stress issues – just as the weather cannot be controlled or prepared-for in advance. Seemingly, you might be expecting some impending doom looming around the corner that is causing you this anxiety. It could be anything from a doctor’s appointment to an exam.
2. A Sixth Sense?
A dream like this can send shivers down your spine. It causes severe emotional trauma to the dreamer, and is a dream that you need to try and resolve in your waking life. Unfortunately, dreams of this nature are often related to the recently deceased, and the reason you’re dreaming of them is because you are having difficulty letting go of them or coping with the emotional loss. If you are dreaming of people that you do not actually recognise, it could indicate a fear of the unknown.
3. You Snooze, You Lose
Although any one can have these dreams, they are especially common in people who have a classic “Type A” personality – those who live very fast-paced and uber-organized lifestyles. Dreaming that you are about to miss your wedding or an important meeting at work indicates that you have a very high level of anxiety and stress. You need to cut yourself some slack about coming up short in your waking life!
4. Ouch! Help me!
When one dreams of being injured or wounded, the cause is often a feeling of weakness in their waking lives. Dreaming about breaking bones or injuries can be your subconscious’ way of telling you that you are feeling a certain amount of vulnerability. Finding out what your weaknesses are and working on them can help you get rid of such nightmares.
5. The Tooth(less) Fairy
You would be surprised at how common this nightmare symbol is! As a dream symbol, teeth relate to a person’s self-evaluation of their physical appearance. So, dreaming of losing your teeth means that you are worrying about being judged by others based solely on your physical appearance. Your subconscious is playing on your own insecurities!
6. Don’t Go!
Dreaming of your significant other leaving you is the type of nightmare that is rooted in the dreamer’s reality. Often, it is a literal dream that means you are worried that your partner is going to leave you. More so, it reflects aspects of yourself that you feel don’t measure up to the relationship’s needs. In other words, you’re probably doubting whether or not you are “good enough” for your partner. The solution is to communicate the same to your partner, to help ease your fears.
7. Man’s Best Friend
Quite a few people dream about being chased down or attacked by dogs. Since dogs are often thought of as loyal companions, this nightmare is your subconscious’ way of telling you that your trusted instincts are trying to tell you something. If there is a family member or friend that has been dropping hints of betrayal, and you have been shrugging them off, it’s time you re-assess and let this person know that you are aware of what’s happening.
8. It’s A Trap!
When you have a dream that you are trapped somewhere or are not being able to escape something, it leaves you feeling helpless – and this feeling can often carry itself through to the next morning. This type of nightmare is trying to coax you into feeling so suffocated that you resolve the situation in your waking life at the earliest! Whether it is a dead-end relationship or a financial crisis – you need to act on it immediately. Furthermore, if you are dreaming of being buried alive – another form of a trap – it means means you are feeling completely neglected or undermined in a situation, and that your voice is not being heard. So, speak up!
9. Shotgun!
Have you ever had a nightmare in which you are being held at gunpoint? If so, chances are that you have been experiencing a confrontational situation in your life that you are not being able to deal with. As such, your subconscious is feeling victimized by the circumstances surrounding this situation and the nightmare reflects this, again, as a nudge that you NEED to deal with the situation.
10. Where’s That Lifejacket?
Dreams about drowning mean that you have recently had to deal with an overwhelming surge of emotions, or are out of your depth in a certain situation. This is also an interesting dream-cum-nightmare, as it is your subconscious’ way of telling you to calm down a little. Perhaps you can try and proceed in a more conscious manner if you are trying to uncover thoughts that may have at one time been repressed. Your mind is trying to protect you – take its advice!
11. Rest In Peace
To dream of your own funeral suggests that you are facing great change in life, and one that is concrete. It’s similar to dreaming of “death” as a whole, as it indicates that the end of one situation is near. Being a guest at your own funeral and seeing it for yourself indicates that you are contradicting your sense of self in your waking life and your subconscious is having trouble resolving this.
12. Crash!
If you have dreams about anything similar to a car crash, your subconscious is trying to solve issues of control that you may be facing in life. It could be related to the lack of stability in a certain situation or not being able to take control where you need to. This dream also conveys that there are aspects of your life that you need to take responsibility for. Try and delve into this further in your waking life and reassess how much control you have over a situation.
13. Apocalypse Now
The end of the world, in your dream, can be a very vivid nightmare – one that leaves you with a feeling of impending doom long after you wake up, especially since they are usually so detailed and realistic. The thing to take away from this terrifying dream is that it does not actually forewarn of the apocalypse. It rather is trying to communicate a feeling of your “own world” being in some sort of danger. The dream is a sign that you are fearing change in parts of your life. If you are the protagonist in this sort of a dream, and are able to avenge the situation, then it means you are craving some form of change from your mundane life!
14. Leave Me Breathless
When you are feeling out of breath in your dream, it is usually an indication of you being exceptionally exhausted in your waking life. Furthermore, your subconscious is indicating to you that you are suffering failure where success seemed to have been assured. Try to figure out what area of your waking life is not going as smooth sailing as it was envisioned.
Images: Shutterstock
MUST-READ: Zzzzz! What Does Your Sleeping Position Say About YOU?
MUST-READ: #ZodiacMyths: Exciting Legends about Your Star Sign!
