Have you ever solved mathematical equations in your dreams after a day of strenuous prep? Do you usually get a bad dream when you’re stressed? Doesn’t it make you curious about the mysterious connection between your dreams and your state of mind? Well, I got in touch with two experts—Dr. Chandni Tugnait, Psychotherapist, Healer, and Founder of Gateway of Healing and Ms Sumiran Annamaria Kashyap, a registered reiki and tarot practitioner—to delve deeper into the fascinating world of dream interpretations. Here’s a lowdown for you:
Can Dreams Be Indicative Of The Future?
While there’s no scientific evidence proving that dreams can predict the future, there have been cases of people experiencing precognitive dreams that have come true. “Dreams can be a prophecy, or a premonition–a spectacular spiritual gift and a form of the equally-spectacular levels of human evolution that are yet to be completely unlocked,” says Kashyap. “However, in most cases, they’re reflective of one’s state of mind,” adds Dr Tugnait.
The Connection Between Dreams & Your State Of Mind
Picturing yourself as a character from a series you’re binge-watching is a classic example of how dreams can be reflective of what we’re seeing or experiencing. According to Dr Tugnait, they may also give us a peak into our state of mind or a need to process or express certain underlying feelings.
10 Common Dreams & Their Meanings
Now that you know that your dreams can be your subconscious thoughts or simply a continuation of your thoughts of the day, let’s decode these ten common dreams:
Falling Off A Cliff
At some point, we all dreamt of falling off a cliff and then woke up startled. While Dr Tugnait blames the fear of losing power or control for it, Kashyap explains that it could stem from the need to seek clarity in life. “You could be torn between the idea of taking a leap of faith to embrace change or simply make peace with aspects of your current situation that are making you feel unhappy,” she says.
Loss Of Voice
Being unable to call for help is one of the biggest fears anyone can have. But thankfully, a dream about losing your voice isn’t a future prediction. According to Dr Tugnait, it’s a sign that you have too many suppressed emotions which you need to express. Kashyap adds that it could be indicative of a need to be more honest with yourself and get in touch with your inner voice.
Being Naked In Public
A walk of shame in your dreams can simply be a result of extreme fear of being exposed in public—especially if you’re in a position of power. “You could possibly be self-conscious, shy, awkward, or embarrassed about some aspect of yourself that you don’t want anyone to know about,” Kashyap points out. “It can also indicate social anxiety or a need to be more honest and authentic with oneself,” Dr Tugnait adds.
Teeth Falling Out
Dr Tugnait explains, “If you’re worried or insecure about the changes in your appearance due to ageing, you might just experience a dream about losing your teeth suddenly.” On the flip side, Kashyap suggests that it could indicate regret about sharing some information or allowing yourself to become part of some gossip/drama.
Being In A Position Of Power
If you were a CEO, queen, or simply the President of the country in your dream, chances are that you yearn for greater control in your life. According to Dr Tugnait, these dreams may hint at the need to take on more responsibility, start a new project, and be more assertive and confident in life.
Death
Nothing can be more disturbing than watching yourself or a close one die in your dreams. However, it’s not as bad as you think. Your own death can mean that you’re trying to come to terms with a significant ending in some aspect of your life–personal, intimate, professional, or social. On the other hand, Dr Tugnait mentions that a dream about the death of a close one can just be due to unprocessed feelings of loss, guilt, or grief.
Partner’s Infidelity
According to Dr Tugnait, dreams about your partner betraying you could be a sign of a lack of trust and insecurity. Kashyap points out that if you’ve been in a delicate position of forgiving your partner’s infidelity before, then such dreams could be “distressing details of the past morphing into your dreams.” Remember, addressing your relationship problems makes more sense here than waking up and fighting with your partner because how dare they cheat even in your dreams!
Running Late For An Important Event
Dr Tugnait blames such dreams on the fear of losing out on something or being unable to meet someone’s expectations. Kashyap adds that it could also be because you subconsciously don’t really want to go for that particular event even if you’ve said that “you’re happy to go”.
Killing Someone
Casually saying it out of anger and actually picturing yourself killing someone in dreams are two different things. However, they have the same underlying cause—suppressed anger. “Imagine rage or anguish so deeply internalised, unexpressed for so long, that when it finally finds an outlet, it chooses death,” says Kashyap. The only way to stop such dreams from haunting you is to process and channel your anger, and let go of the hurt and anguish that you’ve held on to for so long.
How To Cope With Negative Dreams
Dreams of falling, killing, or losing a loved one can leave you quite disturbed. But here are four expert-approved ways of coping with them and keeping the negative feelings at bay:
Write Your Feelings Away
Dr Tugnait suggests the brain/mind dumping exercise to get rid of the negative feelings post a disturbing dream. All you’ve got to do is pen down every vivid memory of your dream and analyse the underlying cause of it. This can help declutter your mind and make you feel lighter. However, make sure to discard or burn it away once done to avoid overthinking about it.
Intense Self-Care
Self-care in the form of exercise, deep breathing, and meditation can help realign your body, mind, and soul and regain your spiritual balance. You may feel lighter, stronger, and more positive after practising self-care.
Master Your Emotions
Most people suppress their emotions and distract themselves with work, Netflix or simply let out their emotions by yelling or crying. However, according to Dr Tugnait, none of these helps you process your emotions. You need to identify how you’re feeling and process it properly by writing it down, deep breathing, and letting it pass. “Bottling up emotions can not only lead to horrid dreams but they can also crop up as health issues like sleep problems, gut imbalance, and recurring sickness,” she warns.
Reframe Your Dream
The ‘half-empty-half-full glass’ philosophy can be applied to cope with the trauma of getting bad dreams as well. Try to look at the positives in your dream or simply reframe your dream in your head with a positive ending to cash in on the power of manifestation.
Folks your dreams are usually a representation of your subconscious thoughts. So make sure to stay happy, and healthy, and surround yourself with positive people. Take care and….sweet dreams!
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