Our emotions are the source of most of our dreams, whether we have nightmares or not. Both positive dreams and terrible nightmares are a normal experience for most people, while some of them are most common than others. In any case, taking some time to analyze and interpret these types of nightmares could point to important issues in the waking life you have been ignoring.
Here are 9 of the most common types of nightmares and what they mean:
1. Serious illness
Dreaming about yourself or your loved one being seriously ill is among the most common types of nightmares. This type of dream points to your fear of the unknown, difficulty accepting things you can do nothing about, and a lack of control over your life.
2. Assault or injury
A nightmare where you were attacked or injured is a representation of your perception of the world and other people. It could mean that you lack trust towards other people and don’t expect anything good from life. This dream symbolizes your fear and distrust. It could be that you expect that someone in your life is going to treat you badly.
3. Car accident
Just like the nightmare about illness, dreaming about a car accident symbolizes your struggle with taking control over your own life. Maybe you are dealing with some kind of issues that you can do little about and this makes you feel like your world is falling apart.
4. Drowning
Drowning in dreams is among the most common types of nightmares. It means that you are experiencing a highly stressful situation or are under too much pressure. It could indicate that you are on the edge of emotional breakdown.
5. Falling down
While many people suffer from fear of heights, dreaming about falling doesn’t necessarily symbolize this kind of phobia. It could mean that you are experiencing difficulties with keeping your life under control or are afraid of failure, hardships, or even death.
6. Teeth falling out
This is among the most common types of nightmares for people of all ages. When you dream about your teeth falling out, especially if you have a recurring nightmare of this kind, it could mean that you feel unable and powerless in the face of a situation. You either don’t know how to handle it or feel too exhausted or incapable to deal with it.
7. Being lost
If you have recurrent nightmares about being lost, it could mean that your life lacks purpose or you are walking the wrong path. Do you lack self-awareness and are unsure what to do with your life? Are you living your life according to someone else’s expectations? Do you struggle to decide what path you should follow?
8. Failing at an exam
Even if you are far above school age, you may still have this type of dream from time to time. In your dream, you suddenly see yourself back in school and find out that you are about to take an exam you didn’t read for. This type of nightmare could indicate your anxious feelings about a situation or task that either awaits you in the near future or took place not so long ago and you didn’t handle it the way you should have.
9. Being chased
If you had a nightmare where you were trying to escape from a scary chaser, it probably means that you are trying to avoid an unpleasant situation in waking life too. Are you trying to avoid responsibility, a difficult conversation, or a person who makes you feel uncomfortable? This type of nightmare may also indicate your feelings of being disconnected from reality.
Have you ever had any of these types of nightmares? Do you have any of them on a regular basis?
