You are running. You are running from something and you don’t know what it is but you know you’re being chased. You’re being chased but suddenly… your teeth start falling out. You keep running while your teeth are crumbling into your hands but you realise you hadn't noticed the drop ahead, so you fall. Now you’re falling and you’re coming closer and closer to the ground until, to your surprise, you're suddenly flying. You’re flying through the air, looking down on the houses and people. Where is the only place these things can really take place? Yes; it’s in your dreams.
A sequence of sensations, images, thoughts, etc, passing through a sleeping person’s mind. This is the dictionary’s description of dreams and they've been studied since before 4000 BC, making them as old as the first civilisation of humanity as well as a normal part of human existence. So, in our dreams we can go anywhere, be anybody and do anything but what do the dreams we have really mean? These are the interpretations found from a little research.
Well, apparently, it all depends on what you’re doing in your dream. Being chased (one of the several common dream themes) would generally stem from feelings of anxiety in your life. Fleeing from something is an ‘instinctive response to a physical threat’ which makes sense if you’re being chased by a monster, an animal or any attacker wanting to hurt you. Usually the response is to run, to hide or to outwit what’s pursuing you. Your actions in your dreams parallel how you would respond to pressure and fear or stress in real life, so if you’re running away it indicates that, instead of confrontation, you have a tendency to avoid the issues. The best thing to do is ask yourself who is chasing you and then, maybe, you’ll gain a better grasp on the source of your fears or anxieties. On the other hand, you might be the one doing the chasing within your dream, highlighting your drive and ambition to go after something or, maybe, you’re falling behind everyone else and need to catch up.
Another common theme of dreams is of teeth falling out, whether they’re crumbling into your hands, are falling out one by one or grow crooked and rotten. I found a theory which suggests that dreams about teeth also reflect your anxieties in life, this time about how others perceive you and your appearance. Teeth play a big role in attractiveness so it’s likely that these dreams stem from a fear of rejection or getting older. This is proven by a dream researcher who found that women in menopause report to have frequent dreams in which their teeth fall out. It doesn’t make you vain, though, as caring about how you look is healthy and natural.
We’ve all had those dreams of falling and it’s a very common dream. There is a popular myth that you will actually die if you don’t wake up before you hit the ground but fear not, this is only a myth; you won’t really. This dream also represents insecurity, instability and anxiety. (Surely there are some positive dreams?!) You have ‘lost your foothold’ and there is nothing you can hold on to when you fall; maybe you’ve lost control of something in your ‘waking life’. If you’re having these dreams you might be feeling the sensation of failure or inferiority. For example, perhaps you feel you haven’t found love or you’ve lost your job. Interestingly, falling dreams typically occur during the first stage of sleep, apparently. In this stage, dreams are often joined by muscle spasms of limbs and body; we’ve all been falling asleep and suddenly jerked ourselves awake from tripping or falling in our mind.
So, what's the opposite of falling? Flying. Apparently, flying dreams fall under a category named 'lucid dreams', the dreams that occur when you become aware that you're dreaming. Dreams in which you have the ability to fly are usually exhilarating, liberating and fun. Easy, enjoyable flying within your dream tends to suggest you're on top of a situation and have risen above something. Also, you have gained a new perspective on things and being able to control your flight represents your own sense of power. On the contrary, if you're finding it difficult to control your flying it suggest you're struggling to control your own circumstances or stay on a set course. Perhaps you encounter obstacles in your flight, indicating there is something or someone standing in your way in real life. Another explanation would be that perhaps you're lacking in confidence or hesitating – so stop being afraid! Believe in yourself. A positive suggestion of flying dreams (finally) is that you are strong willed and strong minded; you can't be defeated and you can accomplish whatever you want so you can be left with a great feeling of freedom.
So, ultimately, your dreams are made up of symbols. The smallest symbol can enhance a feeling or idea and can have many profound and deep meanings that words can't convey. When analysing your dreams you can learn about your deepest secrets and feelings. Remember, you are the best expert at interpreting your own dreams… if you believe in that sort of thing.
