Photo: James Jordan

The art of dream interpretation is an ancient practice that dates back thousands of years. So it is not necessarily surprising to find common motifs in dreams as well. It is important to note that the idea of interpreting dreams or using dream dictionaries is not highly recommended, especially with dream therapists and workers.

The reasoning is that although humans share a ‘collective memory,’ we are also individuals. To fully engage with a dream, one must be mindful of nuances, including personal associations, experiences, and emotional content. But take comfort in knowing that when we remember a dream, it means we can do something about it.

Here are just some of the few themes and tips on what dreams might be telling us:

Celebrities

Today’s celebrities are like yesterday’s mythological figures. In the news, we are bombarded with star worship, so engrossed with the minutest details of celebrities’ lives that we seem to know them intimately. Therefore, it isn’t surprising that these people would bleed into our dreams as larger than life archetypal figures. If you have celebrities in your dreams, it might be helpful to look at the character traits or perhaps the associations tied to them. For example, for some Angelina Jolie might be a pillar of motherhood and philanthropy with her many adoptions and humanity based projects. For others, she might represent the archetypal siren or “husband stealer.” It is all up to the dreamer.

Chased by Someone or Something

Photo: Robert Couse-Baker

The ‘chase’ dream is a common one, especially among women who feel particularly vulnerable in waking life. Often, the dreamer is being chased by an ominous being (or beings) which could be anything from “the dark figure” with no recognizable features to monstrous entities like dinosaurs or zombies.

It is important to note who or what is doing the chasing, paying close attention to characteristics. If it is a vampire, are you dealing with lifeless, bloodsucking energy in your life? How about a serial killer? Perhaps there are parts of life or patterns that need “killing off” in terms of character traits/people/situations/habits that are no longer working for you. SEE PARALYSIS AND HEAVINESS.

Feeling of Paralysis or Heaviness

These dreams are very common because there is an actual physiological paralysis that occurs naturally during the (REM) Rapid Eye Movement stage of sleep. This is so the dreamer does not physically act out dreams (and hurt somebody!). Sometimes this state might seep into dreams as the condition of not being able to walk, run, or move, especially when in danger–such as being chased by an ax wielding zombie. It could also be a symbol of feeling helpless or stuck in a situation in waking life. SEE CHASED BY SOMEONE OR SOMETHING.

Photo: nyki_m

Giving Birth

This theme most often happens with females, but it also has been recorded with males, since the birthing process can be a beautiful metaphor for giving birth to an idea, project or a new way of being. The birth could also be an indicator of someone either currently pregnant, wanting or not wanting to be pregnant, or all of the above. It is important to note the emotional quality of the dream as well and what is being birthed. It is not uncommon for dreamers to give birth to full grown children, objects and even animals. SEE NEGLECTED CHILD.

The Neglected Child

This dream is usually not a welcomed one at first. The reason being is that the dreamer often finds a child they either forgot about or never knew they had. To the dreamer’s horror, and often surprise, the child seems perfectly fine even though they had not been taken care of for months, even years. Like the birthing dream, this neglected child is often a metaphor for a project, idea or way of life that the dreamer had to put aside in waking life and now has the opportunity to revisit again. SEE GIVING BIRTH.

Public Bathroom or Nudity

These two dream themes are connected in terms of exposure. When we use the toilet, it is almost always in private, so to dream of doing your business in full view of the public is very significant to waking life. Are we feeling vulnerable? Do we long for privacy? Is our business out in the open for everyone to see? For the spiritual alchemist, to dream of your feces is to dream of the prima materia. And believe it or not, that’s where the gold is!

Photo: dunikowski

When we are nude in dreams, we are also literally exposing ourselves. The emotional quality of this dream, as well as context, is very important. For example, if you are feeling easy and comfortable ‘in your skin,’ it is usually an indicator of how you are easily and freely moving through waking life, especially if there are others present in public place. However, if you feel exposed and want to hide, it could be an indicator of how vulnerable–perhaps ashamed–you feel generally, or in a specific situation in waking life.

Taking a Test

This common dream theme is often accompanied by not knowing there was a test, not finding the room where the test is being given, being late and/or not having the proper writing implements to take the test properly. This is also a collective association, and might also be a marker of not being prepared or having the proper tools for something anxious happening in waking life. It could also be an opportunity to revisit how one is moving through life, and overall satisfaction with their choices.

Teeth Falling Out

There are records of this dream theme dating back centuries. The usual scenario is simply the dreamer’s teeth are either loose and/or falling out. Often this causes great horror in the dreamer, especially upon waking. Because we all lose our teeth as a marker for adulthood (and for aging), it is also a collective association. If we look at the dream as a metaphor, we might discover that the dreamer might be going through a major change, transformation, or growth in waking life. The teeth are also associated with food intake and speaking, so how we nourish ourselves or communicate with others might also be a factor.

And let’s not forget the infamous ‘flying monkeys in pink tutus playing Van Halen covers with tubas in a tiki bar’ dream.

Just kidding. Well, maybe.