The Most Common Recurring Dreams, And The Meanings Behind Them

It’d be great to be able to fly, and usually when we dream of flying, we’re having a good time. The rush of the air, the feeling of having nothing to weigh you down — it can be fantastic. But is it truly a positive? Or could it actually mean something worrying?

The good news is that, yes, it is positive. Dream expert Theresa Cheung explained to Woman & Home magazine, “It’s generally a symbol of something happening in your life that gives you a high.” And psychologist Ian Wallace agreed when he spoke to U.K. website The Independent, saying that it “suggests that you have released yourself from circumstances that have been weighing you down in waking life.” So perhaps it means you’ve made a difficult decision or won a promotion at work.

We can have some wild dreams, but the wildest is possibly the one in which you just do what you normally do. You perform all the everyday tasks that fill your life: the school run, coffee with friends, work, going to the game. But aren’t dreams supposed to be otherworldly?

As Braun explained to Harper’s Bazaar, the stuff of dreams is no more and no less than what goes on in real life. He said, “This is a great example of ‘Day Residue.’ Often, what happened the day prior to dreaming is used in our dreams.” So though the dream might relate to how you feel about the day’s events, it might mean nothing at all.

Who wouldn’t want to hang out with a real-life superstar? Tea with Ryan Reynolds or a dinner with Scarlett Johansson sounds like a dream that probably won’t come true unless you’re a Hollywood celeb, big-time politician, or showbiz journalist. But is there something dark lurking in the shadows?

Well, certified dream analyst Lauri Loewenberg told Harper’s Bazaar magazine that it could well be something that your unconscious mind associates with the star. Perhaps they were in a film that resonates with you or sang a song whose title has meaning. But it could also be all about you! Loewenberg noted, “If you’re friends in the dream, whatever it is in that celebrity you like is something you like about yourself, too.”

You’re behind the wheel of a car, and bit by bit the speed begins to rise. Before you know it, you’re going way too quickly, and you don’t know how you can slow down. Simple, right? You’re afraid that you aren’t a very good driver, or you’re a bit scared of getting into a crash… well no, the meaning’s a little deeper than that.

Cars tend to be a symbol of our life as we’re living it, the direction that we’re going in, or the road we’re taking. Dream expert Cheung said, “An out-of-control or speeding car suggests you might be veering off track or moving faster than you should be.” Or perhaps you’re simply coming up to an intersection in life?

“I’m late! I’m late! For a very important date,” said the White Rabbit, and he was always late for everything. But what does it mean if you’re late in a dream? Well, if your work involves deadlines, the answer may be as obvious as it seems: you’re stressed about getting the job done in time.

And if you don’t have to meet deadlines for work, perhaps you have to meet them more generally in your life. Loewenberg told Harper’s Bazaar, “Maybe you want to lose weight, or you want to reach a level in your career by a certain date.” But if you also dream that you’re a white rabbit, we aren’t sure what that means — eat more carrots, possibly?

You may well think that dreaming of going bald’s a bad thing, so long as you aren’t already bald, of course. It can denote feeling helpless, exposed, or without vigor. But what may be surprising is that losing your hair can be a positive thing to dream about — and we don’t mean that maybe you’d look good without your thatch.

In The Dream Interpretation Dictionary, J. M. DeBord saw the upside of losing your locks. He stated that it “can indicate a clean mind, especially if the head is shiny and spotless.” Mind you, it may also have a meaning related to conformity. That’s “because hair is a strong visual identifier,” and without it, you won’t stand out from the crowd.

You’re having a scary dream, and you’re trying to yell out, or even scream. But you’re completely unable to make any noise at all. The weird thing is that this mightn’t even be a dream. Psychologist William Braun explained to Harper’s Bazaar, “[It] may be the result of sleep paralysis.” Sounds scary.

In reality, though, it’s less scary than it sounds. “Physiologically, we are paralyzed during Rapid Eye Movement sleep to prevent our bodies from acting or moving while we dream,” Braun continued. “People who experience sleep paralysis usually wake up before the REM cycle is complete. This space between sleep and waking can be experienced as a dream.”

You’re walking through your own home, and suddenly you come across a door that you’ve never seen. You’re curious what lies behind it, so you push on the door. But it won’t open. It’s driving you crazy — there’s a secret room in this dream, and you’ve no idea what might be in it.

Well, in dreams houses often represent ourselves. So the secret room may be a part of our minds that we haven’t yet tapped into. Dream guru Cheung said, “An empty room suggests you aren’t taking steps to get to know your own strengths and talents. Inspiration is waiting to happen.” But don’t be in too much of a hurry to push that door open: your dark side may be lurking in there!

If you’re still at school, dreaming of taking a test’s probably self-explanatory! But for those of us who haven’t seen the inside of an educational establishment for quite some time, there’s a deeper meaning. School often represents work in dreams. As Loewenberg points out, “School was our first job ever.” So why are we taking a test?

Well, there are all sorts of tests at work, even if we don’t usually think of them in that way. It may be that we’re meeting a new client, or we’re being evaluated by our boss. We might have our heart set on a promotion. Or it could simply be that we’re going to an interview tomorrow. The key is to consider your feelings in the dream: if you felt good about the test, you’re all set for whatever awaits.

The air whooshes past as you fall. There’s no way this is going to end well, whether it’s just free falling in the air, jumping from a plane, or slipping from a roof. Sometimes, in a dream, we can’t even see the ground. So the idea that we’re out of control and can’t foresee the outcome of something we fear springs to mind.

Psychologist Wallace told The Independent, though, that far from warning that you’re losing control, this dream’s telling you that you’re trying too hard to hold on to it. He advised, “You need to relax and let go of it.” Sounds a bit scary if you’re already falling, but if you can’t stop it, you might as well relax, right?

Sometimes being in a dream can be like being stuck in a strange town. You figure everything you need must be in there somewhere, but somehow you can’t find a particular something. When that thing’s a bathroom, well, that can bring some very anxious feelings, and it’s no surprise that this indicates some deep worries.

Expert Cheung told Woman & Home, “Using a bathroom is a very personal thing to do, so the dream is probably concerned with some deep aspect of your inner life. It could be telling you to let go of anger, guilt, shame, jealousy, fear, hate, or sadness — emotions that appear to be holding you back.” Or maybe you just need to wake up and visit your own bathroom!

Unless you’re a fan of naturism, there’s a good chance that you’re never seen in public without some sort of covering. So how come some of us often dream of being entirely nude? Cheung observed, “Being naked is a strong indicator of feeling vulnerable.” And she suggested that it might suggest you’re having difficulty sharing something with the world.

Psychologist Braun concurred. He told Harper’s Bazaar, “These dreams are often accompanied by feelings of embarrassment and shame. They can also be related to feelings of vulnerability and exposure.” But, he added, if you don’t feel any shame, it may be that you’re dreaming of being seen and want to be admired.

Now, if you’re a careful driver, a dream in which you’re behind the wheel of a car that’s careering out of control may well be your worst nightmare. And it could be even more frightening if you aren’t in the car, but it’s coming toward you, and you don’t feel like you can get out of the way.

Wallace has the answer — and it might surprise you. It may be that you “don’t have enough control over your road to success.” But what’s the remedy? He told The Independent, “Instead of trying to over-control the situation… relax your grip and allow your fundamental instincts and drives to steer the best path for you.”

Well, the truth is, if you ever did have a partner who cheated on you, the incident may come up over and over in your dreams. But if you haven’t, there’s no need to believe that it means your partner’s thinking about doing so. If you have no problem with trust, you aren’t being given a glimpse of trouble ahead.

Instead, Loewenberg told Harper’s Bazaar, it may be another issue entirely. She stated, “There’s something that’s taking up too much time and attention away from you. It could be a job, golf, friends, a new baby.” And if you’re the one who’s cheating in the dream? Then you may be worried that your partner has their priorities wrong.

You’re running as fast you can. If you slow down, they’ll catch you. You sprint through the dark, your feet pounding on the ground, breath coming out ragged and painful. When you wake up, you barely have a puff left in you. You feel like you’ve been running all night long. But why? What were you scared of?

“When the identity of the threat is apparent, it may give clues,” dream expert Cheung explained. “But if it remains vague, generalized, or unknown — as it often does — the chances are it has an emotional source.” Maybe you’ve been running from sadness, or perhaps you’re trying to get away from a tough task or a difficult situation.

What could be more grim than dreaming of dying, whether it’s you or someone else who’s passing away? It’s enough to make you wake in a cold sweat. You may be surprised to learn, though, that this isn’t as negative a dream as it first appears. Instead, it could actually be something quite positive.

In fact, the dream signifies change, or so said Cheung. She explained, “If you are dying in a dream, this suggests inner growth and self-discovery, or that you’re starting a new phase in your life. If someone else dies, this could mean simply that your relationship with this individual is evolving.”

If you’re a man called Scrooge, you know what your dream of ghosts is telling you. But what about the rest of us? Some psychics claim that such dreams are real and that phantoms travel the astral plane to visit us. But if you don’t believe in life after death, what does it mean to dream of ghosts?

Well, psychologist Chambers told Woman & Home that while it may seem as though ghosts frighten you, a dream featuring them is more benign. He said, “It’s usually a subconscious expression that you are suffering from grief or loss. However, if the ghost is a deceased relative or loved one, this will feel distinctly different, and usually more positive.”

A particularly unnerving dream is one in which your teeth are falling out. And given the depth of anxiety that the dream seems to indicate, it shouldn’t be a surprise that it points to some quite profound concerns. Among them are the fears of being ugly or growing older, as well as, of course, the fear of losing your teeth.

Worse than that, Cheung said, “It can also symbolize fear of losing something or someone important to your emotional or material survival. After all, without your teeth, you can’t eat and nourish yourself.” And there’s more. She added, “It’s also worth noting that in Chinese tradition, teeth crumbling or falling out is associated with telling lies or not being true to yourself.”

Our next dream’s something more earthbound. Not nearly as positive as dreaming of flying is a dream of bugs crawling on your body. That doesn’t sound very good at all! And Lee Chambers, an environmental psychologist, confirmed to Woman & Home that it’s generally a sign of something negative in your life.

Chambers said, “Dreaming about insects, especially in large numbers, is often a symbol of negative thoughts or feelings.” Those feelings might be such things as anxiety or guilt. In a sense, they’re crawling themselves — through your sleeping mind instead of on your body. Shudder! And there’s no bug spray that can rid you of them.

Usually when we dream about fire, we dream about something else being on fire, such as a house or a car. That might be a warning from our subconscious that we’re trying something risky — in other words, “playing with fire.” But it can also be our own body that’s in flames. And that has a specific meaning.

Psychologist Chambers explained to Woman & Home that far from being destructive, dreaming of fire can actually have a positive meaning. He said, “If you were unafraid of the fire, then it suggests you are ‘on fire’ with drive and creativity.” Mind you, it can also mean that you’re “burning up inside” with a temper that’s coming to the boil.