Hello! During my life, I've suffered from a lot of nightmares. When I was little I used to have a recurring nightmare where I would be on a roller coaster and I would fall off and then before dying in said dream, I would wake up. Terrified, might I add. I would only have this dream when I slept on my side. Luckily, I don't have this dream anymore. I did tell my therapist about it and he doesn't know what caused it but thought it was interesting. AND I am still working on my secret project that is all about dreams, hopefully, I will have that done this year and available for purchase.
I thought it would be interesting to discuss the most common scary dreams and what they mean. So, welcome to Decoding Nightmares: The Most Common Scary Dreams and What They Mean (according to the internet).
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Decoding Nightmares: The Most Common Scary Dreams and What They Mean
These are in no particular order, they are just taken from both primary and secondary research of my own. If you would like to see a % of the most common nightmares, check out "this article." Please enjoy.
Falling: This nightmare could mean that you are feeling unstable, fearful, insecure, or overwhelmed about something. Healthline (2020) suggests a recurrent dream of falling could mean that you have either an undiagnosed anxiety disorder or unresolved trauma. Well, I think we just solved my roller coaster dream LOL. Sometimes, specifics matter in regards to dreams/nightmares. Healthline (2020) goes on to suggest that if you dream about being pushed off of a cliff then you may not feel secure. If you trip and fall off a cliff in your dream, then you may be lacking self-confidence in your life and if you are dreaming about skydiving then it may not necessarily be a negative thing - it could mean you are letting go of something negative in your life or moving on from something that no longer serves you.
Death: I always used to think that if you died in a dream you would die in real life, I was a naive child ok, don't come for me. But death is a very common nightmare for many of us. If you do have a nightmare about death, it's not necessarily a bad thing. It could be about change. Dream Analyst Lauri Loewenberg suggests that dreaming of death is your subconscious' way of communicating with you about something. If you dream about your own death, it may mean that something in your life is changing or coming to an end. If you dream about someone else's death, it may mean that your relationship with them is changing or something they represent to you is changing.
Being Late: This dream usually symbolises a fear of missing certain opportunities or just a general feeling of being unprepared for something/life.
Insects/Bugs: Dreaming of insects or being bitten by an insect can often represent feelings such as disgust, discomfort or tiny pressures that are nagging you.
Teeth Falling Out: This is a REALLY common nightmare and I had it once, when I was getting a root canal done ugh. But these dreams typically reflect your own anxieties about how others perceive you. The teeth falling out dreams can stem from things like a fear of rejection, anxiety, feeling unattractive, and embarrassment. These dreams can also mean you are going through a time where you feel powerless in certain situations.
Being Chased: A nightmare where you are being chased could mean that you are in danger of making a situation worse because you are running away from the situation instead of dealing with it head on. It could also be a fear of conflict, unresolved emotions, or desire to escape.
Being Naked In Public: This type of nightmare could symbolise being uncomfortable in yourself, not knowing who you are as a person or even being wrongly accused of something.
Being Trapped/Lost: If you have a nightmare about being lost or trapped, it might mean that you are looking for guidance in your waking life. If you get lost in a forest in your dream, it could indicate despair, fear, or confusion. If you find yourself lost in the dark, this dream could indicate either a breakdown of a plan you had or feelings of guilt. If you're asking for directions in your dream, you probably are seeking guidance. If you are lost in a crowd, it might mean that you are feeling backed into a corner.
Being Attacked: Dreaming of being attacked may highlight either your own vulnerability or some sort of issue with control.
Missing An Important Event: Dreams such as missing an important event could signal that you feel like you're missing out in real life OR it might just mean that you need to take a break.
Natural Disaster: Usually if you are dreaming of a natural disaster, it's not a premonition or vision so don't fret there. Dreaming about a natural disaster could just be to do with responses to what's going on in your waking life. For example, if you dream of dark and stormy clouds, it might mean that you are going through emotional turmoil. If you dream of a hurricane, it might represent a dark time you might be going through. If you dream of a tornado, it most likely means that change is going to occur. If you dream of a tsunami, it might mean that there is going to be a big emotional explosion (could be you, could be someone else). If you dream of an earthquake, it might mean that you are not financially stable. If you dream of a flood, you may need to put more time into self-care. And, if you dream of a meteor, it might mean you are facing a soul transformation.
Feeling Unprepared For an Exam: Dreams where you feel unprepared for an exam or something similar (like a work deadline) may highlight stress in your waking life. Dreams like this can also highlight feelings of inadequacy or a lack of self-confidence.
A SO Leaving You: A nightmare like this is usually when you are evaluating your current relationship (in either a good or bad way). There are many meanings for a dream where your SO is leaving you such as a fear of abandonment, relationship insecurity, or maybe it's a way to gain self-esteem during a divorce.
Visit By Someone Who Has Already Passed On: To me, a dream like this could signal just the brain's way of dealing with grief. It could also symbolise wanting closure or just unfinished business with that person.
Drowning: A dream about drowning usually symbolises that in your waking life you are going through emotional turmoil. You might be overwhelmed at work, be suffering from relationship issues, or feeling powerless in a situation. It may mean that it's time for you to have an emotional cleanse.
Being Paralysed: Not to be confused with sleep paralysis, dreaming of being paralysed or becoming paralysed might mean that you are feeling stuck and are afraid to move forward or you might find that you are feeling uncomfortable and can't get yourself out of those sorts of situations. It could also represent a desire to start fresh.
Accidents: Such dreams usually occur when you are wanting to become more self-empowered in your own life.
Physical Aggression: Nightmares about physical aggression or violence usually represent feelings of powerlessness or aggression in your real life. They could also represent threats to our feelings of safety, especially if there are weapons involved.
Interpersonal Conflicts: Such nightmares usually indicate unresolved feelings such as resentment or fear of a relationship.
Health Concerns: Dreaming about health concerns may sometimes be a warning but other times it could be a reflection of your own fear of death, or that you should pay more attention to your surroundings.
I'm not a dream analyst but I do find dreams absolutely fascinating, like I have a whole dream journal where I write my dreams down. I haven't been dreaming as much lately, maybe I need to eat more cheese before bed LOL jk jk. I don't actually think there's any "scientific" evidence that cheese gives you nightmares but it is addictive. Anyway, I was going to say that according to Sheaves, Rek & Freeman (2023) if you are suffering from nightmares, having a targeted approach to minimising them may also help in treating disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, and paranoia. They also suggest that depression/depressive disorders can increase nightmares. On a completely different note, one study about dream recall highlights that eating fish can help with lucid dreaming (so if you wanna lucid dream, eat more fish?). In that same study, better dream recall was also correlated with eating fruit (Biehl, 2022).
What nightmares have you had recently? Let me know in the comments below.
Thanks for reading,
Ash x
References/Readings
Biehl, J. (2022). Foods and substances influencing (lucid) dreams. International Journal of Dream Research, 224-234.
Nielsen, T. A., & Zadra, A. (2005). Nightmares and other common dream disturbances. Principles and practice of sleep medicine, 4, 926-935.
Sayk, C., Saftien, S., Koch, N., Ngo, H. V. V., Junghanns, K., & Wilhelm, I. (2024). Cortical hyperarousal in individuals with frequent nightmares. Journal of Sleep Research, 33(2), e14003.
Schredl, M., & Göritz, A. S. (2018). Nightmare themes: An online study of most recent nightmares and childhood nightmares. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 14(3), 465-471.
Sheaves, B., Rek, S., & Freeman, D. (2023). Nightmares and psychiatric symptoms: a systematic review of longitudinal, experimental, and clinical trial studies. Clinical psychology review, 100, 102241.
https://amerisleep.com/blog/what-are-the-most-common-nightmares/
https://www.verywellmind.com/why-youre-having-dreams-about-death-7963023
https://www.dreams.co.uk/sleep-matters-club/common-nightmares-and-what-they-mean
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I am fascinated by dreams, I seldom have nightmares. However, I have had some amazing drems indicating peace, wealth and joy. I belive people interpret dreams based on their spirituality. Great post!
So what does it mean when Santa wants me to join his elite group of holiday Avengers to secure an airport in Antarctica, which was taken over by my graduating high school class who are all dressed up in penguin costumes and drinking Mai Tais? 🤔 Sounds like the plot of the next big holiday blockbuster!
I had one recently I must have been in a fascist dictatorship and I was being hunted as an enemy of the state. It was weird though because I feel like I've had a very similar dream before.