Have you ever had a nice, quiet day but then dreamt of something horrible when you went to sleep? Even knowing that nightmares are a sign of a problem, were you unable to determine what was bothering you and getting in the way of a good night's rest?
Dreams are a product of our subconscious and no matter how much you dig around for specific facts, you're not going to get to the source of the problem if you don't look to your emotions.
Over the course of his career, psychologist Carl Jung analyzed 20 000 dreams, while determining what the most common nightmares meant. Find out about these below.
Our dreams provide us vital information with which to correct mistakes in our conscious life. As such, we shouldn't dismiss our nightmares out of hand but instead pay them serious heed.
If you frequently find yourself experiencing the same nightmare, this is an indication that you have a problem that you stubbornly refuse to deal with, while it becomes ever more complicated. See a list below of some of the most common nightmares that plague us and the reasons why they do.
1. Death
It's understandable to be afraid when you dream of your death or that of a loved one. But from a psychological standpoint, there's nothing frightening about this type of nightmare, it's just your subconscious trying to prepare you for new changes that are coming. Perhaps you'll make some major changes in your life principles, the way you look at the world, your past or those around you, or simply drastically change your outer appearance.
2. A former partner
Whenever you dream of one someone you know, you have to first ask yourself what connects you to that person. For example, if your former partner often appears in your dreams, this doesn't automatically mean that you have feelings toward them, it may just be reminding you of qualities you yourself possess. They could also be coming to your dream to remind you of a trauma you've yet to get over.
3. Cheating
Don't look at cheating in a dream as a prophetic omen that your partner will cheat on you. Usually when we dream of cheating our subconscious is showing us that we're not being true to our own principles and desires. If this fact is distressing to you, it's time to make changes.
4. Failure at school or at work
These sorts of dreams are accompanied by strong feelings of anxiety - like when you're late somewhere or aren't fully prepared and afraid that you're going to embarrass yourself in front of coworkers or classmates. All this means that you're afraid of your surrounding setting. You're afraid that once those around you discover who you really are they're going to make fun of you. You're not confident enough to feel their equal or you believe that you're not contributing enough in the professional sense.
5. Pregnancy
Pregnancy in a dream indicates that there's an idea blooming in you that's going to open new opportunities before you. Psychology sees this dream as a starting phase of rebirth. There's a desire and energy in you for a new direction to take, all you need do is determine what you really want and to follow your instincts.
6. Falling teeth
Dreams of falling teeth are also among the most common nightmares - they're dreamt by many people, regardless of their culture, education and roots. This is because everyone loses their baby teeth at about 7 years of age and their permanent teeth set in. When we dream of our teeth becoming loose and falling, this indicates that we're in a transitional period in our lives, which causes fear, anxiety and distress. You have to accept the changes and adapt to them because if you continue cowering in the corner you're going to continue having the same nightmare over and over.
