There are many theories and opinions about what dreams are and the origin of our dream content.  Some people believe dreams are prophetic, while others believe they are a psychological reflection.  Do dreams originate within ourselves? Or given to us from another person or entity outside of our being?

Regardless what you may believe, it is clear that people have a tendency to have similar themes to our dreams throughout our lives.  When we share our dreams with each other, we begin to realize how much we identify with the content of another person’s dream and may recall having a similar dream ourselves.

Symbols within our dreams are an association that can either reveal or conceal something personally important to us.  Our minds, cultures, and other sources of influence around us can make many associations between ideas and objects.  In general when we decipher our own dreams, we should keep in mind that symbols have many functions.  They can disguise something much deeper and more difficult to process for the dreamer. They could simplify a concept for the dreamer that is highly complex and abstract. Or they can be nonverbal or unconscious information that is translated to the dreamer.

When thinking of how symbols are associated with their meaning, it is important to remember that we can be making many different types of associations.  The association may be made from similar shapes, function, action, color, value, number, sound, quality, personal attributes, physical position, or status.  The belief systems we have already accepted shade our dreams and the symbols we ultimately use.

Dreams can hold precious information that reflects our subconscious. They can show us our greatest fears, our deepest wishes, and direst of hopes. For some people, dreams are messages from others such as higher powers or entities sending us messages of truth. It would be beneficial to consult a professional to help identify and understand all the different images and symbology.

Below is a list of common dream symbols.  The assumption made within this article is not that one belief system is right nor is any one belief system wrong.  Ideas from all perspectives can be drawn from when attempting to understand a dream.  The dreamer is the expert of his/her dream.  Most of us can recall a time when we did not understand a dream and then came across an interpretation of the dream.

The true meaning of the dream tends to resonate with us and we have an “a-ha!” moment.

When reading dream dictionaries, it is important to utilize the universal meanings as a source of inspiration and not as a finite, rigid solution.  The personal experience of the dreamer and the context within which the symbol is found within the dream provide greater clues to the dreams overall meaning.

Common Dream Symbols

Being Chased

Dreaming of being chased is reflective of anxieties within your life.  What chases you symbolizes the source of your anxiety and fears.  Your reaction to being chased symbolizes your current reaction.  Being chased is symbolizing something the dreamer is running from.  More often than not, the dreamer is running from something within themselves.

It is difficult to realize what you are running from when it is something you are not ready to confront and are not willing to accept or face.  Many times what we are running from is abstract and not a physical element in our lives at all.  We could be running from feelings (anger, jealousy) or parts/characteristics of ourselves we feel we need to reject.

If we are not running from something within, we could be running from conflict, relationship issues or a troubling situation.  When we face what we are running from, it is often less intimidating and less frightening than we had imagined.  Scary monsters tend to crumble into sand when we decide to stop running and face our pursuer.

The literal meaning of this dream is a fear of being attacked.  Being attacked is a primal and common fear.  Many scary movies incorporate chase scenes for this reason.  This fear of being pursued by an attacker is more common in women than men.

Falling

As with all dreams, the emotions the dreamer feels during the dream should be taken into account and are sometimes more important to the meaning of the dream than the actual symbol.

Most falling dreams are reflecting an anxiety or a feeling losing control.  This type of dream is expressing a feeling of helplessness, losing your footing, not having anything to hold onto, etc.  Falling dreams can have similar meanings to dreams of being chased in the sense that the dreamer is feeling anxiety.  For this reason dreamers will often dream of being chased and falling within the same dream.

Falling dreams demonstrate more feelings of helplessness towards the anxiety and troubling situation since this dream has less control.  Falling also demonstrates feelings of failure and giving up.  We fall harder when we are stubborn and are attempting to over control our lives and circumstances.  It may sound counterintuitive within the dream, but embracing the fall and allowing ourselves to let go and allow the world to guide us often resolves this type of dream sensation.

Flying

Flying in a dream tends to be positive and many dreamers describe their flying dreams as joyful and exhilarating.  Flying is the opposite of falling.  It reflects the feeling of being on top of the world.  How well you fly demonstrates your personal confidence and how powerful you feel.  Struggling to fly demonstrates your struggles within your waking life and your ability achieve what you want to achieve.

Flying could also demonstrate a feeling of being detached, ungrounded, or not focused so the emotions you have associated with flying in the dream are important to consider.  Keep phrases such as “flying off the handle” and other common phrases that could indicate your dream may be related to a pun.  In general, flying demonstrates a desire to break free from your daily limitations- the sky’s the limit!

Fighting

Most fighting within a dream is reflecting an inner struggle or battle we are experiencing.  Inner battles tend to be reflected onto our outer world so you may also be butting heads with others in your life.  The fight tends to be between two seemly opposing sides fighting for expression.  We may feel as though we need to choose one side over another.

Fighting illustrates our current struggles with a duality—bad versus good, positive versus negative, spiritual versus physical, work versus play, etc.  When attempting to resolve fighting dreams, it is important to remember that there is no right or wrong side to the fight.  All aspects of ourselves need to be expressed.

True inner harmony is achieved when we realize that we do not need to choose one side over another and we permit all aspects to exist and flourish.

Houses

Houses tend to symbolize our self.  The self is always greater than the dreamer can perceive.  We gain a great deal of insight into ourselves as we explore a house and its general size, condition and location.  Each room symbolizes a different aspect of who we are.  The room’s function contributes to the overall meaning.

Dreaming of a rundown, abandoned house could mean we feel rundown and we need to pay more attention to ourselves.  Finding secret rooms within a house could mean we are unlocking a new side of ourselves that has been previously hidden from our consciousness.

Dreaming of a house that is familiar to ours versus a house we do not recognize gives us additional information and how familiar we are with ourselves.  If the house is from our past, we are dreaming of the aspects of who we are that are associated with our past or the particular time in our past in which our dream takes place.  If the house is from a certain time period in history, we may be dreaming of traits associated with that time period.  An example would be a Victorian house may symbolize we are focused on appearances, are prudish, and elaborate social displays.

Nudity

Finding yourself naked or partially naked in a dream is common.  Usually this dream means you are feeling vulnerable, exposed, and/or fearing of judgment from others.  Nudity can be a positive symbol and each symbol should always be analyzed within the context of the rest of the dream.  If the dreamer has an overall positive feeling when having a dream, nudity may symbolize freedom, a return to the basics, the “naked truth”, and sexuality.

If you are partially nude in the dream, the exposed body part may also lend a hint to the overall meaning of the dream.  The dreamer should explore what the particular body part represents to them and its overall function.  Current beliefs should be taken into account. For many dreamers, specific body parts represent its coinciding chakra.

Teeth

As most symbols, teeth could mean many things.  The main purpose of our teeth is to bite and chew.  When dreaming of teeth, ask yourself what has been “biting” or “gnawing” at you?  Depending on the context of the dream, teeth may symbolize aggression (think of a dog showing his teeth), power, our social appearance, aging, things we have expressed or said, biting off more than we can chew, and our overall level of confidence to “take a bite out” of something.

When attempting to understand a dream that features teeth, the condition of the teeth is important to the overall meaning of the dream.  Rotting, painful or intimidating teeth have a much different meaning then a brilliant white healthy smile. Poor teeth condition may symbolize fear of embarrassment, perceptions of your appearance, and exaggerations of insecurities and fears.

Test-taking

Type “A” personalities, perfectionists, and nervous worry-warts tend to have frequent test-taking dreams.  Taking a test in a dream tends to symbolize feelings of being tested.  This is normally an anxiety-laden dream for people.  Having dreams of test-taking demonstrates excessive worry, nervousness, and a lack of confidence.

When having these dreams it is important to remember that the tests and the overall pressure you feel is self-imposed.  You are placing more demands on yourself than you need to and are setting unrealistic expectations for yourself.  Being unprepared or failing at something is not the worst thing that could happen.  The need to over-control your life and strive for perfection is getting to you and this dream usually demonstrates a need to achieve balance.  After having this type of dream, it is important to remember that we ironically are less perfect when we are overly focused on perfection.

Vehicles

Many people will report dreaming of cars, boats, bicycles and other vehicles or modes of transportation.  Vehicles in general symbolize our life’s path.  If we are operating the vehicle, we feel we have more control over our lives than if we dreamt we were a passive passenger or were unable to control the vehicle despite turning the wheel or pressing the pedals.

Where we are utilizing the vehicle symbolizes the current path we are on and where we are headed symbolizes our goals or destiny.  People who believe surrendering to a higher power is key to their lives tend to dream of larger modes of transportation they are not operating such as trains and planes.  People who are more individualistic tend to believe in self-operated vehicles such as cars, small boats, and scooters.  The conditions of the road, the conditions of the vehicle and how successful we are in our travels all reflect how we feel we are doing on our current path in life.

Water

Water in all of its forms can be found in many dreams.  Typically, water represents emotion, unconsciousness, and maternal aspects of self.  The amount of water, the type of body of water, the quality of the water, and the objects in and around the water provide a lot of insight into the meaning of the dream.  Dreaming of ice may show us that our feelings are suspended and are not being expressed easily at the moment.  Dreaming of taking a refreshing shower may demonstrate that we are cleansing ourselves and ridding ourselves of residue from our daily lives.

If water is murky, it informs us that we are having negative feelings. Often we are unclear about a situation or how we feel, and are feeling bogged down in general.  Turbulent waters may symbolize inner turmoil.  Dreaming of water going down a drain may mean we are feeling drained and are losing emotional/mental/spiritual energy.

Dreaming of an ocean could symbolize our unconsciousness and/or spirituality.  An ocean often symbolizes the expanse of the universe.  Pools of water often signify something maternal.  Depending on the dreamer, pools of water could indicate how the dreamer is feeling about his/her mother or how the dreamer is feeling about becoming a mother, nurturing self or nurturing others.

Dream dictionaries should only be utilized as a starting point to your personal dream exploration and interpretation.  The common symbols and their meanings listed in this article should be used for inspiration.  The true meaning of your dream can be found within yourself.  When reading the meanings of your dream take note of what resonates with you and what does not. Sometimes understanding what your dream does not mean helps you then determine what it does mean.

Finally, our dreams often reveal to us something important that we are ignoring. If you are offended by an interpretation or have an otherwise strong reaction to the idea that your dream could have a particular meaning, pay close attention to it.  Strong reactions can act as a road map to something important you were other wise not recognizing.