We all have dreams… the night time kind, some of us are plagued by them, many have them more than others. What most people don’t know is that there are common themes to these nightmarish renditions, even if they manage to get under our skin. Now I know some of these dreams seem alarmingly personal, detailed and frightening but there is a silver lining, a bunch of people a whole lot smarter than us have gotten together on the topic of dreams and what the hell they might mean. In addition, there is a bit excitement regarding the psychological point of view on la la land, just so my degree doesn’t go to waste.
Toothless wonder
Dreaming of your toothies leaping from your mouth like passengers on the Titanic? Don’t worry you’re not the only one. This can be to do with two things: One – Momma told ya to brush them pearlies and you thought you knew better, never mind that overwhelming fear of the dentist drill. Two – Your smile and your teeth have to do with how people perceive you, maybe it’s time to roll in different circles.
Slenderman
Being followed in your sleep? Lucky duck! You clearly have an eager secret admirer (but obviously, it doesn’t feel like it in the dreamworld). Being chased by dark and devious individuals can leave you breathless and in a state in the middle of the night. Dreams like this have to do with aspirations. Feel like you’re not levelling up in life or that you are but not quickly enough? Chances are this will cause unwanted midnight visits. Dream Specialist Ian Wallace explained that dreams such as these are caused by feeling as though you’re not, or haven’t achieved your goals. Click here to read more.
Tumbletown
We’ve all taken that terrifying plunge into the pool of sleep, sometimes it lasts a moment and other times it lasts longer. Odds are you’re not secretly terrified of heights and plunging to your death, but rather as your body, muscles, mind and central nervous system relax you get the sensation of falling.
In a 2016 survey by AmeriSleep it was discovered that falling is the most common nightmare. Indeed back in the days of Millennial adolescence, many kids suggested that plunging horribly to your doom would mean a horrifying death in real life.
Birthday-suit blues
What’s this? Standing there before an audience in all your insecure glory? They’re laughing hysterically? All terrible scenarios, but the boffins figure this has to do with insecurities surrounding group dynamics and concern about the way people may view you as an individual.
Late, Late, late for that ever important date?
The dream of being late and devastatingly unprepared for something of incredible importance actually plays out fears of being overwhelmed by external and internal pressures in your life! So maybe chill, sip some premium coffee and take a few moments for yourself…
Reaper Man comes-a knocking…
This is a devastating dream to be plagued by, the thought that someone you love and cherish will vanish into the abyss can break even the strongest of men. Personally, it is my least favorite nightmare and I’d rather listen to an endless playlist of by the insufferable Biebs, than be tortured with these night terrors. End of an era, break-ups or even the battle against unhealthy habits all play out as deaths in the dreamland. Fret not dear reader, when the door slams shut its time to break a window.
There’s no flowchart or method for analysing your dreams but there are schools of thought that help you to unravel that messy tangle of night-time mystery. Remember that each of us is unique and dream analysis requires an insight into so many factors, so consult a professional (Not Dr. Tequila, he’s recently been disbarred) or spend some time on your own thinking of what certain elements may mean to you.
What the psychology boffins(living and dead) have to say about dreaming (More or less).
Prior to the more modern fields of inquiry, minds like Freud and Jung have wrestled with the concept of dreaming, dreams and exactly what the hell it all means. More recently some folks have gotten together and found six of the most common dreams. So in addition to alluding to these dreams, as a psychology graduate and enthusiast, I will explain some of the fields of thought regarding dreaming.
Freud believed that dreaming was something that was rooted in the heart of the unconscious, he suggested that dreams were an expression of one’s deepest darkest unconscious desires. Personally, I think this alarms a great many people because sometimes our dreams contain some vivid and quite disturbing images. Chill! It’s not the only field of thought and often once these issues have been more closely examined they don’t seem quite as ominous as they might appear.
The Neuro-linguistic approach (Bleh), it’s almost as boring as it sounds, they make dreaming sound so dull and humdrum that I am even reticent to write about it. Consolidation errors! That’s all dreams are, so basically the little secretary or office assistant in your mind goes through the arduous task of reviewing your day’s experiences. This wonderful task basically entails, moving memories from the Short Term memory filing cabinet to the Long-term memory archives. However by the time its closing time this office assistant, let’s call him Walter, is tired and makes a few mistakes this leads to memories getting mixed up into a frightening cocktail that runs on the midnight reel of your mind. No more than sloppy office work of the mind! Freud called this a daytime residue that helped the unconscious open up.
Finally, there is the psycho-dynamic field of thought, that all elements of your dreams represent parts of yourself, and your feelings toward those parts of yourself.
Besides everyday life, what’s your most common nightmare?
