Top 10 Dreams Everyone Is Having

Written By Anđela Rajković

Certified Sleep Consultant

29 April 2024 7 min read

You are sitting in your high school classroom and the math teacher is giving you a test. We all had this dream, right? There are many dreams that all of the people share or have had at least at one point in their life. What do these dreams mean? Are the wishes, emotions or fears that they point to common for all of the people? Let’s see our top 10 list of the most common dreams and nightmares as well as their meaning.

Falling

All of a sudden you start to fall and there is nothing more around you than a sensation of the air. This dream is mostly related to our perception of the ground as something that provides us with stability and security. People who are afraid of heights often state that they don’t feel like being in control when on the edge of a high structure. The dream of falling may imply that you feel like losing control over something. In the same time, if the dream is very pleasant, it may suggest that you feel just like letting go of something that’s been bothering you.

Dying

Usually means transition, change and a fresh start. Depending on a dream’s scenario, dying may mean that you are ready to learn, grasp or discover a new approach to life. Maybe you are reaching a new wisdom?

Being chased

This nightmare is oftentimes related to the idea that you need to face what’s troubling you. Worries and work-related stress can be represented through this dream scenario.

Naked in public

Clothing means for us hiding what we don’t desire to show, expressing ourselves, presenting ourselves in the light that we want, or even showing off our uniqueness. Being naked in public in a dream means losing all of that, most of all – security!

Water

Floating on a calm water usually represents your calmed mind and emotions. Struggling in a tempest or drowning brings your hidden emotional stress on the surface. Conquering a river or unstable water by swimming it means that you are fighting with your troubles and leaving them behind.

Discovering a new room

You are in a dream and I’ve suddenly discovered a completely new room in your house. This means that you made a brand new discovery about something that is highly familiar to you. Usually, it’s a very positive thing. It can suggest spiritual growth, a discovery about life and purpose. If you are a scholar or a scientist it can mean that you are on a verge to achieve a new approach to a subject.

Pregnancy dream

Dreaming that you are pregnant, giving birth or that you’ve just had a baby, means that you are “giving birth” to a new idea that you find very significant. This dream can be very common amongst artists or scientist. It’s related to “nurturing” and bringing to the world some idea or realization that’s been on your mind. This dream is mostly speaking about creativity. Pregnancy bizarre dreams are also common during the pregnancy, so don't get scared if you dream about something not that cool.

Not being able to move, run or speak

Like in a Coleridge’s poem, you may feel in a dream like you are being deprived of the abilities to move and speak. The meaning of this dream is rather obvious: you are losing your power to act and express yourself. It can suggest that you need to find different ways to communicate to the world, not just the ones you rely on.

Taking a test

This dream is quite common among perfectionists. If you have it often it means that you want to make perfect every little thing that you do or create. You always feel like you are being put to the test by yourself.

Flying

Reaching and enjoying freedom can be suggested by this dream. Also, when we talk about this dream we need to analyze the human perception of flying. Being able to rise above and perform an action that is impossible for our bodies, all point to a desire for self-improvement and even spiritual growth. While flying, one would be able to see everything from a different perspective and to have a clear view of the world as it is.

Honorable mentions

Since there are more dream scenarios that are quite common than this top 10, let’s see some honourable mentions.

Driving an out of control vehicle

An explanation for this one is usually quite simple. You feel like something in your life is slipping out of your hands.

Meeting a celebrity

Can be related to the talent that that celebrity has. Maybe you have that talent too and want to improve it. It can also suggest a desire to be noticed as well as appraised.

Teeth falling out

A desire for teeth removal and pulling is been documented among many mental patients. Usually, it can be linked to autism, OCD and mental illnesses that cause self-mutilation. The infamous doctor Cotton used to perform teeth removal as a treatment for mental patients.

Now, dreaming about teeth being removed or teeth falling out has many explanations. Usually, they don’t point to a serious issue. One of these explanations is that person feels a need for emotional or sexual fulfillment. Also, some experts believe that it can mean lack of confidence. Anyhow, teeth are something that is strongly connected to maturity and adulthood. This dream can point to a wish for the liberation of all of the things that maturity demands, like a strong confidence.

Partner is cheating

Suggests that you feel like your partner is not paying as much attention to you as you would like. Maybe you are not satisfied with something he/she does? Also, as one Latin proverb says, the one in love always thinks that what they fear the most is exactly what is going on.

Showing up late for something

Can mean that you made a lot of promises that you can’t keep. This probably makes you feel guilty because of it.

Sex

Need for an intimacy and for a change in relationship with other people can be expressed through this type of dream. It can also mean that you would like to be more like your lover from the dream. This dream can also occur as a scenario in which you are cheating on your partner. That can mean that you would like your partner to treat you more like the person from the dream does.

Some people also dream having a deep and meaningful relationship. This implies the strong feelings of loneliness and a need for emotional depth in relationships with people.

A few final thoughts about these dreams

It’s rather clear that if desires for emotional fulfillment, spiritual growth, security in life are common for people in general, that the people would share dreams about these things. Same goes for fears such as fear of losing control, security and balance in life. But, how does this explain the similarity of the scenarios in the common dreams? We are clear on the point that these dreams want to make. But, why is also the way that these dreams play out the same?

This can be explained by the principle of common associations. For different people, a cat, song, instrument, sentence or a certain object can be an association for the completely different things. It can be a reminder of some memory or an experience and can carry a different meaning for different people. But things like stable surface, wild and restless water, lovemaking or flying in the skies, evoke quite similar association in different people. These things talk to our deep and most primal view of the world.

Metaphors that rely on this primal view of the world are understandable for all of the people from all of the cultures. Many idioms from different languages need a greater context in order to be understood. On the other hand, expressions like “pulling the rug from under the feet“ or “standing on a thin ice“ speak directly to us, without a need for the further explanation.

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About the author

Anđela Rajković

As a CPD certified Sleep Consultant and well-practiced sleep enthusiast, I find a lot of joy in bringing my expertise to our readers – preferably those who love to sleep. With a background in the English language and literature and a love of research, I'm always seeking new ways to share the latest sleep science and bed-related findings. And, when I'm not connecting with my readers, you can find me exploring the great outdoors, or, well, curling up in bed.