Are you also someone who must dream while sleeping? Have you ever thought about what these dreams really mean? Psychologist Sigmund Freud once said, "Dreams are the road to the unconscious." Learning to interpret dreams is about decoding the subconscious deep within your mind, which is the first step to understanding yourself. Research shows that most people only use 10% of their subconscious power; however, the subconscious is a powerful "supercomputer" in your mind, capable of helping you understand yourself, achieve goals, and even improve bad habits, change personality traits, and boost confidence. If you often dream of the following five dreams, it means your subconscious is trying to communicate with you, giving you important hints.
- Being chased
Dreaming of being chased by someone or something, but you don't know what it is—perhaps a monster or a person or an animal. You feel very scared and want to escape, but no matter how fast you run, you can't find a safe place, and no matter how quickly you run, you can't shake off your pursuer.
What is chasing you is actually a certain aspect of yourself, so no matter how fast or far you run, it will always catch up with you, following you like a shadow. This aspect may not be the usual you, so you might not recognize it. It is usually triggered by encountering a certain situation or by certain people, but what is chasing you is not the triggering event or person, but rather your perception and understanding of those situations or people. That which relentlessly pursues you reflects certain characteristics of your personality. You can also pay attention to what is chasing you; if it is an animal, it indicates a connection to instinctual impulses, suggesting you may struggle to control your instinctual urges in daily life. If a monster is chasing you, it represents some immature yet powerful talent you possess that you have not fully developed. These things chasing you are actually trying to make you aware of the power and talents you have yet to unleash in reality.
Dream suggestion:
This type of dream usually involves the need for you to leave your comfort zone in order to make progress. You might be tempted to do nothing, which seems easier, but inaction may worsen the situation and bring more stress. Only by facing the problem can you regain confidence; you will no longer be the one being chased but become a proactive pursuer, choosing your own goals and direction.
2. Flying in a dream
In your sleep, you feel a sense of floating, losing gravity and being able to fly with your thoughts, which makes you feel very excited. You might fly like Superman or be on a plane or other flying vehicle.
This indicates that you have freed yourself from the limitations and obligations of daily life, escaping from a suffocating situation, and you can freely make choices without the burden. This may relate to the creative process; your talents have surpassed practical aspects, reminding you not to be limited by tradition or established procedures. It also reflects that you are trying to break free from restrictions and liberate yourself, feeling freer than before. If you dream of being a passenger, it indicates that while you enjoy some freedom in your current situation, you have not yet reached the level of doing as you please.
Dream suggestion:
Flying dreams remind you that it is time to take a little risk, which will allow you to enter new realms and dimensions. Avoid getting caught up in pointless daydreams or fantasies; ensure you have a solid platform to advance your ideas, allowing them to land safely and appropriately.
3. Wearing the wrong clothes
Suddenly realizing you are wearing the wrong clothes at an important event, your outfit seems very inappropriate, or you have mismatched accessories or shoes, or perhaps you are wearing someone else's clothes that do not suit you at all, making you feel very uncomfortable.
The dream of wearing the wrong clothes shows that you feel anxious about how you present yourself and your personal image in front of others. Clothing is the basis of others' impressions of us, and outfits are chosen based on how we want to present ourselves. For example, when returning to work, if you want to show a mature and capable side, you might wear a sharp suit and avoid being too flashy. Clothing is also an indicator of identity and status; wearing the wrong clothes signifies a gap between how you want to present yourself and the reality of the situation. Wearing inappropriate attire reflects this fundamental difference. If you wear the wrong hat or headpiece, it indicates that you feel your thoughts are inappropriate, or you are playing the wrong role in a certain situation. Dreaming of wearing strange or frivolous clothing suggests that you are not taking certain matters seriously. Dreaming of wearing someone else's clothes or shoes indicates that you wish to become someone you cannot be; wearing ill-fitting clothes signifies that something in reality has emerged that you cannot adapt to or do not want to compromise on.
Dream suggestion:
You should pay attention to the difference between the impression you want to present and the actual situation. If you express your self-image in an unnatural way, it might be better to consider showing different roles in different situations to express yourself. Instead of being false and pretending to meet others' expectations, think about how to showcase your unique personality based on the essence of different situations; you will find this approach helps you integrate better into your surroundings.
4. Being late
Dreaming of having an appointment but suddenly realizing you are about to be late, hurriedly preparing to go out, not understanding where the time went, and constantly encountering obstacles, ultimately unable to reach your destination.
In reality, you feel like you are losing some opportunity, unable to achieve your goals or complete tasks. The appointment set in the dream represents the goals and timelines you have set for yourself in daily life, such as starting a family or obtaining certain professional qualifications. You really want to achieve these goals but realize that time is slipping away. You have to juggle many things and work in life, but these matters are not making progress, which frustrates you. This dream also indicates that you may have been avoiding making a certain decision, not wanting to commit to something, and have not made up your mind to proceed. This "procrastination" has caused you to waste a lot of time. When you can truly make a decision, act decisively, and be willing to take responsibility for the results, you will no longer watch time pass by without formally starting to act.
Dream suggestion:
It is time to truly make a decision to take action, rather than being busy, hesitating, and wasting time inefficiently. As long as you can start acting immediately, you will find many opportunities to help you achieve your goals will emerge. Once you make a decision, the direction will be clear, allowing you to effectively use your time to plan the next steps without being distracted by irrelevant matters.
- Partner cheating
Dreaming of discovering that your partner is cheating is not your subconscious reminding you that it is true, but rather that you have lost confidence in your own sexual charm and attractiveness in real life. Therefore, after waking from the dream, do not blame them or become suspicious.
If your partner is cheating with someone very attractive, it reflects that you are neglecting some of your basic needs, making you feel less attractive than before. This often happens in daily life, perhaps due to careless remarks from others or situations that make you lose confidence, leading you to seek validation and praise from others.
That desire to gain others' approval can sometimes cause you to abandon your true thoughts. Although you convince yourself that doing so is in your best interest, your subconscious inevitably feels disappointed. This leads to self-loathing, and in reality, you cannot express your true feelings, projecting your inner insecurities onto your partner. Although you do not want your partner to share your frustrations, you long for others to feel your charm, resulting in the person who is actually cheating being you.
Dream suggestion:
This dream is meant to let you know that you are betraying yourself in some way. You lack confidence in your abilities and overly rely on others' approval, wanting to be needed and admired. However, you cannot always rely on others' validation to prove yourself. This dream encourages you to simply be yourself; you should take responsibility for yourself and regain your confidence and potential.
6. Exam dreams
Dreams related to exams often come suddenly, accompanied by feelings of being unprepared and answering questions poorly. These dreams of being unprepared for an exam show that you are being too harsh on yourself in real life. You like to set certain standards in daily life, hoping to meet those standards to gain others' recognition and praise. Exams are evaluations based on others' expectations, and the exams in your dreams are actually self-imposed, with the passing standards entirely determined by you. The feeling of being unprepared indicates that you are not ready to accept this self-evaluation because you feel you have not reached the level you require.
In reality, you are likely someone who does not dare to take risks, hoping to proceed with everything in the safest and most stable way, which often leads to feelings of worry and fear of being caught off guard and unprepared. You prepare meticulously for everything, big or small, and this mindset can lead to excessive expectations regarding outcomes, causing anxiety about results not meeting your expectations.
Dream suggestion: No matter how excellent or successful your performance is in real life, do not fall into the endless cycle of self-criticism and living up to others' expectations, as this will only make you feel like a failure. While gaining others' recognition is important, self-acceptance and acknowledgment are even more crucial, as this is what leads to true happiness.
- Arguments and disputes
Dreaming of arguing with someone, getting red in the face and feeling very angry, even escalating the argument. Normally, you might be quiet and peaceful, so why are you arguing in your dream? Perhaps something has genuinely made you very angry, but your usual calm demeanor makes it harder for you to express your anger. If the argument is provoked by someone else, it further indicates that your frustration is triggered by others. The other party may not have intended it; it could just be an unintentional action, but this might be the deep-seated reason for your dissatisfaction. This is because when you discover your hidden frustrations being exposed, it makes you feel vulnerable, triggering a self-defense psychological state.
Those who often do not know how to express their needs frequently have such dreams. If you dream of your partner scolding you, it may indicate that there are some fundamental issues in your real-life relationship that leave your needs unmet, but you worry that expressing this to your partner will have negative consequences. Dreaming of being angry with your boss may mean you feel your talents are being overlooked.
Dream suggestion: This type of dream is a form of accusation; you find it hard to express your worries and suppress them, but you are constantly accumulating pressure in your heart. You fear affecting or disturbing others, so you do not dare to express your true feelings, which only increases your psychological pressure. You do not need to express dissatisfaction with anger; just calmly state your thoughts.
- Unusual romance
Suddenly dreaming of being in a romantic relationship with someone, unexpectedly falling in love, or being in an unusual romantic relationship. This dream romance may surprise you! Because the person is someone you never thought of, perhaps a colleague or someone you find unattractive or indifferent. Upon waking, you might wonder why you suddenly fell in love with them.
This dream is not telling you that you like someone; rather, it reveals that you have discovered some precious parts of your own personality. Even if the other person does not attract you, they may possess certain personality traits that you deeply admire. You realize you have the potential to exhibit these traits you appreciate, and this possibility excites you, providing you with clearer ideas about the goals you want to achieve in life. If the person you fall in love with is outside your usual preferences, it indicates that you feel more comfortable and satisfied with your feminine or masculine traits. In fact, you are not falling in love with someone else but with the goals you have set for yourself and the potential you have to achieve them.
Dream suggestion: You unexpectedly understand your potential and gain more confidence in yourself. At first, you may feel quite confused, making you hesitant to continue exploring. Therefore, your subconscious wants to remind you: it is essential to accept more possibilities with an open mind, as this is crucial for unleashing your talents. Do not constrain yourself; accept yourself and acknowledge your abilities.
- Obstacles in finding a restroom
In your dream, you suddenly urgently need to find a restroom, but the restroom is very rudimentary, with no stalls, cannot be locked, and lacks privacy. Alternatively, you may be in a long line waiting to use the restroom, and when it is finally your turn, you find the restroom very dirty, disgusting, or even completely clogged, with no toilet paper...
Restrooms are essential for meeting people's daily physiological needs. This dream of urgently seeking a restroom but feeling uncomfortable represents that you are encountering certain unhealthy and uncomfortable situations but do not know how to resolve them. You are looking for ways to make others understand your needs, but those needs feel unfamiliar to you, so you are very concerned about confidentiality, hoping to solve the problem without drawing attention to it. You also do not want to openly express your needs. Waiting in line for the restroom means that even though you desperately want to resolve the issue, you still prioritize others' situations. You want to express yourself but seem unable to do so. You worry that if others know your needs, it might lead to even more chaotic situations, and you fear your emotions will worsen, making you sad, and you are also afraid of being rejected by others.
Dream suggestion: You hope others will meet your needs, but in the end, they pass the problem back to you. To solve this issue, you need to learn to say "no" at the right time. This way, you can establish boundaries between yourself and others, allowing you ample time to care for your own needs. Do not feel selfish, as you must take care of yourself first before you can care for others.
- Losing teeth
Suddenly discovering that your teeth are a bit loose and starting to fall out, you worry that other teeth will follow suit, noticing they are also beginning to wobble, and eventually, they fall out. You quickly look in the mirror, fearing you will look strange. This relates to your confidence and abilities; losing teeth signifies that something is challenging you, causing you to lose confidence and feel inadequate to handle it. After being struck in one area, you worry that problems will arise in other areas as well.
Broken teeth indicate your inability to maintain your dignity; if your teeth are decayed, it signifies a decline in power; discovering that dental fillings are loose means you no longer feel as confident as before; bleeding gums indicate that intimate relationships are under strain, making you feel your self-esteem is damaged and your self-worth diminished.
Dream suggestion: No matter what challenges you face, you should have more confidence in yourself. Even if you feel overwhelmed, take action with a more confident attitude to change the situation and overcome difficulties.
Dreams reflect crises in real life
Professional psychological counselor Lin Cuifen mentions in her book "Insights into Human Nature from Habits" that she once had a period of constantly having strange dreams, such as dreaming of going to a seaside cinema with her boyfriend, and just when the movie was exciting, waves of water surged in, flooding her feet and making her uncomfortable with sand, while the surrounding audience screamed and fled. In her anxious attempt to escape, she woke up.
Being chased
Whether being chased by bad people, monsters, animals, or ghosts in a dream indicates that life may be violated, freedom is restricted, and you feel powerless to change the status quo, unable to break free from difficulties, and unable to protect yourself, leading to a desperate "escape" in the dream, hoping to reach a safe place.
Recurring nightmares
Constantly experiencing the same dream or being awakened by nightmares indicates that the mental burden is too heavy. If you have experienced trauma or terrifying events in your life, it is also possible to have frequent horrifying dreams.
Trapped in an elevator
People in difficult situations often dream of being trapped in an elevator or stuck in a place unable to move. This reflects that you are currently in a predicament in reality, waiting for a breakthrough.
Falling from a height
When we feel unable to control our external environment or when certain events threaten our sense of security, such as heartbreak, unemployment, or divorce, we may dream of falling from a height. That feeling of losing control, helplessness, and powerlessness often jolts us awake from the dream.
In summary, "dreaming" has four major functions: "reviewing" self-concepts, "modifying" negative thoughts, "rehearsing" for future challenges, and "restorative" functions that enhance self-power and help us solve difficulties. The most common situation is that dreams reflect the dreamer's current life crisis. When life is in crisis, the dreams also enter a state of readiness, leading to lighter sleep and easier awakenings. Especially when the living environment is threatened, it often overturns our self-image. At this time, dreams can assist individuals in maintaining self-integration, allowing us to understand what kind of person we are.