The 7 most frequent nightmares: what is the meaning of each one?

How can we interpret the bad dreams that torment us?

We have already talked in previous articles about dream interpretation, about the reason why we dream, and even about lucid dreams. But so far we have not dealt with bad dreams or nightmares. nightmares.

It has happened to all of us: we wake up abruptly in the middle of a dream.. We may even sweat and feel afraid, as if the experience had been very real. Even if we try to go back to sleep, we still feel anguish that prevents us from doing so, and this feeling can last for hours.

Research called Nighmares, conducted by sleep medicine physician James F. Pagel Jr. and published in the journal American Family Physician, provides some relevant data on bad dreams.

Nightmares: more common than we think.

We have all had nightmares, and they are much more frequent than we think. Dreaming about something disturbing and disturbing, according to Freudian theory, could be a sign that our unconscious is trying to bring to light some inner conflicts that we have not yet overcome. our unconscious is trying to bring to light some internal conflicts that we have not yet overcome..

For their part, neuroscientists agree that dreams have a crucial Biological and psychological function: they allow us to reorganize the information we have received during the day and find solutions to the problems that torment us.

The seven most common nightmares... and their explanation

Each person has his or her own inner conflicts and this is This is reflected in the content of the dreams and nightmares they experience.. But, fundamentally, we all dream of very similar things. What are the most recurrent nightmares and what explanation can we give them?

1. Being naked on public roads

It is not a dream that is always lived with anguish, but when we perceive it as a nightmare, it may indicate that we feel vulnerable in front of others, it may indicate that we feel vulnerable in front of others..

It is a common nightmare among people who feel maladjusted or who do not trust in their possibilities to face some circumstance in their lives.

2. Being persecuted

It is one of the most frequent nightmares. Feeling persecuted is a sign that we are going through a stressful stage in our lives, to the point that reality overcomes us.. It can also indicate that we are avoiding a specific problem. The main cause of this type of bad dream is the fear of facing something.

We are afraid to face some situations that may mark an important change in our lives, such as a marital (or dating) separation or the need to free ourselves from some emotional burden that we have been carrying for a long time.

3. Falling into the void

It is not always experienced exactly as a nightmare, but it is certainly one of the most recurrent dreams. We wake up with a bad feeling in our body, as if the fall had been real and we open our eyes abruptly at the moment when we should have hit the ground.

It is a nightmare common to all stages of life. What is its meaning? To dream that we fall into the void may be a sign of fear of losing control over some life situation, or of experiencing the sensation of falling into the void.It can be a dream of falling into a void, or experiencing the sensation that we have nothing solid to hold on to. This dream may be the product of a perception of helplessness and even fear of dying.

4. Getting lost

It is a nightmare that usually causes more uneasiness in children than in adults. It usually indicates that the person perceives that he/she has lost control over some relevant aspects of his/her life, and does not know what decisions to make.. It can also be a sign that we have made a decision but are not quite sure we have done the right thing. It may even mean that we are fearful for the future.

5. Choking sensation

This nightmare can be dreamt in different formats. The most classic form is drowning in water, but also when we are in a narrow place from which we cannot escape and we feel a distressing sensation of suffocation.

In both cases, the interpretation of this nightmare is that the person is overwhelmed by some event. the person is overwhelmed by some life event; perhaps putting a lot of effort into getting something right in spite of all the obstacles.. It is normal that it appears in stages of life in which we are especially anxious in which we do not see a way out of the tunnel in the short term. It is also possible that we are too focused on our work or academic routine and we are accusing it psychologically.

6. Being attacked by someone

This nightmare is closely associated with fear. When we have decided to act in a certain way, we may be anxious and fearful of other people's reaction to our behavior..

It is not a fear of physical aggression but rather of criticism, rejection and social isolation, probably from someone we hold in high regard.

7. Losing some teeth

This is a curious but at the same time very frequent nightmare. It can be symptom of a feeling of loss of control over our life.. It can also occur when we feel that we are out of place or embarrassed in some concrete situation of our day to day life.

It can also be related to being dissatisfied with personal aesthetics, not perceiving oneself as too attractive or being below the expectations that others place on us.

Some conclusions

It should be noted that the interpretations of each of the dreams are generic in nature and may be somewhat different depending on some details of the nightmare.. Besides, of course, each person is different and we have very different life conflicts.

The interesting point of the meaning of dreams is that it allows us to realize that there are times when we may be more anxious or fearful than usual, and we may need a quiet moment to reflect. and perhaps we need a moment of tranquility to reflect on that which distresses us..