What are your dreams telling you? A psychotherapist deciphered the 7 most popular stories

Our dreams are an illustration of the experiences, emotions, feelings that we have felt during the day. During the period of relaxation and rest the brain does not stop functioning, on the contrary, at this time the mechanism of processing the received information is activated.

While one part of the pituitary gland is gaining strength, the other part is analyzing and trying to put the data on the shelves, to structure the knowledge about the events that happened during the waking period. Sometimes this work is too active. It is then that we see nightmares – frightening and incomprehensible pictures.

It is not necessary to be frightened of them. Psychotherapists have long ago revealed that behind each disturbing dream are internal experiences, unstable emotional state. Thus, back in the early XX century, psychologist Gustavus Heindman Miller described the interpretation of dreams in the work “10,000 clarified dreams”. After the book became known as Miller’s golden dreambook.

In his work, the psychologist tried to interpret the meanings of dreams on the basis of psychoanalysis. This method at that time was just being actively introduced into practice. So, Miller wrote that all dreams are the result of our desires, fears.

Miller’s Dreambook is still a popular source to which people turn for the interpretation of what they saw during the night. However, over a century, science has gone far ahead, and many modern psychologists are quite critical of the work of the American scientist.

New methods allow us to interpret dreams as a result of a person’s personal experience. In each particular case, frightening images can be the result of different states. How do the most popular dreams decipher in modern psychology? We offer to understand this together with a specialist – clinical psychologist and psychotherapist Anna Fedorova.

clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, psychosomatologist

It is sleep gives the opportunity to analyze what needs a person has not closed. It is a kind of catalyst for internal unrealized desires and anxious states. How does it work?

Strong stress or experienced feelings can manifest themselves in the form of incomprehensible and not always logical events. Often in dreams pop up people from the past or characters that you have never encountered in real life. In psychology, such rare phenomena are not considered a deviation from the norm. The reason for working with a specialist is obsessive nightmarish dreams that affect the internal and external state of a person.

Let’s analyze a few of the most popular dreams that everyone has probably seen in his life. We will also arm ourselves with instructions in case any of the above scenarios bother you on a regular basis.

Scenario #1. Teeth falling out

Such a dream can show an inability to make an important decision in life. The task that you have set for yourself, turned out to be literally “not to your teeth”. Such a metaphor.

Wat moet ik doen?

If the dream becomes obsessive, it is important to ask yourself: what is the goal you have set for yourself, which you can not “unravel”? What exactly now causes depressing feelings? Such reflection will help to adjust your goals and opportunities.

Scenario #2. Find yourself naked in public

Such a dream means that a person in real life is afraid to show his true emotions and thoughts, but he has the need to express them. The subconscious mind has nothing to do but to push him through the dream to reveal this need – in acceptance and lack of judgment from other people. And often – and himself.

Wat moet ik doen?

If this dream is repeated often, start inner work. Constantly praise yourself and stop criticizing. Meditation techniques will help you distract yourself and find your strengths.

Scenario #3. Loss of a loved one

Often such a dream can show that you, on the one hand, are afraid of losing a loved one, but, on the other hand, you have an accumulation of repressed aggression to him, which for some reason you can not express. It may be a long-standing conflict that is weighing you down. Thus, the brain is trying to show you that it is important for you to resolve the disagreement.

What to do.

Try to resume communication and talk through the grievances. Also effective will be the method of keeping a diary, where you can describe the accumulated experiences.

Scenario #4. Persecution

Chases and the inability to escape from danger are dreamed when you are afraid of someone or something in real life. Fears can be related to your thoughts, actions. Also, such dreams say that at the moment too many problems and responsibilities have fallen on you.

Wat moet ik doen?

If persecution became very much in dreams, then you need to ask yourself what you are running away from, and boldly look at the “persecutor”. Also try to reduce the load. Focus only on one important thing in a given period of time. If you can not get rid of intrusive dreams on your own, consult a psychologist.

Scenario #5. Falling into the abyss

Such dreams bother in crisis moments of life. Also falling from a height says that a person could lose the landmarks and support in life. You can devalue what happens to you in the emotional sphere. For example, you do not pay attention to the internal state in stressful situations.

Wat moet ik doen?

If such a dream is often repeated, it means that you could be “stuck” in a crisis moment. In this case, it is important to find support from the outside and make sure that your actions are correct.

Scenario #6. Tardiness

Such a plot can be dreamed by those who in real life begin to be dominated by the desire to control everything that is not in his power. For hypercontrolling people to see lateness in a dream is about the opportunity (need) to relax. Also, similar dreams can often see perfectionists – people who need to do everything perfectly.

Wat moet ik doen?

To stop disturbing such a dream, it is important to learn to relax in real life. It is desirable here to seek help from a specialist. Accompanied by a psychologist, the work will go faster, and it will be safer.

Scenario #7. Taunts

A dream in which you are laughed at, can mean that it is very important for you not to lose face in front of society, there is a strong concern about this and tension. A person is strongly concerned about what other people think of him or her. This indicates insecurity and constant anxiety. Such a state is exhausting, and emotions are vividly manifested in dreams.

Wat moet ik doen?

First of all, it is worth analyzing your situation and understand whether there are really no reliable people in your environment, on whom you can rely. If such dreams are frequent, it is better to work with a psychologist on the topic of self-esteem, self-confidence, self-value.

When to contact a specialist?

Immediately sound the alarm and worry in advance is not worth it. Help may be required when frequent frightening dreams begin to affect the quality of life. If you constantly wake up, feel broken in the morning, all day remember the picture seen at night, then it may be necessary to consult a psychologist or psychotherapist.

Working with a specialist will depend on what method he or she practices. Through questions and diagnostic exercises, the psychologist will help you to understand your feelings and thoughts more deeply, to identify uncovered needs that the dream is trying to “illuminate” for you. There are a variety of techniques. For example, using a drawing. In this way, you can express feelings and understand your current state, and thus determine the cause of nightmares.