Common Dreams and What They Mean

Though we sleep at night to rest and restore ourselves, our minds are often hard at work while we’re snoozing. Dreaming is the state of consciousness in which our minds create stories and images while we sleep. While some people can have a measure of control over their dreams (called lucid dreaming ), most of us are simply along for the ride. Our dreams can take us through a range of emotions and experiences, including mundane (think: a dream about walking down the street), funny, sexual, or utterly bizarre. Let’s take a closer look at dreams, including some common themes and what they mean. Consider this read as a mini-dream dictionary!

Do We Remember Our Dreams?

While we may not remember our dreams, those that we do remember often have a touch of otherworldliness. Dream reality is quite different from waking reality, and scenarios that make perfect sense within the context of a dream can seem exceedingly peculiar upon waking. But while dreams can seem strange and nonsensical when considered in the light of day, they often hold great truth and insight. We can even think of our dreams as messages from our subconscious minds that reveal psychic perceptions not necessarily based on reason, logic, or direct experience.

How to Know if You Have Psychic Dreams

Paying attention to our dreams can help heighten both our psychic abilities and our understanding of our inner selves. Keeping a dream journal is an excellent practice. Record any and every remembered detail of a dream upon waking, either in a voice recording or in a blank book kept beside your bed. Over time, keeping a log of your dreams could reveal critical messages or points of transformation along the path of your life’s journey. Speak to a psychic if you need help interpreting your dreams so that you can use this intel to your advantage in real life.

5 Common Dream Themes

There are seven different types of dreams: daydreams, normal dreams, nightmares, lucid dreams, recurring dreams, false awakenings, and psychic dreams. However, there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all dream. Numerous themes fall under these categories. Here are five common ones that dreamers often experience.

1. Trains

Trains are a classic mode of transportation, and many people hold a romanticized view of locomotives. If you dream about a train, you may be fantasizing about making a romantic connection with someone. Train stations can also signify essential decisions looming over you — which train will you choose, and which direction will you take? If a train or train station shows up in your dream, consider whether there is a choice you need to make about where your life is headed.

2. Nudity

Almost everyone has had the classic naked dream — a dream in which you are going about your business, only to look down and realize that you seem to have forgotten your clothes. When you dream about being naked, you might feel shocked and ashamed of your nakedness, or you might feel sexy, proud, or powerful. The emotion inspired by your nudity in the dream is key to determining the message coming from your subconscious. You might be working through feelings of fear about how others perceive you or guilt about something you feel you shouldn’t have done.

Alternatively, your dream might be about coming to terms with your inner power. A positive, powerful dream about being naked can signify that you will win some type of contest or competition. If you dream about swimming naked, it could mean you will enter a forbidden sexual relationship that may not end well.

Dreaming about seeing someone else naked can also signify various meanings: For starters, you may be struggling with the temptation to act against your morals or principles. If the dream is about spying on others swimming in clear water, it could mean you’ll be the object of lots of admiring attention. However, if you dream of seeing someone swimming naked in cloudy water, it could signify that someone is spreading malicious gossip about you.

3. Celebrities

Since most of us are regularly exposed to celebrities on TV, in films, and magazines, it’s no wonder we often dream about famous people at night. A dream about a particular star might indicate that you are fantasizing about becoming famous or that you’re longing to pursue your heart’s desire. If you haven’t yet worked up the confidence or the belief in yourself to follow your real ambitions, you might dream about meeting a celebrity or about being one. In this case, your subconscious mind is encouraging you to move toward your goals. A dream about a particular star might also mean, simply, that you are indulging in a fantasy of connection with a larger-than-life figure whom you find fascinating.

4. Running

Running dreams are widespread and have a wide variety of possible meanings. If you dream that you are trying to run, but you stumble and fall, or that you are running away from a threatening person or situation, it indicates that you’re afraid of losing something important. Dreams like this can also mean you will suffer a blow to your reputation. If you’re running alone in your dream, it could mean you are outgrowing your current friends as you become more focused and successful than they are. On the other hand, running with companions indicates a happy state of fun and prosperity in your life. If you dream about seeing others running, it could mean you are worried about a friend who is heading into trouble.

5. Keys

Keys are a symbol of power and the right of entry into life’s elite, exclusive, or secret world. So, if you dream that you’ve lost your keys, it signals that you’re feeling excluded from something you wish to be a part of. It could also signify that you are confused about solving a particular puzzle or problem in your life, and you don’t feel confident that you’ll figure it out. On the other hand, if you dream about finding lost keys, you feel an influx of personal power and consciousness of being in charge of your destiny.

Another variation on key dreams is discovering a key that you don’t recognize — one that fits a mysterious, unknown lock. Whether you sense in the dream that the key is essential or not, take note: This type of dream signifies that you are searching for ways to expand your potential, explore a new relationship, or tap into a previously undiscovered talent.