The Quiet Messages of Our Nightmares

How often do we hear ourselves say that we slept badly because we had a bad dream? Most of the time, the same unpleasant scenarios appear again and again. Pushing them aside may seem tempting at first glance, but it doesn’t help in the long run. Nightmares work a bit like fears, they persist until we deal with them.

One helpful method is Image Rehearsal Therapy. While awake, you imagine a new, less threatening ending to the dream and rehearse it repeatedly. Sometimes this actually takes away the nightmare’s power. Lucid dreaming can also help. If you become aware during sleep that you are dreaming, you can influence the course of events. This can be practiced, for example through relaxation techniques. But the most important question remains which feelings lie behind a dream and what we can learn from them. Nightmares rarely want to frighten us, they usually want to draw our attention to something.

Among the classics are dreams about exams, falling, being chased, death, flying, time pressure, or embarrassing public nudity. So it’s time to find out what these recurring themes want to tell us.

Being naked in public

A recent mishap, an accidental “like,” or an embarrassing situation can linger. The comforting part is: it truly happens to everyone.

Losing teeth

This dream often appears when we’re worried about our appearance or feeling insecure. You feel vulnerable or not particularly confident.

Flying like a bird

Usually a hint at a desire for lightness or more freedom. Sometimes it also represents the feeling of having things under control.

Being chased

A typical stress dream. It often hides a suppressed worry that you’d rather avoid confronting in everyday life.

Falling

Often connected to a loss of control or the feeling of not having enough support. Sometimes it also includes the fear of being let down.

Being late

A classic for times of high pressure or too many obligations. It might be a sign that you need more room for your own needs again.

Exam dreams

These tend to show up even years after school or university. They’re usually less about real evaluation and more about the worry of not living up to your own expectations.

Dreams of death

As serious as they sound, they are usually a sign of letting go of something that no longer fits. A hint that space for something new can emerge.

Dreams are rarely random. With a bit of curiosity, they can even help us understand ourselves better. A little eerie, yes, but often surprisingly insightful.