What people actually dream about
The symbols people report most often, each with the readings the analysts give, what sleep research has measured, how other cultures read the same image, and questions worth asking about your own version.
Cats
cats, independence, ambiguity, intuition, distance
Dogs
dogs, loyalty, companionship, guarding, grief
Snakes
snakes, fear, transformation, hidden threat, watchfulness
Spiders
spiders, webs, entanglement, patience, unease
Being chased
being chased, avoidance, pressure, threat rehearsal, fear
Exams you did not study for
evaluation, unpreparedness, exposure, anticipation, performance
Being naked in public
exposure, shame, visibility, self-presentation, scrutiny
Pregnancy
gestation, development, waiting, responsibility, anticipation
Teeth falling out
teeth, exposure, embarrassment, bruxism, self-image
Death of someone you know
loss, change, attachment, grief, endings
Funerals
ritual, mourning, acknowledgement, endings, community
Your own death
transition, endings, identity, detachment, transformation
Falling
falling, loss of control, hypnic jerk, insecurity, letting go
Flying
flying, freedom, control, lucid dreaming, perspective
An old home
memory, return, childhood, familiarity, the past
Houses with unknown rooms
discovery, capacity, expansion, interior, the familiar
Locked doors
obstruction, access, thresholds, frustration, boundaries
Stairs
stairs, transition, effort, progress, levels
Being lost
disorientation, direction, familiarity, searching, uncertainty
Driving an out-of-control car
control, brakes, momentum, responsibility, steering
Missing a train
lateness, timing, departure, opportunity, schedule
Fire
fire, destruction, transformation, intensity, warmth
Storms
storms, anticipation, powerlessness, weather, shelter
A dead relative
grief, presence, continuing bonds, memory, unfinished