Have you had these top 10 common nightmares?

Everyone has, at one point in their lives, woken up in a pool of sweat induced by the heart-pumping terror that only nightmares can stir. It’s a horrible way to reenter consciousness, and the feelings leave a strange residue in your body, but nightmares are still an essential part of dreaming.

So why not learn a bit more about them? We’re quick to analyze our fun dreams, whether they’re made of our desires or pleasures, but nightmares are cut from a different cloth altogether, made from all the stresses and anxieties lingering below. But, like dreams, nightmares aren’t easy to decipher.

Accepting the images at face value deprives you of a much deeper understanding of your subconscious, and nightmares tend to reflect inner feelings rather than outer situations anyway. Recurring nightmares can speak even more volumes, and exploring that recurrence with your fellow humankind can reveal many patterns and more connection between us than we ever imagined.

Check out this gallery to see the top 10 common nightmares people experience, and tips on how you can address the frightening feelings.

10. Feeling lost or trapped

Whether it’s in a maze or behind locked doors, feeling trapped or lost in a dream is actually quite simple to interpret: it reflects a concern of being lost or trapped in a certain situation or position in your real life.

This dream is a common cue to your conscious mind that it’s time to address these feelings in your real life.

9. Falling or drowning

If you’re continuously sinking either in air or water, it’s likely you’ve internalized anxiety about being in a situation you can’t handle or facing a task that is putting too much pressure on you.

Your specific reaction to the sensation of losing control within the nightmare will likely mirror your reaction to real-life situations.

8. Machine or phone malfunction

This nightmare has obviously only grown common in the modern era, but many people experience dreams where computers break or where no one ever answers the phone when you call.

It could also mean there’s a disconnect or barrier forming between yourself and someone you love, so take this nightmare as a signal to evaluate your relationships.

7. Being without clothes or inappropriately dressed in public

If you’re comfortable being without clothes in your dream, you feel secure about yourself in real life. If you’re embarrassed, it’s quite the opposite. Being oblivious can also mean a lack of self-awareness.

6. Natural or man-made disasters

This tends to be one of the most disturbing nightmares, and it often speaks volumes about your state of mind.

If this is recurring for you, take a closer look at what has you feeling defeated, and take concrete steps to address the issue, even just asking for help.

5. Failing a test

Subconscious test anxiety is most telling in the grade you receive. Failing can reflect concerns about whether you deserve the things you’ve achieved in life. Ask yourself what evaluation you’d give all your past deeds combined.

4. Property loss/damage

When you dream of a house, it usually symbolizes your perception of self: the facade represents your self-image, and the interior symbolizes your inner-self.

If something is stolen from your home, it can indicate some anxiety about feeling like something valuable to you is at risk.

3. Car trouble

Similar to dreams of homes, the appearance of a car represents your outward perceptions of your body, and your inner feelings are literally what’s under the hood. You could drive a Lamborghini with fresh paint that is filled with garbage.

2. Suffering an injury, illness, or death

These nightmares are often the most frightening, but they’re not meant to be taken too literally! Plus, they’re very common.

Unfortunately, these nightmares can also be dark. Your own death and illness can signify emotional hurt, or fear of being hurt, and if it’s a loved one then it may signify that the part of yourself that you see in that person feels as if it is dying or lost.

1. Being chased or attacked

The fight-or-flight response is embedded in human nature, and that’s one of the reasons this nightmare is so prevalent, particularly when we’re faced with dangers or fears in real life.

The chase can come from anxiety about a number of things, ranging from menial to substantial. More importantly, the actions you take in the dream to escape often parallels how you would react to the stress and fears of reality.