Everyone dreams (even if we don’t always remember them after the fact) and researchers have found that the majority of us have dreams with similar themes. For years people have tried to interpret the fleeting images that we see when we go to sleep - some interpretations are outright bizarre, while others are pretty understandable. This is a list of the interpretations that the Association for the Study of Dreams has given to the most recurring and common types of dream. Be sure to tell us whether you think it is accurate from your own experiences.
In these types of dreams you are usually in or near a car or some other type of vehicle which is out of control or has other problems that seem insurmountable. For example, the brakes may have failed, you may have lost control of the steering, or be heading over a cliff or crashing. You can either be the driver or the passenger. This is a very common type of nightmare and it occurs in all people - not just those who can drive. This dream usually means that you are feeling powerless over something in your life - or that you are heading for a crash (metaphorically speaking).
In the faulty machinery dream you are trying to operate mechanical equipment which either fails to work, or fails to work in the way that you expect it to. The vast majority of these dreams involve a telephone - either trouble dialing, losing a connection, or dialing a wrong number. It can involve a lost Internet connection, or something manual like a jammed or broken machine. This dream often means that you feel you are losing touch with reality, or that a part of your body or mind is not functioning as it should. It can also occur when you are feeling anxious about making a connection with another person in real life.
Dreaming about being lost is very common and will usually occur when you are having conflict in deciding how to react in a situation in real life. In the dream you are trying to find your way out of an area - such as a forest, city streets, a large building, or other maze-like structure. Another way this dream plays out involves you being trapped, buried alive, caught in a web, or unable to move for some other reason. This is often accompanied by a feeling of terror. This dream usually means that you are trapped in real life - unable to make the right choice.
In this type of dream you are rushing to catch a bus, train, plane, or other type of public transport - but you miss it - usually by a fraction of a second. Rather than feeling fear in this dream, you usually feel frustration. This dream can also occur in a different form, in which you arrive late for an important performance or sporting event that you are supposed to participate in, only to find that the event has already begun. This dream usually means that you feel that you have missed out on an important opportunity in your real life. It will often occur when you are struggling over an important decision.
This dream usually manifests itself in people who have been out of school for a long time. In the dream you are prevented from passing a test in a variety of different possible scenarios. In one scenario you find that you are unable to make it to the test on time, often through being unable to find the test room. In other versions you are unprepared (either through lack of study) or you are missing equipment. This dream usually means that you are feeling tested in some way in your real life. You may feel that you are unprepared for something or playing the wrong part in life.
In this dream, you (or a loved one) are ill, injured, or dying. It is a moderately common dream and, not surprisingly, occurs often at the onset of an illness. Aside from becoming ill, this dream can mean that you are emotionally hurt or are afraid of becoming hurt. The dream may also be warning you of an upcoming physical risk to yourself or a loved one. When it is someone else in the dream that dies, it can mean that you feel that part of yourself (that you see represented by that person) is dead. It may also mean that you wish the person would go away, or that you fear losing them.
Dreaming of being chased can be a truly horrifying experience. Most often the chaser is a monster or some person that is frightening, and occasionally it may be an animal. You may be surprised to know that this is the most commonly experienced nightmare theme. The meaning of these dreams is that someone, something (possibly something as obscure as an emotion) is making you feel threatened. One way to determine the root of the threat is to ask yourself who or what in your real life most closely resembles the “creature” or circumstance in your dream. It is also worth noting that sometimes this dream is a replay of an actual event in your life.
Teeth dreams are fairly common and they usually involve the discovery of extremely decayed or missing teeth in your own mouth. Sometimes you will dream that you open your mouth and your teeth begin to fall out. The fact that the majority of people today have reasonable teeth (perhaps with the exception of the British), it is not surprising that we feel so emotionally disturbed by these dreams. So, what does it mean when we dream about missing teeth? At the most basic level it means that we are afraid of being found unattractive. At a deeper level, it can signify a fear of embarrassment or a loss of power in real life. Oh - I was just kidding about the “British” thing!
In this type of dream you are in a state of undress, partial undress, or inappropriate dress (for example wearing pajamas to work). Occasionally you are the witness of another person who is naked while you are clothed. This is often accompanied by feelings of embarrassment and shame, but occasionally with the feeling of pride or freedom. The meaning of this dream is that you are feeling exposed, awkward, or vulnerable, or you are afraid that you have revealed too much of yourself (such as a secret or a very personal feeling) in a real life situation. An interesting fact about this type of dream is that it occurs much more frequently in people who are involved in a wedding ceremony in their real life.
We have all had falling dreams - it is such a common dream, in fact, that myths have arisen over them; the most common myth is, of course, that you will die if you hit the ground in the dream. I can assure you, having hit the ground in more than one falling dream, that this is not true at all. In the falling dream we are usually falling through the air and frightened. Occasionally we may be sinking in water (and in danger of drowning). Typically a person having this dream is feeling insecure or lacking in support in their waking life. These dreams often occur when you are overwhelmed in life and feel ready to give up. If you have this dream you should evaluate your current situation and try to locate the problem that is overwhelming you. Deal with it and this dream should go away.
译文:
解读十大常见梦境
每个人都会做梦（即使我们并不总能记住梦见了什么），而科学家发现很多人梦境存在着一定的相似性。几年来人们一直努力试图解释睡梦中在我们眼前闪过的转瞬即逝的图像--有些解梦十分荒诞，而还有一些则多少可以理解。以下是美国睡梦研究协会列出的一些最常见的梦境及其解梦。别忘了以你的亲身经验告诉我们它是否准确。
在此类睡梦中，你通常要么在车里，要么在车辆附近，或者可能是辆失控了的其它类型的车，或者有其它什么难题。比如：刹车失灵，你失去对车辆的控制，或者车辆半悬在悬崖上，又或者发生碰撞。你可能是驾驶员也可能是乘客。这是一种非常普遍的睡梦，不光是会开车的人，基本上人人都会梦到。这种梦预示着你对自己的生活感到无能为力，或从隐喻的角度说，你将会遭遇车祸。
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在机械故障的梦中，此时你操作的机械装置出现故障，或者是该装置未按预期进行工作。此类梦境大多涉及到电话，不是拨号出现问题，无法与对方建立通话，就是打错了电话号码。它还包括因特网的无法正常链接，或者是人为的机器部件卡住或断裂。这种梦境通常是表示你感到与现实脱离，或者自己的部分身体或思想变得毫无用处了。这种情况也会发生于人们极渴望与现实中的其他人建立联系时。
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在睡梦中梦到迷路是非常常见的，这通常出现于当你对处理现实生活中的某问题而犹豫不决时。在梦中，你试着找到离开此地的道路，比如：森林、城市街道、大型建筑或其它迷宫般的建筑物。与之相似的另一种梦境是你被抓获、活埋、困在网中、或者由于某些原因不能移动。做梦时经常感到一种恐惧。这种梦境通常暗示着你可能在现实生活被束缚，无法做出正确的选择。
在此类睡梦中，你可能正在奔跑追逐着公交车、火车、飞机或其他类型的公共交通运输工具，但是你却错过了搭乘时间，且通常仅错过一点点。在这样的梦中你并未感到恐惧，却感受到了挫折。这种梦通常也可以以不同的形式出现，如：观看一场重要演出时晚点，或原定自己参加的运动会却迟到。这种梦境通常表示你觉得在现实生活中错过了一次重要的机会，这经常出现在当你正为作出重大决策不断挣扎的时刻。
做此类梦的人通常是那些已离开学校很长时间的人。在梦境中，由于各种不同的特定情况使你无法顺利通过考试测验。在其中一种特定情况下，你发现你无法准时交卷，甚至有时还会梦到自己找不到考场。在其他的特定情况中，你在临考前毫无准备（没有用功学习），或者你未带考试用品。这种梦境通常暗示着你在现实生活中正面临着某些方面的考验，你可能感觉到对于某事物毫无准备或正处于人生中某一错误阶段。
在此类睡梦中，你会梦到自己或自己钟爱的人生病、受伤或死亡。这是一种还算比较常见的梦境，当人们患有疾病时做此类梦并不为奇。除了意味着生病之外，这种梦也表明你在感情上容易受伤，或者担心受到伤害。同时这还是对你自己或你的爱人可能将面临着一场身体健康危机的警告。当梦到别人在睡梦中死亡，这可能表示你感觉自己的一部分（由你梦见的那个人为代表）已经死亡，也可能是你希望某个人离开你，或者你担心失去他们。
梦到被追赶是一种真正可怕的经历。通常情况下追赶者是一只怪兽或某些穷凶极恶的人，有时也可能是一种动物在追赶你。你可能因为被告知发现这种梦是最常出现的梦魇主题而感到非常惊奇。这种梦暗示着某人或某事(也可能是朦胧模糊的情绪变化)使你感觉到恐惧和害怕。确定这种恐惧和害怕根源所在的方法是问问你自己在现实生活中谁或什么事物最接近于梦境中追赶你的“生物”或相应的环境情况。值得注意的是有时这样的梦境是现实生活中的真实事件的重新演绎。
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人们在睡梦中梦到牙齿是非常普遍的，经常出现的情景是严重的蛀牙，或是口腔内牙齿脱落。有时你会梦到当你张开嘴时你的牙齿便开始脱落。事实上，现今人们的牙齿都很健康（也许 除了英国）。当出现此类梦时你自然会出现情绪上的波动和烦乱，这是很正常的。那么，梦见牙齿脱落到底暗示着什么呢？从基本上讲，这种梦暗示着我们担忧自己不受到别人的关注。从更深层次上讲，这暗示着你担心现实生活中的困窘或权力的失去。哦-- 关于“英国”的部分我只是在开玩笑而已。
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在此类睡梦中，你会梦到自己一丝不挂的场面、部分身体暴露或穿着不适当(比如穿着暴露的睡衣上班)。有时你会看到另一个人赤裸身体，而你穿着正常的服饰。这种梦境情节中经常表现自己感到困窘或害羞，但有时也有一种获得自由的自豪感。这种梦暗示着你可能在现实中感觉到过于暴露、处于尴尬、易受到攻击，或者你担心自己在现实生活中过多地暴露自己（比如是某个秘密或个人私事）。一个很有趣的事实是，这种梦最频繁地出现于那些现实生活中参加结婚仪式的人们。
人们都梦到过自己从高处坠落，这是一种常出现的梦境，事实上，这种最最常见普通的梦境却是最神秘的。最神秘之处当然在于当你从高处狠狠地摔在地面的一瞬间，你将感受到死亡的来临。由于在睡梦中不止一次地从高处坠下，我可以向你保证，这绝对不会成真。在睡梦中我们从高处坠落而感到十分恐惧，有的时候我们还会梦到自己淹没在水中（甚至可能溺水而死）。此类梦意味着你在现实生活中正感受到一种不可靠，或者缺少生活的支柱。做这种梦经常出现于你在生活中压力重重或准备放弃某事。如果你的睡梦中出现这样的梦，你应当评估一下当前自己的状况，并试着寻找能够战胜自我的问题根源。处理好之后此类可怕的梦境将不会再出现。
