10 common dream themes and how you can interpret them for yourself

Going back to your home town or house you grew up in means you long to go back to your childhood when things were better.Have you ever dreamed about the house you grew up in? Well, you have someunfinished business there because a house represents your life. Go back andfinish some unfinished business. You will never be able to move forward until you do. God is allowing you to dream about that house because He wants you take care of some unfinished business.Another common theme is dreaming about vehicles. To interpret your dream correctly you have to identify the vehicle. Is it a bus, train, airplane, car, motorcycle, bicycle, tricyle or wagon?Then you have to remember if you are a passenger or the driver. If you are a passenger, then you might be controlled by others. Are you in the front seat or in the back seat? If you are in the driver’s seat then you are in control. If you are driving do the breaks fail? That means you have to “put the brakes” on something.Are you driving fast or slow? Is everybody passing you on the highway or are you passing everyone else? Have you ever looked for your car in the parking lot andcouldn’t it? It means that you have lost you joy, your motivation and your mode oftraveling. Your dream is telling you that you have lost what you need to get you going again.Have you ever dreamed that you forgot to wear shoes? Is your shirt onbackward? Is a spot on your clothes? When you dream that you are not fullydressed indicates you are unprepared for something you have to do.If your clothes are torn or stained, it means you will be disappointed by something. Newclothes suggests a change in your social status. Wearing no clothes means youare exposed and vulnerable to whatever may happen to you. Wearing too manyclothes as too many hats means you are doing too many things.Shoes are symbols of the “direction you are headed.” Wearing two different shoes means you are being pulled in two different directions. Wearing new shoes means you will head in a new direction. Worn shoes indicate you are overworked and exhausted.Pay close attention when you dream about clothes.View the list »
Water is the most universal symbol for our emotions because it represents the ebb and flow of life. In order to give a more accurate interpretation, you must remember the form the water appeared in your dream.Rising water indicates rising emotions. You are angry or upset about something.Turbulent or troubled water in a dream when you are drowning symbolizes you are overwhelmed emotionally.Cloudy water suggests you lack clarity about something.Swimming or bathing peacefully in water means you are comfortable with what is going on in your life. To see clear water in your dream signifies that you are in tune with your spirituality. It denotes serenity, peace of mind, and calmness. To see muddy or dirty water in your dream indicates that you are wallowing in your negative emotions. Your dream is telling you that you need to change from being negative to positive things in order to find inner peace. If you are immersed in muddy water, then it indicates that you are in over your head in a situation and are overwhelmed by your emotions

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A dream is the way God communicates to us while we sleep because He cannot get our attention during our waking hours.

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Therefore, a dream is God's night communication.

If we would pay attention to our dreams, we would discover that our dreams can change us. Our dreams can become part of our personal history that shape us and make us who we are just as our experiences during the day becomes part of who we are.

In other words, a dream is a story that can change us while we sleep.

Therefore, a dream can be a way for God to transform our lives.

There are universal symbols that mean the same general thing for everyone. However, there are personal symbols that have meaning for specific people and not for other. For instance, a teacher dreaming about an apple would have a different meaning for a farmer dreaming about an apple or a nutritionist. Usually what you dream about is something related to what affects you in your waking hours.

The most common symbols are as follow:

  • Water
  • Clothes
  • Vehicles
  • House
  • Telephone
  • Luggage
  • Losing purse, pocketbook, or wallet
  • Missing a school bus
  • Falling
  • Flying

Think back over your latest dream. It is almost certain to have one of the above themes.

Click through the list of dream symbols below to see what they mean.

View the list
  • Water is the most universal symbol for our emotions because it represents the ebb and flow of life. In order to give a more accurate interpretation, you must remember the form the water appeared in your dream.Rising water indicates rising emotions. You are angry or upset about something.Turbulent or troubled water in a dream when you are drowning symbolizes you are overwhelmed emotionally.Cloudy water suggests you lack clarity about something.Swimming or bathing peacefully in water means you are comfortable with what is going on in your life. To see clear water in your dream signifies that you are in tune with your spirituality. It denotes serenity, peace of mind, and calmness. To see muddy or dirty water in your dream indicates that you are wallowing in your negative emotions. Your dream is telling you that you need to change from being negative to positive things in order to find inner peace. If you are immersed in muddy water, then it indicates that you are in over your head in a situation and are overwhelmed by your emotions
  • Have you ever dreamed that you forgot to wear shoes? Is your shirt onbackward? Is a spot on your clothes? When you dream that you are not fullydressed indicates you are unprepared for something you have to do.If your clothes are torn or stained, it means you will be disappointed by something. Newclothes suggests a change in your social status. Wearing no clothes means youare exposed and vulnerable to whatever may happen to you. Wearing too manyclothes as too many hats means you are doing too many things.Shoes are symbols of the “direction you are headed.” Wearing two different shoes means you are being pulled in two different directions. Wearing new shoes means you will head in a new direction. Worn shoes indicate you are overworked and exhausted.Pay close attention when you dream about clothes.
  • Another common theme is dreaming about vehicles. To interpret your dream correctly you have to identify the vehicle. Is it a bus, train, airplane, car, motorcycle, bicycle, tricyle or wagon?Then you have to remember if you are a passenger or the driver. If you are a passenger, then you might be controlled by others. Are you in the front seat or in the back seat? If you are in the driver’s seat then you are in control. If you are driving do the breaks fail? That means you have to “put the brakes” on something.Are you driving fast or slow? Is everybody passing you on the highway or are you passing everyone else? Have you ever looked for your car in the parking lot andcouldn’t it? It means that you have lost you joy, your motivation and your mode oftraveling. Your dream is telling you that you have lost what you need to get you going again.
  • Going back to your home town or house you grew up in means you long to go back to your childhood when things were better.Have you ever dreamed about the house you grew up in? Well, you have someunfinished business there because a house represents your life. Go back andfinish some unfinished business. You will never be able to move forward until you do. God is allowing you to dream about that house because He wants you take care of some unfinished business.
  • Have you ever dreamed that you are trying to dial the telephone and you can’t remember the number? Or the telephone is out of order? Or you ring every digit and you can’t remember the last digit? Or you can’t get a dial tone? Or the telephone is ringing and you can’t find it to answer it?The telephone is a symbol of communication. Not being able to make that telephone callmeans that you have problems in communicating. It means you are having a problem with communication in your waking life. It could also mean that you need to get in touch with someone, or that someone is trying unsuccessfully to get in touch with you.Your dream is telling you to get in touch with someone you need to talk to.
  • Packing a suitcaseHave you ever dream that you were packing a suitcase and you couldn’t get everything in it? God is warning you that your life is too cluttered. You have too much baggage. Release some things from your life as your dream has just warned you to do. If you dream your suitcase is too heavy, you need to unload some baggage in your life. Your baggage some be toxic people or situations. Pay attention to your dreams and lighten your load. 
  • What does it mean to lose your purse, pocketbook or wallet? The interpretation is not about the pocketbook, but is about what you keep in your pocketbook. Our pocketbooks hold our identifications papers such as driver’s license, social security card, student or job identification cards, etc. It holds your cash, checkbook, bank and credit cards.You have beauty accessories such as make-up, lipstick, personal hygiene items in yourpocketbook. When you lose your pocketbook in a dream, it is not the pocketbookthat you should focus on. You should focus on how your identity is at risk or in jeopardy. Are you losing your values, your principles, or your true identity? You are losing your power. It might indicate you are losing what means a lot to you such as your marriage, your job, or whatever you value.So pay close attention when you lose your pocketbook in a dream. It's a horrible dream to have, but the dream is trying to tell you something important.
  • Even adults often dream about missing a school bus. That simply means you missed out on something from your childhood. More specially what you missed out on was something from your school days.Maybe you didn't go to your school prom. Perhaps, you failed to do your best on a test when you knew you could. What about your social activities in school?Your dream is telling you there is something you need to "catch" up on that is school-related.Think back on the bus you missed and arrive on time to catch it now.
  • Dreaming about falling is an indication that you are losing control of something that's important to you and your well being. However, you are neglecting it while you are awake.Pay attention when you dream of falling. Is there something going on in your life that is "falling" away from you and out of your control?Falling is an indication of insecurities, instabilities, and anxieties. This may reflect the way you feel in your relationship or in your work environment. In some way, you have lost your footing, and there is nothing you can hold on to. You are going downward and you cannot stop.  
  • Have you ever dreamed about flying? If you are flying with ease, it means youare on top of things. You have risen above a situation.If your flying is uncomfortable and you are afraid, then this means that you don’t have your feet on solid ground. This means that you are “high in the air” when youshould be “down to earth.”It could also mean that you are "flying off the handle" perhaps on your job or in your marriage.Pay attention when you dream about flying. 
View the list
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, Dreams & Spiritual Wisdom Examiner

Rev. Margaret Minnicks is an ordained minister of Christian Education who has been gifted with the ability to interpret dreams from a spiritual perspective. Feel free to submit your questions about dreams. They will be answered here in this column. Contact Rev. Margaret Minnicks at REVMJMM@aol.com.

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