Relections

Dreams or more likely nightmares are reflections of real and everyday life. One of the 5 theories of dreaming is that dreams are a way to organize one's memories at night from life and the previous day. This theory suggests that, at night, our hippocampus releases experiences from the previous day and allows our brain to store them into the right place. Whether that be to throw them out or keep them for long term memory. More likely than not, our brain decides to keep the bad experiences and thoughts which is one of the causes of nightmares.

As I was surfing around the internet this morning, I found a video on youtube that explained the 10 most common nightmares and what causes them. A lot of what causes them can be explained by Freud's wishful thinking theory, in which latent content emerges and tells your messages while you sleep causing you to think about them.

1. Taking a test - The reason a lot of people dream about taking big tests and more often, failing a big test is because of lack or fear of self-confidence. This shows that a lot of us have a sense of being underprepared for what life throws at us and we are not able to reach our full potential. 
2. A parter cheating on you - This nightmare occurs when you think your partner isn't paying enough attention to you. The latent content of this nightmare would be that you should spend more time with one another. 
3. Flying - This shows that one always wants to be in control of his/her own destiny. This dream also shows that one always wants some sort of freedom. What happens when you start flying and you fall to the ground? This shows that we are out of control of our own destiny. 
4. Dying - Some people believe that dreaming of death tells people that they need to make positive changes in their life. The nightmare of dying is similar to taking a test in which it indicates a sense of failure in life. 
5. Spiders - Having a nightmare about spiders is usually telling you that you are being manipulated or you are manipulating someone else. 
6. Being Naked in Public - When one feels too exposed or ashamed of themselves that often have this nightmare. This also shows that people find themselves socially inadequate, and vulnerable to ridicule. 
7. Being Chased - This is sign that you are avoiding something in your life and are refusing to deal with a problem that you have. 
8. Losing your Teeth - My grandma actually told me that she had this dream a couple of weeks ago. It indicates that you are insecure about your appearance and interactions with other people around you. It can also mean that you have a feeling of helplessness. 
9. Being Lost - You are losing or have already lost your right direction in life. This dream can also relate to the fear of not fitting in. 
10. Falling - This nightmare is similar to the dream of flying. When you are falling, this indicates that something in your life is out of control. This nightmare can also be linked to being betrayed by a trusted friend. 

When I saw this video, I found it very interesting that people share the same nightmares because most of these fears engulf us in everyday life. This part of dreaming can be mostly linked to the social phenomenon of the Bio-Psycho-Social approach. Which nightmare do you have most often?