Everyone dreams, even those who cannot recall their dreams will have exercised their imagination during sleep. Sometimes the meaning behind a dream seems relatively straightforward and on other occasions the weird and wonderful world of nod seems almost impossible to decipher.

Suzanne Bergmann, a professional and highly respected dream worker is quoted as saying, "Dreams are a universal language, creating often elaborate images out of emotional concepts", but importantly she goes on to say, "There's no single definitive meaning for symbols and images in dreams."

We've collated and considered ten topics which regularly feature in people's dreams and have briefly provided one or two possible hidden (or not so hidden) meanings. All we hope is that people don't dream about being in tatty pyjamas. If you do, perhaps your next purchase from PJ Pan has been preying on your mind?  You'll feel much better once you've placed the order!

Falling

Falling is often associated with losing control, but a slower drifting fall is more associated with letting go or perhaps relief from some form of pressure.

Death

It sounds gloomy but more often than not it's more directly related to dramatic change happening for the dreamer.  It could perhaps be the end of one thing, in order to make room for something new.  Alternatively it may be that the dreamer is subconsciously coming to terms with the grief and loss following the death of a friend or loved one.

Back at school

This is very common. Those formative years made a great impact on our lives so it's hardly surprising our dreams take us back to the classroom and the challenges we faced there. However it is thought that people dream more about their school days at times when they don’t feel prepared for a task or challenge. It can also underline our need to learn from the past and use our experience in the challenges we face.

Nudity

It's generally believed that vulnerability is expressed in dreams through nudity. However others believe it could reveal a deep-seated desire to be more daring and adventurous.

Paralysis

Dreaming about paralysis is believed to be caused by the overlap of REM and the moment of waking up.  This is because the body encounters a form of paralysis during dreaming, which prevents it from physically performing the actions that occur in the dream.

Being Chased

This is a very common feature of dreams.  Part of the reason it's so common is because the anxiety we feel is so vivid, that we are more likely to remember it! Therefore it may not in fact be more common than dreaming about meditation!  Analysts believe that we don’t dream about being chased because we fear about being pursued, but rather that we fear what we're running from (whether that be failure, embarrassment, exams or so on).

Flying

Flying in a dream, and how effectively or poorly it's done, relates to how much control we consider we have in our lives. Flying high is one of the most euphoric dreams imaginable, while flying low to the ground can be stressful and may indicate that you're evaluating a risky or daring decision.

Being late

Being late suggests you might be losing an opportunity to experience some sort of fulfilment in your life.  It may also imply that you need to deal with an indecisive trait which must be overcome and until you commit to a decision you will always find yourself hesitating and using your time ineffectively.

Teeth falling out

Dreaming of losing your teeth may mark a fear of getting old and or perhaps a fear of being unattractive to others.

A house

Houses are believed to represent the dreamer's mind. Different rooms may relate to different character aspects of the individual dreamer.

Not all falls are associated with losing control.