50 hidden meanings behind the most common dreams

If this happens within the storyline of your dream, it could be caused by something happening in real life that you’re not moving on quickly enough, Loewenberg says. But if it’s happening when you’re more lucid, it could be a sign of sleep paralysis.

This dream interpretation relates to communication issues, according to Walden. “Because glass is both fragile, and when it breaks it can cut and harm, I believe if we dream of having glass in our mouth it signifies we may be angry, hurt, or fear that our words, if expressed, will harm someone,” Walden says. “Ultimately, it’s a message to learn how to vent out our unpleasant feelings (via journalling, screaming into a pillow, or sharing with a trusted friend or counsellor) so that we can find a constructive (non-adrenalised) way of expressing our feelings and needs (to say what we mean, without having to say it mean).”

Violence in dreams can indicate anger, says psychotherapist Annette Poizner, MSW, Ed.D, RSW. It’s also a common motif in the dreams of people who have been working on becoming more assertive and forceful. “Imagine the formerly inhibited person who is making changes, tolerating more awareness of anger, versus suppressing it,” she says. “That individual, re-thinking the inhibitions of yesterday, may experience violent dreams as they get in touch with their own aggressive energy. It doesn’t mean they will become violent. It means they are awakening to this forceful energy within, aware that it requires special handling. The energy is unnerving at first blush, but it will be an important resource when the former block is removed.”

“Psychologically speaking, when someone that has died shows up in your dream, they’re going to symbolise some aspect of your own personality,” Loewenberg says. For example, if your late mother shows up in your dreams, she may symbolise your own role as a mother or, if you don’t have children, your own caring and nurturing side.

Poizner says this implies a capacity to be more involved in the world around you, socially and emotionally whether it’s through getting involved with an organisation or taking a public role. “This can be the dream of the introvert who is on the cusp of developing more extroversive tendencies, or the person who has been living an insular life that is readying to step into the limelight,” Poizner says.

Poizner says this dream can show external pressures like work or a relationship or your own inner tendencies are manifesting in physical symptoms of stress that are similar to being crushed. This can include symptoms like muscle tension and cramping.

“Water is often a symbol of excess, specifically, in dreams, alluding to sensual pleasures or feelings that are overpowering the personality or other forms of excess or self-indulgence,” Poizner says. “The dream may indicate the degree of personal control has been compromised so that chaos is near at hand.”

The interpretation of dreams of a snake depends on whether the snake is friend or foe, according to Red Mountain Resort Shamanic Energy Provider Brittney Marie. “Several people might all have a dream of a serpent, a snake. [It’s] often a symbol of shedding the old and releasing the past,” she says.

According to dreamdictionary.org, this means you’re trying to cover up something. If you’re the one wearing the mask, it could indicate you’re not happy with your appearance. If it’s someone else wearing it, it could mean there are powerful, deceptive forces around you.

Many people dream they’re back in school, whether they’re there taking an exam for which they didn’t study or looking for their locker. Loewenberg says most people dream they’re back in high school where people felt more pressure and less control over their situation than they did in other educational settings. “It’s super common and the reason why is because most often it can be connected some kind of stress in your career and your dream,” she says. “The stress in the dream and the fear and anxiety can be directly connected to real life.”