Some researchers believe that anxiety dreams reflect a time when our ancestors were constantly threatened by danger from predators and other environmental factors. You will never be attacked by a sabre-toothed tiger, but if you are the object of savage criticism by your boss those ancient feelings of fear for your survival may be triggered deep within your unconscious mind and be reflected in your dreams.
Many anxiety dreams carry a message that your attitude to someone or something is unrealistic, or that you are heading in the wrong direction. If the dream keeps recurring, it’s a sure sign that you have unfinished ‘emotional business’ to resolve.
Here are some of the most common anxiety dreams, each of which has several potential meanings. The correct interpretation is the one that most accurately mirrors your inmost feelings about yourself and your situation.
[1]One of the most frequent dream themes is that of anxiety in some form. This may not be because most dreams are about things we fear, but simply because we remember those dreams more than a bland dream. In our dreams the things we fear are only our own feelings. Of course, the dream may be about a snake, or car accident—things we fear which are not inside us. Even so, it is our feeling about the snake or situation which disturbs us, and these can change, even though the snake remains just what it is.
If we cannot meet our feelings of fear or emotional pain we are controlled or trapped by them. Sometimes we need the help of a professional therapist to meet what we fear, but many fears can be met by using simple techniques.
See Also: woljunder animal, dream processing, premenstrual tension.
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