The 17 Common Dream Symbols (& What They Mean)

Here are 17 of the most common dreams, plus what they mean, from dream interpreters.

As therapist and dream expert Leslie Ellis, Ph.D., tells mbg, "In North America, the most common dream theme is of teeth falling out—which of course may mean different things for different people—but ideas include concern about appearance, aging, and loss of agency/aggression. These can all be linked to concerns about sociality and survival."

"Falling is a very common dream motif, and one of the earliest dreams reported by very young children," Ellis explains, noting, "Could it have to do with the fact that falling could be lethal for an infant or toddler?"

"It's fair to say the dreamer is activated and feeling threatened in some way," Ellis previously told mbg.

According to Ellis, pregnancy is often thought to represent a creative process, so if there's a project or goal you're working toward, it may be represented in a dream pregnancy.

"In the South American countries, the most common dream is of snakes," Ellis tells mbg, adding, "This may be less about symbolism (e.g., garden of Eden, shedding skin, etc.) and more about survival because the snake dreams show up most often in countries where dangerous snakes are most common."

According to professional dream interpreter Lauri Loewenberg, spiders in dreams archetypically represent "some sort of deceit or web of lies surrounding you." As she previously told mbg, a spider's web can also signify that you're feeling trapped and your subconscious is "trying to warn you about a situation or relationship that could trap you."

As Ellis explains, "In a world where social connections are critical to our well-being and survival, the idea of being exposed and judged as flawed in front of our community can be highly distressing."

As Loewenberg previously explained, "The main thing to keep in mind when trying to figure out your sex dream is they're rarely about a physical union you want but more about a psychological union." Perhaps this person exhibits qualities you'd like to embody more, she said, adding, "If you do actually want to sleep with that person in real life, you already know—and you don't need a dream to tell you that."

And as Loewenberg adds, "We'll use the expression 'I have to put a few fires out' when we have things that need to be tended to, so it [can also represent] something in your life that needs to be taken care of and extinguished ASAP."

In fact, one study by dream researcher Joshua Black, Ph.D., shows dreams can help us process the trauma of a loss, serving as a way to maintain connection with the deceased, and/or help regulate emotions. As Ellis previously told mbg, "One of the most interesting things is when we lose a loved one or pet, the vast majority of the dreams we have about them are comforting."

"For example," Loewenberg explains, "if you can't find your class or your locker, it can be because you're stressing out about the fact that you are not where you feel you should be in your career."

"Ideally, we attach to our childhood home because of the memories we have of being loved and supported," Ellis says, adding that there are also cases where our childhood home doesn't bring back happy memories but rather memories of difficulty and even trauma, which could be coming up in these dreams.

"And then, of course, the more bees there are, and the more stings there are, the more of an emotional impact it's having on you," she says, adding, "It can also be that there's more than one person you're feeling the sting from."

From driving in a car to flying in a plane, travel dreams often relate to craving freedom, but they can also represent some sort of movement or momentum happening in your life. "Traveling usually represents forward movement—progress in some area," Loewenberg previously explained. And as Ellis adds, this "movement" could be personal or professional, as well as literal geographical movement.

Fertility can also relate to creative fertility, she notes, with the fish in this case representing something you're creating from your emotional landscape (with water being the emotions).

"Dogs are typically going to represent a relationship or the dynamics that are going on within a relationship," she notes, adding, "And that could be any relationship—friendship, an intimate relationship, work relationship, family relationship—any relationship where there should be loyalty and companionship, all these qualities that we attribute to dogs."

And last but not least, we have tornado dreams—which, according to Loewenberg, are one of the most common dream symbols. These dreams typically have one of two ways of unfolding: Either the tornado strikes, or you can see it in the distance. In the case of seeing a tornado in the distance, she explains, you're wondering if some real-life stressor (symbolized by the tornado) is going to catch up to you. If the tornado is actively striking in the dream, she notes, you feel like you're in the thick of it in real life, in terms of whatever is stressing you out.

Dreams are nuanced, mysterious, and always specific to you and your experience. While these general interpretations offer a starting point, only you can truly know how a dream made you feel and what that could mean in relation to what's happening in your life.