What do your dreams mean?

Dreams take us different places and often reflect hidden aspects of our lives. By taking the time to familiarize yourself with common dream subjects and symbols, you might gain valuable insights into your life.Tessa NathFeature EditorNakedYou push the door open to see a party in full swing. Music echoes and pulses in your head as you make your way over to the side, where you see one of your friends talking. Looking down to pour yourself a drink, you suddenly find yourself completely exposed — naked! Struggling to cover up before anyone realizes, you grab a nearby pillow and hide in the corner. But to your amazement, no one seems to really notice what has happened.Is this a dream?Almost everyone will experience some variation of this dream at some point in his or her life. According to dream interpretation expert Gillian Holloway, we begin to have this dream in adolescence, when we first develop a sense of social identity. The “naked in public dream” can be provoked by any new situation that puts us even slightly out of our comfort zone. A new job, a new responsibility, a boyfriend/girlfriend or public attention can make us feel like we are suddenly on display.The positive note in these dreams is that however frightening the initial nakedness is, almost invariably other people seem oblivious to the dreamer’s plight. Chances are they are too absorbed in their own problems to even take notice of you. So instead of freaking out and rushing for the pillow in real life, take time to adapt to the situation. A new sense of comfort will appear — perhaps with an extra pair of pants.FlyingFlying. You lift up your feet, take a breath, and go … go … go.Flying dreams are most frequent after an experience that allows you to let go of your worries and feel delightfully free and capable. While most people experience flying dreams in early childhood, they often reappear in times of intense pleasure.Someone who engages in a satisfying or fulfilling hobby might experience a flying dream. Someone who is in a performance profession such as theatre, music or singing might fly at night. Or according to Holloway, someone might fly after a particularly satisfying sexual encounter.There are many ways to fly — but only if you follow your bliss.DeathIn front of you is a sea of black. Tears trickle down your chin as you stare at the pale face of — your father?It can’t be. Dad’s in perfect health. He’s fit. He’s fine. He’s good. I don’t want him to —Don’t worry. Chances are if you have this dream it isn’t because your intuition allows you to predict death, but rather it’s a reflection of change. Change happens.Going off to college, finding a new job, moving to a new city, getting married — these are all changes. Life is a cycle. Dreaming about death just reinforces the natural human instinct that times are changing and it’s time to accept that change. Don’t treat death as a nightmare; instead, treat it as a rite of passage.tnath@thesamohi.com