When a dream of a cheating spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend turns out to be accurate, it does not necessarily mean you are psychic.  Rather, it probably means that your unconscious mind picked up on some subtle signals that your conscious mind either overlooked or blocked out.

For instance, things like a sudden change in wardrobe, new cologne or sudden interest in fitness can often signal a cheating spouse.   It is possible that your unconcious took note of all these signals during the day, and then used your dream state to send a message.

In most cases, however, a dream about a cheating boyfriend, girlfriend or spouse is not about the spouse at all.  Rather, the dream is most likely caused by insecurity, anxiety or guilt on the part of the dreamer.

For instance, dreaming about catching your boyfriend, girlfriend or spouse with another partner probably indicates a deep seated anxiety on your part, either worry about your appearance, doubts about your attractiveness, or just generalized anxiety about the future.

Likewise, dreaming that you are cheating on your spouse or significant other can result from guilt you feel about other issues.  In some cases these feelings of guilt are not even related to your relationship.

Rather, the guilt could be the result of anything from cutting corners at work to cheating on a test to being less than honest with family members.  Thus the cheating is only a symbol of guilt you already feel, not a prediction that you will be stepping out on your husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend.

Dreams about a boyfriend or girlfriend cheating on you tend to be fear based dreams.  These dreams do not necessarily represent fear of being cheated on, although those fears can come out in dreams.  Instead, the fear could be anything, from fear of failure on a project at work to fear of failing a test at school.

The fear expressed through a boyfriend/girlfriend cheating dream could also be the manifestation of a deep seated childhood fear of abandonment.  Children of divorced parents, or children whose parent or parents have died, often express their fear of abandonment through bad dreams, and these dreams can morph into dreams where they are abandoned by a partner or a spouse.

Even though the issues expressed through dreams of cheating and being cheated on are not rooted in the relationship, it is always a good idea to work through the issues that caused the dreams.  That is because the issues associated with these kinds of dreams, issues like trust and fear, are important things to work through.  Issues with trust, and fear of abandonment can be very damaging to even the strongest relationship.

So whether you are the cheater or the cheatee in your dream, it is important to examine the situations you encounter in your dreams.  The situations, places and people encountered while in a dream state often represent real people, places and objects, and learning the connections can allow you to correct the situations that are leading to such feelings of insecurity and anxiety.

Even today, after all fears of predation have been removed from our waking lives, dreams of being chased are there to remind us of our earlier animal nature. In modern societies, dreams of being chased can often arise from feelings of general anxiety experienced in the waking hours.

The way the dreamer responds to feels of pressure and anxiety while awake is often reflected in the dream state. Chase dreams can manifest themselves in a variety of ways. Often the dreamer will dream about being chased by an attacker or pursuer who the dreamer fears will hurt or kill them.

In these dreams, the dreamer attempts to run from, hide from or otherwise outwit the pursuer. These dreams can often be very realistic, and chase dreams are some of the most commonly reported nightmares.

Chase dreams can be reactions to events in your waking life. For instance, there may be something you are supposed to do but have been avoiding. If this proposed action is a source of fear, stress and confusion, is can sometimes manifest in your dream life as an attacker or pursuer.

Instead of facing your fear, you are running from it, and the attacker in your dreams represents the thing you are trying to get away from or avoid in real life.

People troubled by recurring dreams of being chased often benefit from an examination of their waking life. Finding the thing that they are running from in real life, and confronting it, is often an effective way of banishing frequent chase dreams.

In some cases the pursuer or attacker in a chase dream represents not an outside force but part of your self instead. Unresolved feelings of anger, jealousy and fear can often enter your dreams in the form of a threatening or frightening figure.

In reality, the attacker in your dreams is a representation of these issues in your waking life.

Dreams where you are being chased can be easy to turn around for many people. Some people are better than others at taking an active role in their dream, but everyone who is aware of their dream should at least try to resolve a frightening dream.

For instance, the next time you are being chased in a dream, try turning around and confronting the pursuer. Ask the pursuer what he or she wants and why they are chasing you.

People who are indulging in self destructive behaviors, or consumed by self destructive emotions like jealously or anger, are often troubled by dreams of being chased. Chase dreams can be an attempt by your subconscious to reach you and call attention to your self destructive behaviors.

Of course chase dreams do not always have such symbolic interpretation. Often dreams where you are being chased represent literal fear of becoming a crime victim. These type of direct fear chase dreams are more common among women than men.

Women, especially those living in high crime areas, often feel vulnerable and afraid in their waking lives, and this fear can spill over into the dream state and manifest itself as a chase dream.

No matter what the reason for the chase dream, it is usually possible to reduce the occurrence of such dreams. The first step is a careful examination of the factors that are causing these dreams to occur.

Whether the dream is a manifestation of a symbolic or a literal fear, confronting the thing you are afraid of is the best way to banish these frightening nighttime visitors.

In some naked dreams, the dreamer is simply going about his or her own business, commuting to work driving in the car, walking around the neighborhood, etc. In many cases, the dreamer is completely unaware of his or her nakedness and not at all bothered by it.

In other cases, the dreamer is aware of his or her nakedness but no one else seems to notice at all. While the dreamer may be conscious of the nakedness, everyone else just goes on about their business and make no comments. These types of dreams are often manifestations of the dreamer’s fears.

Often the dreamer has fears that he or she worries may be uncovered. Dreams in which no one but the dreamer notices the nakedness are often indications that the fears bothering the dreamer are unfounded, and that no one else is concerned about them.

On the other hand, dreams in which the dreamer suddenly becomes mortified at realizing he or she is naked often indicate vulnerability, fear or shame. In many cases, the dreamer is hiding a secret or hiding something that he or she is afraid will be found out. The nakedness in the dream indicates a fear that other people see through you and will discover your secrets.

In dreams, clothes can represent concealment and hiding, so being stripped of clothes can mean being left defenseless and exposed. The dream may be trying to tell you that you think you are hiding something, but that everyone else already knows about it. This is one of the most common forms of the naked dream.

Being naked in a dream can also indicate fear of being caught off guard. For instance, many people dream that they are suddenly naked at work or at school. As a matter of fact, the dream of being suddenly naked in a classroom before taking a test is one of the most frequently studied dreams. This kind of nakedness usually symbolizes fear of being unprepared for a situation at school or work, such as an important project at work or an exam at school.

Often times these dreams of nakedness at work or school coincide with events in real life. For instance, you may dream of being naked at the office right before that big project is due, or before you are due to make that big presentation. These types of dreams can be especially common among those who feel they are unprepared for the challenge.

Likewise, students who feel they have not studied sufficiently for any exam often dream of being in the exam room naked and exposed.

Sometimes these types of dreams to not coincide with real events.
Rather they may simply be manifestations of a more generalized fear of being caught unaware, or of being unprepared for the challenges of life.

Other naked dreams with similar meanings involve being naked and standing in front of a crowd. Since nakedness and public speaking are two of the most common fears in the world, this combination can be mortifying, even in a dream. Being naked in front of a crowd can symbolize a fear of being exposed, a fear of being unprepared, or a fear that those around you know things about you they are not telling you about.

One of the rarer types of dream nakedness is where the dreamer realizes he or she is naked but shows no fear, shame or embarrassment. This type of naked dream can be a symbol of freedom and unrestrained exuberance. This kind of dream can indicate that the dreamer has nothing to hide and is proud of his or her life.

In this case, the nakedness in the dream can be a positive thing – symbolizing openness, honesty and a trusting and carefree sense of life.

First, let’s begin by dispensing with the myth that if you hit the ground in your dreams you will die. There are plenty of fully alive human beings who have reported hitting the ground during their dreams of falling.

The fact that these people were around to report this situation is proof that this legend is merely that – a legend.

Dreams of falling are most often interpreted as an indication of unresolved fears, anxieties, instabilities and insecurities. The person who experiences recurrent dreams where he or she is falling may be feeling overwhelmed by and unable to control certain situations in his or her waking life.

For instance, the dreamer may feel that his or her home or work life is out of control, and that he or she is unable to remain on top of the situation. This kind of generalized anxiety can easily manifest itself in a dream where he or she is out of control, such as a falling dream.

Falling often represents a loss of control, or feelings of helplessness on the part of the dreamer. After all, when you fall, you have no control over your direction or your pace. This feeling of being out of control and falling often represents similar feelings in the dreamer’s waking life.

Therefore those who are troubled by such dreams should be encouraged to examine their life for the source of anxiety and fear, and to confront the situation head on. Doing so often results in a lessening or even an elimination of dreams of falling.

Dreams of falling can also represent a sense of inferiority or a sense of failure in your personal or professional life. This fear could be a fear of failing in school, failing at your job, losing your social status, or failing in a relationship.

People experiencing these situations are often troubled by dreams in which they are falling. These dreams of falling can represent a perceived failure to measure up to expectations, or a fear of losing your status, losing an important person in your life, or just a generalized fear or failure.

The strict Freudian interpretation of a dream of falling was that such a dream indicated that the dreamer was contemplating giving into a sexual desire or sexual impulse.

Dreams of falling are most likely to take place during the first stage of sleep. That is because dreams at this stage are often accompanied by spasms of muscles in the arms, the legs or even the whole body. These sudden muscle contractions are known to science as a myclonic jerk.

The dreaming mind can interpret these muscle spasms as falling, and thus incorporate falling into the dream state. Often when dreamers experience this myclonic jerk, they awaken at feeling their body twitch. This fast reaction is part of the evolutionary mechanism that allows us to be awakened quickly in the presence of a threatening environment.

Those who do biblical and religious interpretations of dreams often see falling dreams as meaning that the dreamer is taking his or her cues from the world of man instead of turning to God for guidance and advice.

Dreams of flying are often described as joyful, fun and exhilarating, and flying dreams are often among the most pleasant dream experiences.

Dreams where you are flying easily, soaring over the landscape and enjoying the serenity often mean that you feel on top of the situation and in control of your life. Flying dreams of this nature are often a nighttime manifestation of the feeling of rising above it all and being in control.

Often dreamers are able to control where they fly in their dreams. Being able to control where you fly, how fast you fly and how high or low you fly is often a representation of a strong sense of personal power.

The flip side of that happy scenario are dreams in which the dreamer has difficulty remaining in the air, or dreams where you are unable to fly and begin to fall to earth. These types of flying dreams can represent a lack of power, and an inability to control your personal circumstances.

Often people going through situations where they feel powerless will experience these negative kinds of flying dreams.

Obstacles like power lines, mountains and trees in a flying dream can be dream state manifestations of actual barriers in your waking life.

For instance, if you feel that roadblocks are constantly going up in your life, you may see these roadblocks manifested as trees, mountains, power lines or other hazards in your flying dream.

Identifying the barriers in your life, and overcoming them, can remove these barriers from your dream state as well as your waking life.
Often the dreamer will experience fear while flying, or be afraid that he or she is flying too high. These types of dreams are often representations of fear of challenge, or fear that you cannot succeed.

Dreams of flying are some of the most interesting types of dreams for dream researchers and psychologists. Unlike dreams of being naked, dreams or running, dreams of falling and other common dreams, flying dreams represent an ability that humans do not have in their waking lives. Anytime someone dreams of doing something they do not have the ability to do, it is of interest to dream researchers.

Dreams of flying can represent yearning, or striving to be better. They can also be manifestations of feelings of power, or in some cases feelings of lack of power.

The ability of the dreamer to take control of the flight in his or her dream can be an exhilarating experience, and provide the dreamer with a feeling of power than can last into his or her waking life.

No matter what the dream of flying represents, it remains one of the most fertile fields in the world of dream interpretation. There are many reasons to dream of flying, and many ways such a dream can play itself out.

Chances are that dreams of flying have been around as long as humans have been dreaming, and that they will continue to be around for millennia to come.

These dreams can be extremely frightening, even more so than chase dreams or falling dreams. In addition, such dreams often leave the dreamer with an image that is hard to shake even after waking.
There are many theories about just what teeth, and losing teeth, represent in the dream world, and these can be some of the most difficult dreams to interpret. One theory holds that dreams about teeth, and losing teeth, are a reflection of the dreamer’s anxiety about his or her appearance, and about how the dreamer thinks others perceive him or her.

This interpretation is certainly valid, especially since we live in a society that seems to value physical beauty above all else. Since a good set of teeth play an important role in physical beauty, it is easy to see how uncertainties about one’s appearance could manifest themselves in dreams about losing teeth.

Since teeth play such an important role in physical attraction scenarios, such as flirting and getting the attention of the opposite sex, dreams of losing teeth can be manifestations of fears of getting old, fears of sexual impotence or other dating related anxieties.

Other interpretations of dreams of losing teeth hold that they are representations of fear of embarrassment or making a fool of oneself. For instance, someone who is dreading a potentially embarrassing situation, such as making a speech or other public speaking engagement, may dream of his or her teeth falling out.

This type of dream would represent an exaggeration of already present fears or anxieties brought on by the upcoming event. People who are troubled by dreams of losing teeth or teeth falling out should examine their own lives for the source of possible embarrassment or appearance based anxieties.

Another theory holds that teeth in dreams represent power, since they are used in real life to tear, chew, and bite. Therefore, the loss of teeth in a dream represents a perceived loss of power or influence. People who feel frustrated, or who feel that their voices are not being heard, may have dreams about losing teeth. Feeling ineffective, or feelings of inferiority, are often associated with such dreams as well.

Finally, some of the latest dream research has revealed that women have more frequent dreams about teeth as they enter menopause. These dreams about teeth may be related to anxieties about appearance and fears of getting older.

There are of course other interpretations of dreams of missing or losing teeth. There are interpretations of this dream in a number of cultures around the world, further testament to the fact that teeth are a common dream theme in many cultures.

One biblical interpretation of the dream of losing teeth holds that the bad teeth mean the dreamer is placing his or her faith in the works of man rather than in the word of God. Thus the falling teeth in the dream are urging the dreamer to turn back to God for guidance.

The ancient Greeks believed that dreams about loose, rotting or missing teeth were warnings that a close friend or family member was very ill or near death.

The Chinese hold that teeth falling out is a punishment for lying, and that dreams of falling teeth are manifestations of guilt over telling lies.
Some have even suggested that dreams of missing teeth are associated with money. This connection probably goes back to the old tooth fairy story, where children are rewarded with money for putting their lost teeth under their pillows.

Dreams have been studied throughout history, and dream interpretation is an old art form indeed, dating back at least as far as 3000-4000 B.C. Even today, dream interpreters are highly sought out for their help untangling the sometimes puzzling world of dreams.

You may think you know everything there is to know about dreams and dream interpretation, but did you know that:

 A third of our lives is spent in sleep, and a good amount of that time is spent in dreams.
 The average person dreams from between four to seven times every night. That means that by the time you reach the age of 80, you will have had between 116,800 and 204,400 dreams.
 That number may be even larger, since there is evidence that dreaming begins even before birth. No one deigns to know what unborn babies dream about, but there is evidence that they do dream.
 In the average lifetime, a person will have spent approximately six years in dream sleep, equivalent to more than 2,100 days of dreaming.
 There are records of dream interpretation, written on clay tablets, dating back more than 4,000 years.
 Those who could interpret dreams were held in high regard in Roman and Greek societies, and their counsel was sought before making significant political and military decisions.
 Everyone dreams every night, even though only a tiny fraction of those dreams are remembered upon waking.
 Many animals dream as well, although no one has been able to ask them what they dream about.
 People have to dream, though no one really knows why. What we do know is that preventing people from dreaming can cause irritability, mood changes and even hallucinations.
 The average person spends about one quarter of his or her sleep time in dream sleep, and dreams an average of four to seven times during that time.
 The average episode of dream sleep lasts about 10 to 15 minutes.
 Dreams slip away very quickly upon waking. It is estimated that as much as half the dream’s content is forgotten within five minutes, and after only ten minutes up to 90% of the dream can be gone forever.
 Men dream more about other men than about women, but women tend to dream about men and women equally.
 The brain is actually more active, not less during dream sleep than during wakefulness.
 People who are awakened during dream sleep are able to recall their dreams vividly and in great detail, while those who wake normally generally are not.
 Both men and women experience sexual arousal during most dreams, regardless of whether the nature of the dream was sexual or not.
 Smokers who are quitting often experience more intense dreams than either non smokers or current smokers.
 Babies and toddlers dream just as adults do, but studies have revealed they do not dream about themselves. Toddlers generally do not appear in their own dreams until they are at least three or four years old.
 It is not possible to dream and snore simultaneously.
 Nightmares are a common trauma of childhood, with the first nightmares usually occurring by the age of three, and typically lasting at least until the child is seven or eight years old.
 Many people report having experienced Déjà vu in their dreams, but dreams involving Déjà vu are more common in women than in men.

Before any dreamer can set about analyzing and interpreting his or her dreams, however, those dreams must first be remembered and recorded. Remembering your dreams is an often overlooked part of dream analysis, but it is the basis upon which all dream analysis stands or falls.

It is important to record dreams quickly, since dreams are one of the hardest things to capture. Half of a dream’s content can be lost in as little as five minutes, and up to 90% of the dream can slip away within less than ten minutes.

Therefore, it is vital that anyone seeking to interpret or analyze his or her dreams keep a dream journal as close to the bed as possible. Keeping a notepad on the night stand or under the clock radio is ideal.

It is important to get into the habit of playing your dream back in your mind before you even open your eyes. That is because the clock is ticking as soon as you wake up. Running the dream back through your mind will serve to strengthen and reinforce some of those little details that will soon be forgotten.

Write down as many of those details as you possibly can, even if it just means jotting down a quick word of phrase. You can always fill in the gaps later, the goal is to get as much recorded about your dream in as short a period of time as possible.

After you have written down as many details as possible of your dream, it is a good idea to read what you have written, fill in as many gaps and details as you can, and try to make sense of it. If there are meaningful symbols in your dream, or things you recognize from real life, you may want to circle them or otherwise point them out.

It is best to keep a dream journal over a period of a few nights, in order to look for patterns and similar elements. There are often recurring themes in dreams, and those recurring themes can provide valuable clues to the root causes of the dream elements.

When interesting and analyzing your dreams, it is best to keep it a fun and exciting exercise. While dream interpretation can be used by experts such as psychologists and therapists to treat and diagnose issues, that part of dream analysis is best left to the experts.

It is of course possible to use your dreams as healing tools, or as ways to examine underlying issues in your life. For instance, dreams about being naked are often metaphors for being exposed in a lie, or having a secret revealed. If you see such a pattern in your dreams, it may be worth examining what parts of yourself you have kept hidden, and for what reasons.

Likewise, dreams of falling are often indications of feeling out of control. If you see a pattern of falling dreams emerging, you may want to examine your life and try to take better control of your waking hours.

The sleep cycle consists of four individual stages, and every person goes through all four stages each and every night.  The length of each cycle varies from person to person, but every human being experiences all four stages of sleep every night.

In general, the dreams that are most likely to be remembered are those that take place the closest to waking.  Dreams that take place earlier in the night are almost never remembered.  The one exception to this rule is those dreams that are disturbing enough to wake the dreamer.  If a dreamer awakens in the middle of dream sleep, as with a particularly vivid nightmare or a dream about falling, he or she will most likely remember vividly every detail of the dream.

Let us take a look at the four individual stages of sleep, starting, logically, at stage one.

Stage 1:

The initial stage of sleep is a very light sleep, and the slightest disturbance can wake the dreamer at this stage.  The first stage of sleep usually lasts for only a few minutes, and most sleepers move on quickly to stage two.

Stage 2:

The second stage of sleep is much deeper, and it is much harder to wake the sleeper up at this point.  While the dream state begins in stage two, there are usually no clearly formed images at this point.  Instead dreams in stage two consist mainly of vague ideas and images floating around the mind.  After stage two is completed, the dreamer moves quickly on to stage three.

Stage 3:

The third stage of sleep is even deeper than the second stage.  At this stage, the muscles in the sleepers body have relaxed, and the heart rate and respiration rate have both slowed down.  The sleeper’s blood pressure also drops off at this point, and breathing is typically even and steady.  A sleeper in stage three sleep is very difficult to awaken, and typically waking can only be accomplished by a very loud startling noise or by shouting the sleeper’s name repeatedly.

Stage 4:

Stage four is the deepest stage of sleep, and the one in which most dreaming takes place.  During this stage of sleep, it is almost impossible to wake the sleeper.  During stage four of sleep, the sleeper moves in and out of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep several times.  It is during REM sleep that dreaming is occurring.  The eyes move back and forth rapidly under their lids, the heart beat and respiration spike, and brain wave activities increase.  As a matter of fact, studies have shown that brain wave activity is higher during dream sleep than it is during normal consciousness.

Most sessions of dream sleep last for about 10 minutes, after which the sleeper returns to the normal deep sleep of stage four.  The dreamer will cycle back and forth between stage four sleep and dream sleep several times each night, usually repeating the process from four to seven times on an average night.

One of the most intriguing dreams about eyes is the one in which the dreamer sees his or her own eyes in the dream.  Seeing your own eyes in a dream, in a mirror for instance, or even symbolically, is often a representation of knowledge, enlightenment, intellectual awareness, understanding or sudden comprehension.

Dreaming about one’s own eyes can often mean that unconscious or repressed thoughts and images are breaking through to the surface.  The eyes are often seen as the window to the soul, so dreams about eyes can often be seen as meaning that hidden desires of the soul are coming through to the surface.

Dreaming of only one eye, or seeing only one eye in a dream, is very significant.  The left eye is often seen as a symbol of the moon, while the right eye is seen instead as a symbol of the sun.

Some people have reported dreams in which their eyes turned around in their heads.  This kind of dream can symbolize insight and spiritual awareness.  Dreaming about inwardly turned eyes can indicate a desire on  the part of the dreamer to examine themselves and their psyche.

These kinds of dreams often accompany psychological turning points in the life of the dreamer.  This type of dream about eyes can also mean that your subconscious is trying to warn you to be aware of something, or that you need to look within yourself for answers.  This kind of dream can be a warning to the dreamer to trust his or her instincts and intuitions.

On the other hand, dreaming that you have something in your eye can mean that there are obstacles in your path.  Dreams in which the dreamer has something in his or her eye can be the subconscious way of telling the dreamer that they need to overcome the barriers in their path.  These kinds of dreams can also be representations of the dreamer’s tendency to take a critical view of the actions of others.

Dreams in which the dreamer has only one eye can  symbolize the dreamer’s refusal to accept or see other points of view.  It can mean that the dreamer suffers from a jaded and stubborn way of thinking.

Dreaming that you have a third eye can mean that you should pay attention to your insight and inner vision.  Dreams about a third eye are often warnings for the dreamer to look within themselves.

Dreams of injured or closed eyes can symbolize a refusal to confront the truth about something you have been hiding from.  This kind of dream is often about avoiding intimacy, or avoiding looking at something you should.  Dreams about closed or injured eyes can also be expressions of pain or hurt feelings.

Dreaming about crossed eyes can mean that you are not seeing things properly.  Dreams about crossed eyes can indicate that you may be getting mixed up.