nterpreting the Stuff That Goes on When You're Asleep

Ever have that dream where you're back in high school taking a test, but it's written in hieroglyphs, so you try to scream but nothing comes out. Then you're not in a classroom at all, but are standing naked on a merry-go-round and little children are all pointing and laughing at you and then chase you through a junkyard?

Uh yeah... neither have we.

But if we did, there are interpretations for what all that craziness means. Just for fun, here's a breakdown of some of the most common dreams and what they mean.

Overexposure
Being naked or mostly naked is a common theme for everyone (so don't feel like such a freak, okay?). Dream interpreters believe that nudity means you're concealing or ashamed of something. Like if you're in a new relationship and don't want to tell her that you were married once or are ashamed of attending Hillbilly University. Unless you're dreaming about her naked. Which means... well you know what that means.

May we suggest a trip to the dentist
This one always freaks us out -- the old "teeth falling out" dream. It may have to do with being concerned about your appearance and not being attractive to women. So if you were just shut down by a hottie, this dream may crop up. Or there's the theory that launched the whole tooth fairy craze --losing your teeth in a dream means you're going to get money. Really.

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?
No matter how long ago high school was, most people come back to the terrifying dream of taking tests. Either you never went to class, or the test is invisible, or it tries to eat your face. There's always some obstacle keeping you from completing it. This usually means you're facing a challenge in real life you don't feel you can overcome. It can also indicate that you're feeling scrutinized or judged by someone. (Perhaps for dreaming of them naked...)

Tag, you're it
You're being chased down a dark alley... this one is pretty self-explanatory. You fear being chased down a dark alley. To be a little less obvious, you may also be running away from something in real life. If the person chasing you in your dream is yourself, then you might be avoiding your own feelings. But if the person chasing you is a beautiful woman... well then you're an idiot for running away.

If you can't ever remember a whole dream, you can look to some common things in your dreams and what they symbolize.

Animals: They symbolize our own traits, good and bad. So if you dream a rabbit is beating up a monkey, you may believe deep down inside that you're a bully. Or you could be the monkey. Either way.

Cars: Vehicles that you ride in usually reflect two things; the direction you are heading in life, and your body. (The thing you travel or "ride" through life in.) So hopefully you're dreaming about a Porsche as opposed to a Kia.

Death: Nearly any dream you have that refers to death, dying, or attending a funeral pertains to change. The bigger the dying imagery, the bigger the change.

Children: A child represents something new, different, and joyous. Unless you dream they are chasing you.