What it really means if you DREAM naked you’re in public

...not to mention being caught in a tsunami or covered in bugs. Here, our experts reveal why understanding your nightmares can be a vital wake-up call

BEING chased by monsters, standing naked before a crowd or frozen in fear unable to scream. We all have nightmares — but what do they say about us? Aristotle believed they could predict illnesses, while psychoanalysts Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung popularised dream interpretation as an important source of self-knowledge.

Interestingly, a recent study found that bad dreams vary wildly according to where you live, with demons stalking the nightmares of the Spanish, and Germans waking in horror after dreams about driving.

Meanwhile, nightmares about bees are exclusive to the British while the Irish love a good Leaving Cert bad dream.

Many therapists believe the content of our nightmares is linked to unmet needs, frustrations, and anxieties.

‘Dreams and nightmares are subconscious metaphorical messages to help us navigate life better,’ says Dipti Tait, a psychotherapist and hypnotherapist specialising in sleep.

‘It’s important to pay attention to our dreams and nightmares, especially the recurring ones, because these messages contain clues for the brain to work out our problems and figure out solutions.’

Here, we help you to interpret what your nightmares really mean . . .

I’M ALWAYS BEING CHASED

BEING pursued is among the most common bad dreams, and often indicates you feel under threat and are desperate to escape from something in your waking life yet feel unable to do so. The dreamscape is responding to the anxiety coursing round your nervous system, says Dipti Tait.

‘Something in your life is imbalanced and you’re on high alert. Perhaps there is an element of denial around the situation. This can also mean that you are feeling out of control in a relationship, that there is a difficult balance of power, or that something from your past has reappeared into your present.’

To stop it, tackle the nightmare head on, says clinical and cognitive hypnotherapist Sarah Bick, who works with the subconscious mind.

‘Just stop running and let whatever chases you come to you. Turn and face it without resistance [in the dream].’

When you wake, try and work out what you were running from. ‘If a person, are you running from a part of yourself? If a beast, are you running from your instinct or true nature?’

GETTING LOST AND PANICKING

DREAMING of being lost often involves a sense of directionless panic, indicating you don’t know where your life is headed. Such dreams can even be linked to grief.

‘Perhaps you are feeling a loss of purpose or identity,’ suggests Dipti. ‘You’ve arrived at a junction or crossroads in your life and are unsure which path to take.

‘You feel as if there is no one around to help you. There may have been a significant change or loss in your life, perhaps a death, as this sense of feeling lost is linked to deep grieving.’

However, dreaming that you are lost is not always a negative thing — it could mean that you are learning new things, such as when starting a new job.

If you are suffering nightmares like this, talk to a friend, mentor or therapist, says Dipti. ‘Feeling lost is a signal that your brain cannot see the choices available and often this dream means that we need some external guidance to get back on track.’

CAUGHT UP IN A NATURAL DISASTER

WHETHER it’s a tsunami, earthquake or forest fire, the mental imagery of being caught up in a natural disaster is often symbolic of ‘psychic or interpersonal turmoil’ and a lack of control.

‘New parents report these types of dreams — worrying