- The theme body has 12 symbols in the dream dictionary.
- The most searched symbols of the theme are teeth falling out, being pregnant, poop.
- Every symbol is read three ways: folk dream books, psychology and sleep research.
- The details of the dream, the colour, the behaviour and how you felt, change the reading.
- Dream interpretation is a tradition of reading symbols; it does not predict events.
What body mean in a dream
In the 20th century psychology joined the tradition. Sigmund Freud read dreams as the expression of repressed wishes, Carl Gustav Jung as the psyche’s attempt to restore balance. Modern sleep research shows that the content of dreams is shaped largely by the day’s impressions and by sensations in the sleeping body.
If you cannot find the exact word, start from a theme. Inside each theme the symbols are grouped and compared with one another.
Most searched dreams about body
Teeth falling outBodyA dream about teeth falling out is traditionally read as a sign of loss, ageing or worry about how others see you. Sleep research points somewhere more ordinary: tension in the teeth and jaw while you sleep, and the anxiety of the day.Being pregnantBodyA dream about being pregnant is traditionally read as something growing: a plan, a project or a change that is not yet visible. Psychology reads it the same way, as a new part of yourself taking shape, and research finds pregnancy dreams most common in people who are pregnant or thinking about it.PoopBodyA dream about poop is traditionally read as money: in folk dream books excrement means unexpected profit, and the more of it the better. Psychology, following Freud, reads it as what one produces, holds back or is ashamed of, and research treats it as a bodily-sensation dream that often follows a real need in sleep.Broken toothBodyA dream about a broken tooth is traditionally read as a loss that is partial rather than complete: damage to health, standing or a relationship that can still be repaired. Psychology reads teeth as confidence and the face shown to others, and a crack as that confidence giving way, while research links teeth dreams to real tension in the jaw during sleep.Losing hairBodyA dream about hair falling out is traditionally read as a loss of strength, attractiveness or standing, and, in the old books, as worry and illness through generosity. Psychology reads hair as vitality and identity and its loss as fear of ageing or of losing control, while research groups hair-loss dreams with teeth dreams as anxieties about the body on display.BloodBodyA dream about blood is traditionally read as a warning: dream books tie it to enemies, illness and strained affairs. Psychology reads blood as life force, family ties and strong feeling; research adds that blood dreams often follow injury, illness or vivid news.Loose toothBodyA dream about a loose tooth is traditionally read as insecurity: Miller says loose teeth bring failures and gloomy tidings. Psychology reads the wobbling tooth as something in life that is no longer firm; research links teeth dreams to real tension in the jaw during sleep.TeethBodyA dream about teeth is traditionally read as a sign about health, family and standing: Miller ties an ordinary teeth dream to sickness or disquieting people. Psychology reads teeth as how we bite into life and show ourselves; research links teeth dreams to real tension in the jaw during sleep.Rotten teethBodyA dream about rotten teeth is traditionally read as strain: Miller says decayed and snaggled teeth mean business or health suffering from intense strains. Psychology reads decay as neglect and shame about how one appears; research links teeth dreams to tension in the jaw during sleep.
All symbols: body
Being pregnantA dream about being pregnant is traditionally read as something growing: a plan, a project or a change that is not yet visible. Psychology reads it the same way, as a new part of yourself taking shape, and research finds pregnancy dreams most common in people who are pregnant or thinking about it.BloodA dream about blood is traditionally read as a warning: dream books tie it to enemies, illness and strained affairs. Psychology reads blood as life force, family ties and strong feeling; research adds that blood dreams often follow injury, illness or vivid news.Broken toothA dream about a broken tooth is traditionally read as a loss that is partial rather than complete: damage to health, standing or a relationship that can still be repaired. Psychology reads teeth as confidence and the face shown to others, and a crack as that confidence giving way, while research links teeth dreams to real tension in the jaw during sleep.Loose toothA dream about a loose tooth is traditionally read as insecurity: Miller says loose teeth bring failures and gloomy tidings. Psychology reads the wobbling tooth as something in life that is no longer firm; research links teeth dreams to real tension in the jaw during sleep.Losing hairA dream about hair falling out is traditionally read as a loss of strength, attractiveness or standing, and, in the old books, as worry and illness through generosity. Psychology reads hair as vitality and identity and its loss as fear of ageing or of losing control, while research groups hair-loss dreams with teeth dreams as anxieties about the body on display.PeeingA dream about peeing is traditionally read as release: letting go of a pressure, a worry or an unwanted feeling. Sleep research adds the plainest explanation of all: a full bladder often writes itself into the last dream before waking.PoopA dream about poop is traditionally read as money: in folk dream books excrement means unexpected profit, and the more of it the better. Psychology, following Freud, reads it as what one produces, holds back or is ashamed of, and research treats it as a bodily-sensation dream that often follows a real need in sleep.Rotten teethA dream about rotten teeth is traditionally read as strain: Miller says decayed and snaggled teeth mean business or health suffering from intense strains. Psychology reads decay as neglect and shame about how one appears; research links teeth dreams to tension in the jaw during sleep.TeethA dream about teeth is traditionally read as a sign about health, family and standing: Miller ties an ordinary teeth dream to sickness or disquieting people. Psychology reads teeth as how we bite into life and show ourselves; research links teeth dreams to real tension in the jaw during sleep.Teeth being pulled outA dream about teeth being pulled out is traditionally read as a loss forced on the dreamer: illness, bad news or a break in the family. Psychology reads it as something taken before you were ready, and research links teeth dreams to jaw tension during sleep rather than to events.Teeth falling outA dream about teeth falling out is traditionally read as a sign of loss, ageing or worry about how others see you. Sleep research points somewhere more ordinary: tension in the teeth and jaw while you sleep, and the anxiety of the day.VomitingA dream about vomiting is traditionally read as getting rid of something harmful: a bad deal, a false friend, a secret that has been eating at the dreamer. Psychology reads it as rejection of what cannot be digested, and research notes that nausea in sleep often produces the dream itself.
Questions people ask
What does it mean to dream about body?
It depends on the symbol and the details. Folk dream books give each symbol a fixed reading, psychology asks what this image means to you, and sleep research reminds that dreams rework the day. Open a symbol for all three.
Does the same symbol always mean the same thing?
In dream books, mostly yes. In psychology, no: the same image can mean different things to different people, and your feeling in the dream is the key.
What if my symbol is not here?
Use the search. If nothing comes up, describe the dream in a few words on the search page; the editor reviews suggestions and adds the symbols that people ask for.
Sources
- Miller G. H. Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted, 1901.
- Freud S. The Interpretation of Dreams, 1899.
- Jung C. G. Man and His Symbols, 1964.
- Artemidorus. Oneirocritica, 2nd century.
- Hall C. S., Van de Castle R. L. The Content Analysis of Dreams, 1966.
- Schredl M. Dream research: an introduction, in various editions.
How this page is made
Each symbol page sets three readings side by side and names where each comes from. A symbol is published only when its page has a full description with sources. Search volumes decide which symbols are written first.