The atlas
Common dreams, plate by plate
How common each dream is, what studies found, and which ideas are only theories. No dream dictionary.
73.8 %of students said they'd dreamed of fallingDreaming of falling
About 3 in 4 students in a large survey said they'd dreamed of falling. What researchers found about falling dreams, with sources — no dream dictionary.
81.5 %said they'd been chased: the top dream of 55Dreaming of being chased
Being chased topped a list of 55 typical dreams: about 4 in 5 students said they'd had it. What research found, with sources.
18.8 %said they'd dreamed of losing their teethDreams about teeth falling out
A study tested what teeth-falling-out dreams go with: tension in the teeth and jaw on waking, not psychological distress. Sources inside.
67.1 %said they'd dreamed of school or studyingDreaming about exams and school
Two in three students said they'd dreamed of school, and almost half of failing an exam. What research found, with sources.
58 %of grieving caregivers dreamed of the person they lostDreaming of someone who has died
More than half of grieving caregivers in one survey dreamed of the person they lost, and many said it affected their grieving. Sources inside.
48.3 %said they'd flown in a dreamDreaming of flying
Nearly half of students said they'd flown in a dream, men more often than women. What research found about flying dreams, with sources.
59.5 %said they'd dreamed of arriving too lateDreaming of being late
About 6 in 10 students said they'd dreamed of arriving too late, like missing a train. What research found, with sources.
55 %have had at least one lucid dreamLucid dreams
A meta-analysis of 50 years of research estimated that 55 % of people have had a lucid dream. What the studies found, with sources.