Dreaming of being strangled: What It Means

Being chased is one of the most common dream themes and usually reflects pressure, deadlines or something you'd rather avoid. If you escaped in the end, it's often read as getting through the tough part.

Nightmares happen to nearly everyone. Folk beliefs sometimes say a scary dream uses up bad luck in advance, but they're usually understood as stress and anxiety making themselves heard.

Sleep paralysis dreams leave a vivid feeling of being frozen and unable to move. Many cultures tell ghost stories about it, but it's widely understood as a common experience tied to light sleep and exhaustion.

A car crash dream usually expresses anxiety about sudden change or things colliding in your life. Surviving the crash, though, is often read as a sign that you'll get through a hard patch.

Drowning dreams usually reflect feeling overwhelmed by emotions or circumstances. Because water is often tied to abundance in folk readings, some traditions give them a more hopeful twist depending on the details.

Thief dreams usually mirror fear of loss or feeling violated. A few folk traditions twist them into a sign of incoming gain, so the feeling in the dream is the best guide.