Saturday, January 26, 2008
My teeth are falling out!
Current mood: stumped
For as long as I can remember, I've had a recurring dream. Scratch that. I've had a recurring nightmare. When I wake, I find myself breathing heavy, heart beating fast and quite honestly I'm grateful for the fact that I am safe in my bed with all my teeth.
Yep, I have nightmares that my teeth are falling out. Sometimes it's just one, sometimes it's multiple teeth. Sometimes they fall out as whole teeth, sometimes they crumble in my mouth and I'm forced to spit out pieces. Sometimes they are loose and I fight back the temptation to wiggle them like baby teeth, but I lose the battle every time and wind up with a tooth or two in my palm.
The nightmares are intense and I always experience extreme stress and heartache over the loss of my teeth. I full-on panic. And when I wake I'm in a panic. But then, I guess that's the definition of a nightmare, right?
After having experienced yet another tooth-loss dream (er… nightmare) last night, I decided to do a little research. As it turns out, there is an abundance of information online about this very topic. It seems that this is a very common nightmare shared by millions, which surprisingly does very little to comfort me.
Of course an abundance of information does not necessarily equal a definitive interpretation of the nightmare. In fact, there are many "guesses" as to what exactly the dreams mean. Psychologists, dream-experts, everyday Joes and even Freud all have varying opinions about the meaning of the dream.
The most obvious interpretation, and I think the lamest interpretation, is the idea that the nightmare is equivalent to one's vanity and concern over appearance. When I have these nightmares, I am not focused on my appearance. I don't have the moment of, "How will I look?!" My concern is simply more for the fact that my tooth is gone and it shouldn't be. And honestly, as much as I joke about my appearance, I'm happy with myself and I don't have stress over the way I look. So, I highly doubt that my nightmares stem from some underlying drama having to do with conceit.
Another interpretation is that the loss of teeth represents the loss of power. I don't get this connection, either… at least not for me. I don't feel powerless, helpless, or incapable of… well, anything. That's not to say I think I'm queen, but I don't really lack in confidence. Along the same line of thought, some think the teeth-falling-out dream can mean a person is struggling to express themselves or to get a point across. As a writer (and an artistic person in general), I never experience a time when I don't self-express. And as for getting a point across – well this journal provides positive proof that I'm not subconsciously fighting to be heard. I mean, you just read this, right? Done.
In the Greek culture, when a person dreams about teeth falling out, it indicates that a family member or close friend is sick or even near death. I've had these nightmares since I was a child, along with a dream about being in a snake pit (I dare not even research that one… Freud would have a field day), and I've never noticed a correlation between the timing of the nightmares and the loss of a loved one. So, 0 for 3.
In China, there is a saying that your teeth will fall out if you are telling lies. If that were true, Bill Clinton wouldn't have a tooth in his head. "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."
It has also been said that if you dream of your teeth falling out, then it symbolizes money. I did check under my pillow this morning. Nada. Dang lying tooth fairy. Bet she's completely toothless!
According to Freud, men dreaming of teeth falling out is caused by masturbatory desires. I… uh… what? I don't get the pairing, but I'm just going to leave that one alone. Freud had no explanation for women having the teeth-falling-out dream.
So….. I don't get it. Not one of the explanations truly applies to my life. So why do I keep having this nightmare?
My teeth are falling out!
Current mood: stumped
For as long as I can remember, I've had a recurring dream. Scratch that. I've had a recurring nightmare. When I wake, I find myself breathing heavy, heart beating fast and quite honestly I'm grateful for the fact that I am safe in my bed with all my teeth.
Yep, I have nightmares that my teeth are falling out. Sometimes it's just one, sometimes it's multiple teeth. Sometimes they fall out as whole teeth, sometimes they crumble in my mouth and I'm forced to spit out pieces. Sometimes they are loose and I fight back the temptation to wiggle them like baby teeth, but I lose the battle every time and wind up with a tooth or two in my palm.
The nightmares are intense and I always experience extreme stress and heartache over the loss of my teeth. I full-on panic. And when I wake I'm in a panic. But then, I guess that's the definition of a nightmare, right?
After having experienced yet another tooth-loss dream (er… nightmare) last night, I decided to do a little research. As it turns out, there is an abundance of information online about this very topic. It seems that this is a very common nightmare shared by millions, which surprisingly does very little to comfort me.
Of course an abundance of information does not necessarily equal a definitive interpretation of the nightmare. In fact, there are many "guesses" as to what exactly the dreams mean. Psychologists, dream-experts, everyday Joes and even Freud all have varying opinions about the meaning of the dream.
The most obvious interpretation, and I think the lamest interpretation, is the idea that the nightmare is equivalent to one's vanity and concern over appearance. When I have these nightmares, I am not focused on my appearance. I don't have the moment of, "How will I look?!" My concern is simply more for the fact that my tooth is gone and it shouldn't be. And honestly, as much as I joke about my appearance, I'm happy with myself and I don't have stress over the way I look. So, I highly doubt that my nightmares stem from some underlying drama having to do with conceit.
Another interpretation is that the loss of teeth represents the loss of power. I don't get this connection, either… at least not for me. I don't feel powerless, helpless, or incapable of… well, anything. That's not to say I think I'm queen, but I don't really lack in confidence. Along the same line of thought, some think the teeth-falling-out dream can mean a person is struggling to express themselves or to get a point across. As a writer (and an artistic person in general), I never experience a time when I don't self-express. And as for getting a point across – well this journal provides positive proof that I'm not subconsciously fighting to be heard. I mean, you just read this, right? Done.
In the Greek culture, when a person dreams about teeth falling out, it indicates that a family member or close friend is sick or even near death. I've had these nightmares since I was a child, along with a dream about being in a snake pit (I dare not even research that one… Freud would have a field day), and I've never noticed a correlation between the timing of the nightmares and the loss of a loved one. So, 0 for 3.
In China, there is a saying that your teeth will fall out if you are telling lies. If that were true, Bill Clinton wouldn't have a tooth in his head. "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."
It has also been said that if you dream of your teeth falling out, then it symbolizes money. I did check under my pillow this morning. Nada. Dang lying tooth fairy. Bet she's completely toothless!
According to Freud, men dreaming of teeth falling out is caused by masturbatory desires. I… uh… what? I don't get the pairing, but I'm just going to leave that one alone. Freud had no explanation for women having the teeth-falling-out dream.
So….. I don't get it. Not one of the explanations truly applies to my life. So why do I keep having this nightmare?
posted by Doris @ 10:34 AM
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