Running late. According to expert Michael R. Olsen, being late can symbolize the fear of missing out on something that’s important in your life. Maybe you work a lot and feel like you don’t get enough time at home with your family. It may also be a sign that you’re overwhelmed and trying to balance a lot of things at once.

Naked in public. Many experts agree this represents feeling exposed and vulnerable in your waking life. Dr. William Braun claims you might feel like a phony about something, or be afraid to reveal imperfections and shortcomings.

Teeth falling out. It’s widely agreed among dream psychologists that teeth symbolize strength, power, and confidence. Dr. William Braunhen claims that when your teeth are falling out it usually has a lot to do with anxiety. You might be questioning the strength and confidence that teeth tend to represent.

Driving out of control. In dreams, cars mainly represent your ability to have control over a situation or make progress in your life. Psychologist Patricia Garfield explains that this could specifically symbolize worries about a particular relationship or feeling the loss of a connection with someone.

Failing a test at school/work. Wherever this type of dream takes place, failing any type of test is a sign of stress or extreme worry. It could indicate you are critically examining yourself or feel like you’re under a lot of pressure in waking life.

Being chased. It may seem a little obvious, but by being chased in a dream you are figuratively running away from something you are actually avoiding in real life. Whatever is happening, you either don’t want to deal with it, don’t like confrontation, or don’t know how to handle the situation. Dr. Ian Wallace considers it a good sign that your subconscious wants you to deal with the issue at hand.

Death. Whether you’re the one dying or you witness the death of someone else, many psychologists agree that it represents a need for change. Expert Lauri Loewenberg claims that, like death, change is frightening and we don’t know what’s on the other side of it. Psychologist Russell Grant also believes it’s a type of dream that encourages people to take the leap for a fresh start or embark on a new endeavor.

Flying. Being able to fly suggests that you’ve managed to release yourself from circumstances that have been weighing you down. Dream psychologist Ian Wallace claims that this type of dream is encouraging you to let go of current issues in order to feel lighter. It’s one of the more pleasant recurring dreams, so we’ll take what we can get.

Falling. Falling symbolizes the fear of losing control. According to dream psychologist Ian Wallace, there’s usually some aspect of your life that’s not going well and you don’t feel that you have the power to fix. It’s basically a red flag from your subconscious that you want to find a way to have more power over the situation.

Unable to speak/scream. This is usually a sign that it’s been hard for you to communicate, according to therapist Delphi Ellis. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you aren’t saying things, but maybe you feel like nobody is listening. Also, Dr. William Braun explains that our bodies are physiologically paralyzed during our REM (rapid eye movement) sleep to prevent us from moving while we dream. That could be a physical factor that’s affecting your dreams as well.