By thinking about what each dream element means to you or reminds you of, by looking for parallels between these associations and what is happening in your waking life, and by being patient and persistent you can learn to understand your dreams. It can be helpful to keep a dream diary and reflect on many dreams over a long period of time to get the truest picture of your unique dream life. There are many good books that can help you get started interpreting your dreams. Recurrent dreams, which can continue for years, may be treated as any other dream. Understanding the meaning of the recurrent dream can sometimes help the dreamer resolve an issue that he or she has been struggling with for years.
Nightmares are very common among children and fairly common among adults.
Often nightmares are caused by stress, traumatic experiences, emotional difficulties, drugs or medication, or illness. However, some people have frequent nightmares that seem unrelated to their waking lives. Recent studies suggest that these people tend to be more open, sensitive, trusting and emotional than average. No, these beliefs are not true. You can explore the meaning of these kinds of images just as you would explore any others that might occur in your dreams.