You are running down a dark alley. You feel a sinister presence, and the hair on the back of your neck stands up. You are running from something, but you are not sure what it is; only that your very life depends on escaping… yet somehow your feet just can’t move quick enough.

There are many types of dreams, and when doing dreamwork, though it’s not necessary to know what kind of dream you may have experienced, it can be helpful. Some people dream mostly symbolic dreams, while others may have more telepathic dreams. Many may even have precognitive dreams, but think they are having symbolic dreams. Even past life dreams can fool us. In the case of this dream, it would be helpful to know if it was a precognitive dream, because then you could avoid dark alleys!

Symbolic Dreams
Symbolic dreams are probably the most commonly known form of dream. These dreams are our subconscious reaching out to us to deliver a specific message.

Precognitive Dreaming
The precognitive dream is a dream that tells of a future event. These are much more common than people realize, because sometimes the information is so mundane. If you dream you were brushing your teeth, you may look at it symbolically, but it may also just be a dream that you will soon be brushing your teeth.

Clairvoyant Dreaming
This is when you dream about something you couldn’t possibly know. You may dream that a friend lost their diary on a trip two months ago, or that your mother’s lost charm bracelet fell behind the spice rack in the kitchen.

Telepathic Dreaming
In a telepathic dream, you connect in the dreamtime with another soul. This may be the spirit of a departed loved one, or your best friend that lives two miles away. Telepathic dreaming is a very good way to connect with the deceased if the psychic abilities have not been developed.

Lucid Dreaming
In lucid dreaming you find yourself aware that you are dreaming, and are able to change the dream. Lucid dreaming, however, has its pros and cons. If you use lucidity to transform a nightmare into something more pleasant, you may not get the message your sub-conscious is trying to send you. If, however, you use lucidity to confront your fears and learn from the nightmares, this can be very beneficial.

Astral Travel
Also known as the Out of Body Experience, or OBE, astral traveling is when your consciousness is traveling around outside your sleeping body, lucid and aware. They can feel very much like lucid dreams, however, while having an OBE, you can actually visit a specific location and once you've awakened, can get confirmation of the details you saw while you were there.

Past Life Dreaming
Memories from past lives may play out in your dreams; in this altered state of consciousness many people are more open to experiencing and remembering their past lives than during regular consciousness. Past life dreams will usually have a different feel, or texture, to them, than ordinary dreams. Past life dreams may also be hard to interpret symbolically. For instance, you may dream you are fighting in a great battle, yet in your waking life that just doesn’t seem to resonate. It could be simply that you dreamed of another life where you fought in a battle.

Nightmares
These frightening dreams are usually a message that something is wrong, and you need to pay attention. You may be on stress overload, or there may be deeper issues that need to be dealt with. Sometimes even childhood traumas can play out in nightmares. It’s important to pay attention, and seek help if needed, so that you can heal from the event, and move forward.

Subconscious Overload Dreams
Sometimes you just have a lot going on, and the issues and images you’ve been focusing on all day come out again in your dreamtime. Movies, arguments, or any repetitive activities can take over your dreams without really meaning anything. It’s still important to take note of any signs or symbols, but as the infamous dream interpreter and psychoanalyst, Dr. Sigmund Freud, once said: “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.”

No matter what type of dream you may be having, they all have important information to share. Symbolic dreams gently release information from your subconscious into your conscious. Past life dreams share messages from previous lives that may be very important to your emotional and spiritual development. Lucid dreaming helps you to work with symbols while in the dream itself. Precognitive dreams can alert you to coming events, while clairvoyant and telepathic dreams can connect you in Spirit to others, deepening your connection with the Universe. Whatever type of dream you are dreaming, it's important to trust your own intuition and inner guidance when discovering the dream's hidden meaning.