218) Teeth Dreams

I had one of those teeth falling out dreams last night. I know that teeth destruction dreams are fairly common, and that there are a myriad of theories out there as to why this is the case.

Here's how mine went. I was at my parent's house in Palo Alto, and all of a sudden I feel like I can wiggle my back teeth (left side, bottom) with my tongue. I start to panic, and tried to eat something in order to test my teeth (seemed like a good solution in the dream). Then all of a sudden, I can feel 5 or 6 loose teeth in my mouth, so I start spitting out into my hand. This is the really horrifying part, and like many teeth dreams, it was insanely realistic. I could (and still can) feel the texture of the loose molars rolling around in my mouth - their little grooves, all hard and enamel-y. The horrible gaps that the teeth left in my gums (flashbacks of my wisdom teeth removal). The absence of teeth in the usual line-up is one of the most startling and disturbing feelings.

What's frustrating about teeth dreams is that they are a common experience that no one can explain. Dream trends in general, I guess. But even within the category, teeth dreams are the most elusive. I can believe that flying dreams are a shared experience because we all imagine what the incredible rush of freedom inherent in flying like Peter Pan would feel like.

When it comes to teeth dreams, I've heard an assortment of varying theories. It can symbolize insecurity, a feeling of losing power, fear of growing older or less attractive, anxiety over a difficult decision, fear of rejection, impotence, yada yada yada. How our collective brains come to the same abstract manifestation of what's on our minds - something as obscure as stuff happening to our teeth, no less - is amazing.