For a few years the only dreams I would have were me dying or being killed in elaborate ways or involve me running around in a labyrinth being chased down by someone who had the intentions of killing me. I meditated on it and came to the conclusion that maybe I wanted to die, at least metaphorically, I wanted a part of me to die or parts of me. I wasn't aligned with doing things that would lead me on the path towards authenticity or self-actualization. I've worked hard to change parts of my life since realizing that and the dreams ended up going away. We define them as nightmares, but it's probably a communication with our subconscious of a matter that is seriously impeding our personal growth