It doesn't take much imagination to interpret the classic train-rushing-through-tunnel dream: it's about intercourse, folks. The train is the penis; the tunnel is the vagina. But really -- when is the last time you dreamed about rail travel? Our guess: a mighty long time.

But you've probably had dreams featuring water, houses, animals or food, all in the context of sexual or erotic situations. For example, you may have experienced powerful erotic feelings while riding a powerful dream horse, or feeding a dream lover ripe peaches or mangoes. These images can be a little trickier to interpret -- but not altogether impossible.

While dreams can be a clearinghouse for mundane daily detritus, they can also be interesting tools for examining your inner self; your subconscious straining to tell you something important. What you choose to do with these images is up to you, but if you feel like taking a deeper look, keep reading.

Animal Symbolism
Because in most cultures animals are archetypal, representing a predefined series of concepts, ideas and thoughts, interpreting animal dreams is a relatively straightforward process. For example, a cat represents immense satisfaction with your sexual self: picture a sleek, contented kitty-cat licking cream from its chin and you've got the right idea. Horses, a strong, powerful animal, often represent the dreamer's lover -- real, ideal or imagined. A flying bird usually indicates sexual ecstasy.

However, one animal defies easy classification: a snake can represent fear, manual stimulation of the penis, latent homosexuality and veiled sexual desire. It really depends upon the context -- if you dream about this sinuous reptile, pay attention to the emotional background. If you feel anxious or unhappy, the snake represents fear. If you are a man holding the snake, you may be dreaming about latent or realized gay thoughts. If you are a woman holding the snake, you could be thinking about holding a man's penis. And so on.

Water, Rain & Thunder
Displays of water and other natural phenomena are more that just a backdrop to your erotic dreams. Layered with meaning, dreams of fog, rain, rivers or storms can indicate strong sexual feelings. The body of water usually represents your sexual desire: a rushing river indicates churning sexual arousal and bodily fluids, while a gentle, babbling brook often stands for sexual satisfaction -- people often have dreams of streams after lovemaking.

Rainy weather is more indicative of underlying sexual emotions. Fog, heavy mist or a dense cloud cover usually indicates that you may be hiding your true sexual feelings or desires from yourself or others. Is there a problem you aren't ready to deal with? If rainy days get you down, it should be no surprise that rainy dreams symbolize depression or unhappiness -- and being rain-soaked indicates a sense of powerlessness about your life. Thunder, Mother Nature's loudest display of force, can represent fear or anxiety: the louder and more angry the thunderclap, the more powerful the emotion.

Physical Structures
Just as real buildings house the important peripherals of our lives -- work, school, home -- dream structures contain essential information about our sexual psyches. If you dream of wandering through a castle or palace, you may be thinking about trying a new sexual act: the elevated grandness of these buildings can indicate a desire to move to a new sexual level. On the other hand, if you dream about having sex in a boring, ordinary building, the sexual act about which you are dreaming could be far more important than you think -- your subconscious may want you to pay attention to what's going on. Dreaming about having sex in your own home suggests satisfaction with your current sexual partner or habits, a level of unveiled honesty as comfortable as your favorite chair.

If your sexual dreams set in physical structures are accompanied by a sensation of fear or anxiety, you might need to take a more critical look at yourself. If you dream of having sex in someone else's house, and that dream is clouded by fear, anxiety or unhappiness, you may be too detached from your sensual self. If you dream you are trapped in a building with no means for escape, you may be experiencing sexual fear or frustration, or feel trapped in your current sexual relationship. If you have anxious or fearful dreams of buildings and you are single, these dreams probably indicate a sense of loneliness or dissatisfaction with your celibate lifestyle.

Flying
Anyone who has ever dreamt of flying probably remembers a strong sense of not wanting to wake up: nowhere in "real" life can we possibly know the soaring freedom of flying, unfettered, through a clear blue sky. It's not a huge leap, then, to understand that dreams of flying indicate freedom, sexual release and ecstasy -- similar to the physical and mental sensations you enjoy after achieving a sensational orgasm. No wonder you don't want to wake up!

If in your dream you are experiencing emotions along with your flying, there may be a little more going on than you thought. If you are soaring with confidence above the clouds, you probably feel incredibly positive about your sexual life. If, on the other hand, you experience fear or anxiety while flying, you may have doubts about your sexual relationship or behavior.

Food & Drink
Just as food and drink nourish the body and delight the palate, dreams about delicacies and libations indicate a hearty interest in your sexual appetite. If for example, you dream of stuffing your face with éclairs, truffles and champagne, you envision a delicious sex life. The larger and more exotic your dream appetite, the more interesting and robust your sexual hunger.

If you dream of feeding your lover, it's nothing more that a wish to satisfy your partner, to nurture him or her in a physical way. Feeding a stranger, however, indicates a desire to tempt a new partner into your bed. Being fed by someone else suggests you would like to be the center of attention in the bedroom, waited on hand and foot by an attentive lover. Specific food images -- dreams of fruit or vegetables -- are usually symbolic of female and male genitalia, so if your dreams involve placing these phallic or vaginal symbols into your mouth, your subconscious may be expressing a longing for oral sex.

Overtly Sexual Dreams
More blatant sexual dreams, images of masturbation, sexual intercourse, oral sex, sexual submission or domination, or exhibitionism usually have very easily "diagnosed" meanings: overtly sexual dreams are often straightforward. If you dream about having incredible sex, you are probably either longing for great sex, or experiencing it already.

When you have sexual dreams, pay attention to the surrounding symbols discussed above, such as the setting, the weather, any animals, food or drink. These symbols, along with any underlying feelings, stand for any subconscious thoughts you may be having about the sexual experience. If your dreams contain satisfaction and contented symbols, congratulate yourself! If you dream about fearful, anxious or stressful sexual imagery, you might want to take a look within yourself and see if you could be a little happier. The subconscious is only useful if you pay attention to it!