There are many different types of dreams

Dreams are most often about the dreamer

Animals in dreams usually symbolize your emotions
Other people in dreams usually symbolize an aspect of yourself
A part of your personality which was a dominant trait in that other person being dreamed of
And is now becoming more prevalent in yourself

If you are running away from somebody in a dream
It usually means you are avoiding something in your own individual make-up

Dreams can inform you of your past lives
Dreams can be prophetic

Usually a prophetic dream will be about yourself and what is soon to happen
Other prophetic dreams will be on a large scale

I had a dream about 5 or 6 years ago
Of a financial crisis in the year 2021

Dreams are your subconscious piking up information
And relaying it to your conscious mind!