Recurring Dream

I don't often remember my dreams.  I sleep a lot, but I think i always wake up at the "right" point in the sleep cycle so I feel okay.

I have had this particular dream a few times, although this is the first time in months that it has happened.

A bit of background that may help.  I can drive (only an automatic), but I don't.  Its one of those things I really, really don't enjoy doing.  It feels like a lot of responsibility, even in a little car.  My dad hired a car recently when we went up north for the funeral and I did zero driving until we were back home and even then, I drove myself into town, a distance of less than a mile, and then got out and he drove wherever he was going after that.  I needed a reminder that I could still do it, but I have no real intention of having a car of my own any time soon.

In the dream I'm in the passenger seat of the car when suddenly I realise that  no one is driving.  The car is going, but its not being steered by anyone.  I try to reach over and put my foot on the break and steer the car but I can't reach.  Eventually I get into the drivers seat and control the car. Sometimes, there is a police car nearby and I panic that they'll see me and stop me for not having a license.

The obvious analysis would be that I don't feel like I'm in control of my life and that I feel like I'm doing something that I don't think I have the right to do, when actually I do.  To an extent it could be true as I very often don't feel like I'm "enough".  At work, my boss couldn't be more pleased with what I'm doing but my standards for myself are very harsh and I sometimes think I should be doing more.  I should be better.  At home, I'm going through a period where I feel a bit like I'm not fitting in with my friends the same way I used to, that perhaps they have outgrown me and I'm not entirely sure what to do about that.

So my wonderful, wise readers; help!  Do you have any insight on what this all might mean?

Comments

[ellie]

Oh, man. I hate anxiety dreams! Understandable though ... you've had a lot of stuff going on. x

[martin]

projecting losing control of a car could symbolize some wrongful decision making you made in reality, that you may subconsciously or consciously regret

I found this interesting text of a similar dream if it helps..bit more complex in analyzing the potential meaning

"I am driving a large car with a heavy load in tow through a main high street in my home town. I see ahead of me a police road check. The police wear reflective bands on their uniforms. As I approach the Town Hall junction, I begin to lose control of the vehicle, even though I am slowing down. The car veers to the right. I become anxious and know that I will get stopped"

Let's examine this dream step by step.

I am driving a large car with a heavy load in tow through a main high street in my home town.

This can be interpreted to mean that the heavy load of the conscious ego is excessive, burdensome and unstable, and appears to be the main cause of the deviation later in the dream. It suggests the heavy weight of responsibility on the ego, and the baggage we carry behind us, which may need sorting.

I see ahead of me a police road check. The police wear reflective bands on their uniforms.

The police as enforcers of the law, and as collective psychic figures, are those most bound to our literal perspective and our conscious world. They have an arresting effect, bringing to a standstill progress or psychic movement.

As I approach the Town Hall junction, I begin to lose control of the vehicle, even though I am slowing down.

The approaching junction is presumed to be at the centre of the town, representing the heart of the matter. The dream mentions a junction, signifying a turning point in life. Applying the brakes and the loss of control show that the path and direction taken throughout life is not necessarily straight

The car veers to the right.
As the car slows down, but still deviates, it suggests that the dreamer should relinquish control in order to challenge the world, where normalities are so readily accepted.

I become anxious and know that I will get stopped.

The fact that the driver knows he will get stopped suggests a reflective moment, where the unconscious sees through to the attachments of reality, and suggests a retreat into our unconscious would be beneficial

of course this could be over analysing things completely

[Beth]

@Ellie Indeed I have. Everything since age 25 seems to have been a bit if a struggle! I'm hoping that from 30 onwards stuff evens out a little x

@Martin Thats a pretty in depth analysis, thank you for sharing it! I can't think if any decisions I've made that I regret, but I think it warrant some further thought.

[Dena]

Wow. I am the opposite, I have to drive myself everywhere. You will never see me in the passenger seat because I obviously have some anal retentive issue about not being in control. It's the same reason I will never fly. Or ride a train. Or take a cruise to the Bahamas.

Sometimes dreams are just dreams. Maybe dreams do this to us so that we will sit down and evaluate where we are in our lives, meanwhile the dream is snickering at us because it was able to cause such upheaval when all it really wanted was to be a dream.

Maybe it's your conscious' way of telling you to just enjoy the ride OR to jump in the driver's seat. That's the question, isn't it? But the point is you're stopping to evaluate things...who knows, maybe it's just time for you to rest your brain, recover from the horrific month you've just endured, and think about it later.

I know I haven't helped you one bit! Introspective thoughts... :)

[Daniel Hoffmann-Gill]

It's sexual, as all dreams are.

Heh.

I am of course kidding.

Maybe.

[Beth]

Dena - I think my hatred of driving is fairly unusual. I really only learned to try and silence the people who kept asking when I was going to get my license. You'e given me lots of possible explanations though, so thank you.

DHG - Thank you, Dr Freud. ;)

[peach]

babe I would say that it means not only that you feel out of control, but guilty about trying to take control... xx

[Roses]

I'd agree with Peach.

You don't trust yourself to take control and deal with the situations that arise in front of you.

Breathe deeply honey. You're obviously very capable and competant. Take some pleasure in your achievements.

It is allowed.

[Blush]

first thing that comes to my mind is do you drive/have you ever driven a newer model toyota, and if so, is that the car in the dream? (heheh)

seriously though, i've had recurring dreams that were about as horrifying...as a child i had one that my parents business was building something that would destroy the world (nuclear-style) unbeknownst to them. in the dream i tried to stop it but i couldnt and would always wake up scared to death.

in my opinion, recurring dreams are about fear. doesnt have to be an accute fear, but something that represents fear in your life. you already said you were not a confident driver...that may be why your brain picked that scenario to work out whatever your REAL fears were about.

but remember, if it werent for those scary and unsettling dreams, we as humans would have a very hard time getting those emotions out in a healthy way...esp not being able to put your finger on what is exactly wrong.

all in all, i think dreaming (no matter how dreadful) is healthy, and that fact that youre dealing with it is the best, most healing part.

xoxo
molly

[Beth]

@Peach Hello stranger! You might be right there, I've had a bit of reflecting time and the fear of taking control thing makes sense xx

@Roses Thank you, you're right. I think it's that old chestnut about admitting a problem
before you can deal with it xx

@Molly Thank you, the whole thing definitely got me thinking. Trying to figure out what caused the dream etc. I'm feeling better about it all now and I haven't had the dream again so I guess it served it's purpose! xx

[Gany]

Considering the country I live in, veering to the *left* would be problematic:)

I would not put too much thought into dreams. After all, you don't like driving and your brain certainly has an uncanny tendency to remind it to you. Besides, you dream every night and dreams that you don't remember are most frequently the best of all. Go figure.

[rashbre]

I had one of those dream analysis books that I picked up from those booksellers under the bridge at Waterloo.

I only whimsically got it for brainstorming ideas and don't think I've ever used it to actually analyse anything.

Your dream sounds like an excerpt from the Bourne Ultimatum though; have you also checked yourself for bar codes?

Bestest. rashbre. x

[Beth]

@Gany That's a very good point. Very often, I rationalise dreams that way. I'll trace the key elements back to the previous day and see if I can work out why they came up in the dream.

@Rashbre It is all a bit car-chase-action-movie isn't it? No barcodes fortunately. Its obviously just brain de-frag.