Dear Miss C,
I usually remember about one dream per night. So, I regularly remember them. But I have a reoccurring dream theme that has come and gone through my life. What does it mean when you dream that you keep getting lost? Like, I will be coming home from school and get lost, even though I have made the trip a million times. Or, I am going from one room to another in my work building and I get lost, even though I have moved from room to room in real life millions of times.
—Lost in my Dreams
Dear Lost in my Dreams,
Now, while I am not a professional dream analyst, I do have some thoughts. Recurring dreams are fascinating because they seem to suggest that one’s unconscious is attempting to resolve something by bringing it into consciousness again and again through recollections of the same or similar dreams.
I believe that the most important interpretation of dreams comes from you. What do you think your “lost” dream means? What does being lost mean and feel to you? I really mean that; your interpretation will always be more valid than mine will. But sometimes it is helpful to get another opinion… one that will help to highlight some patterns.
So, perhaps you are more ‘lost’ now (at the time of your dream) than you were at some other times. Part of your dream has to do with how you recognize a specific route or place. Becoming lost on that familiar route may relate to a dynamic change in your awake life. When have you felt lost in familiar surroundings? Or what familiar things have or may be changing in your life? Sometimes it is very personal. Familiar surroundings (where there is comfort) can symbolize you. Changes in your awake life can make you question who you are in these new patterns (lost feeling).
You mentioned your lost dreams are re-occurring. I am curious about what is going on when they start and stop. Are there specific times when the frequency of the dream changes? Or do they start and stop abruptly? Noting these patterns can help you to make associations to your real and awake life. If you are serious about wanting to understand your dreams, I would encourage you to write them down in as much detail as possible. You should also write sleep times (or changes in sleep patterns), and even things that are going on in your life. Why? Because you can find meaningful patterns where no one else is qualified to do so.
Sweet Dreams,
—Miss C
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