Dear SMYD,
This will be brief since I’m writing to you
from a symposium where I’m a presenter on a panel with other experts in my
field. I’m a little anxious about my
presentation, and this dream didn’t help:
I’ve taken my blue car to the DMV or somewhere
else where it will be inspected. When I
come back to pick it up, it’s not there.
I ask the man behind the counter and he doesn’t know where my car
is. He doesn’t seem to be
concerned. He turns to some other guys
behind him and they just shrug.
It’s upsetting to me that they are so casual
and uninterested. One says he thought he
saw my car “over there.” When I go
there, I see a blue car that looks like mine, but when I get closer, it’s not
my car at all. I am more upset and
worried at each step along the way. I
left my wallet, driver’s license, registration and insurance papers all in the
car! I wake up thinking someone has
stolen my car.
Signed,
Lost My Car and Everything Else
Dear Lost,
Several elements of your dream offer insights
into its likely application in your waking life. Past president of the International
Association for the Study of Dreams, Robert Gongloff, starts with what he calls
the theme of the dream to move quickly to the “aha” experience, the heart of
the dream.
The first step in Gongloff’s approach is to
restate the circumstances and actions of your dream without using the language
of your dream: You give valuable
possessions including your mode of getting around in the world, your important
documents and your identification, to strangers who will examine them
critically.
Does a possible understanding jump out at you
now? Your dream seems to reflect the
anxiety you mentioned at presenting your “stuff” in front of other experts in
your field. They’re going to be
inspecting, and perhaps passing judgment on your work. For many of us, perhaps you too Dear Dreamer,
our “stuff” makes up our image of ourselves.
We identify ourselves by what we do.
Anyone would feel anxious when under scrutiny by experts!
Another restatement of your dream might be
that you’ve given control of your identity to strangers who don’t care about
it, misplace it among things that are similar, but incorrect. You’ve lost your identity in an uncaring
setting.
It seems clear that in the setting you
mention, a symposium where you are up for comparison to other experts (you must
be an expert too!) anxiety is normal. No
one likes the uncertainty of outcome you faced.
Your dream reflects this metaphorically.
But don’t stop there! Consider the question your dream asks: Do you put your identity in the hands of
others? If so, why? Considering these questions takes your dream
from the level of reporting what you may be overlooking or denying into a realm
of self-exploration that can be life altering.
Sweet Dreams to You, Dear Dreamer!
SMYD
sendmeyourdreams@mail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment