Today’s Dream from Adam:

I had fallen out with my partner and had contacted her to make arrangements to meet in town. I was on a bus going in to town, but was confused because I didn’t recognise the route.

The next thing I knew, I was in an MG Midget driving through the town looking for the place we had arranged to meet, but I couldn’t find it.

I was confused by the traffic directions. I got stuck at the traffic lights for a long while and took a small narrow road without knowing where it was going.

I ended up on the edge of a cliff face. I pulled in on the wrong side of the road when I saw two men working on a ridge over the edge of the cliff-face in a dangerous position. They didn’t seem concerned.

I got out and climbed down to talk to them and eventually got back into the car and returned to town the way I had come.

The peculiar thing is that I ended up in another dream which I frequently have – finding myself in a part of town which is familiar but from which I can’t find my way back home. I feel lost. I tried to phone my partner but couldn’t get through. I woke up feeling upset and disgruntled.

Dream Interpretation:

The dreamer’s goal is to move away from inner conflict, but he feels he has lost his way. This is symbolised by not recognising the route.

He is trying to find resolution and take control ie: he is not being taken there by bus but now drives himself. However, he continues to be ‘confused’, unable to find ‘direction’ and appears to feel his options are ‘narrow’.

The dreamer is on ‘edge’ and uses the dangerous symbol of a cliff edge to represent this feeling, which indicates a negative and vulnerable state.

He is trying to engage with potential support networks, but this is failing and so he returns to his original state of mind.

He eventually moves back to a ‘familiar’ place, with the same symbols of confusion, loss and lack of direction.

He is attempting to connect with someone supportive but in this dream remains alone and vulnerable. The goal remains unachieved, but the dream is perhaps a message to the dreamer to proactively seek help to reach or find his goal and stop sublimating this need.

If the dreamer would like to provide feedback about the interpretation, please send it to ACDreamcatchers@mail.com

Interestingly, we have found it is not always possible to interpret your own dream, probably because it often represents the sublimation of feelings or thoughts that we are trying to avoid in our waking lives. However, with a little assistance from the dream interpreter, the symbols and themes can start to make sense and help us to move forward.

If you are interested in having a particular dream analysed, please send us an account of your dream to the following email address: ACDreamcatchers@mail.com We only have space to interpret one dream a week which will be selected from those received. Please refer to the guidance provided to describe your dream as this will enable us to provide a full interpretation.

Guidance for the Dreamer:

• Record your dream in writing as soon as you wake up with as much detail as possible.

• First of all ask yourself who is in the dream.

• Where are you, what is happening to you and what is happening around you?

• Record how you are feeling about what you and/or others are doing.

• Are there particular symbols or objects in the dream that are unusual?

• Are there any sounds and is the dream in colour or black and white?

• Are you watching yourself in the dream or are you experiencing it first-hand ie: through your own eyes.

Alex Hossack and Catherine Aubrey are Public Service professionals with years of experience as practitioners and managers in the Criminal Justice System.