DREAMCATCHER: I'm going swimming but I've left my costume on the bus

Linda’s Dream:

I was away at a university where I had some authority and had been given the opportunity to go to a sauna/ leisure facility and invite two people.

I agreed to take mum and her friend. They arrived in a big, white bus, which took them to a destination reached by going down a path surrounded by greenery to a ‘sauna hut’.

From a distance I saw them get off the bus. They were chatting and had come prepared in their swimming costumes.

As the bus started to move towards the exit I realised that I wasn’t prepared, that is my bathing costume had been left on the bus which I ran towards, shouting at the huge, white vehicle to stop. Someone heard me and, as the bus was manoeuvring to reverse out of the exit, it stopped.

Mum and her friend were oblivious to my situation.

Dream Interpretation:

The university in this dream is a representation of a place of higher learning from which the dreamer developed her positive sense of self and probably the dynamic that evolved her sense of authority.

There is calmness and relaxation in her life and movement in terms of social contact over which the dreamer feels in control.

But then something occurs for which she is not prepared. It may be from the past, possibly related to exclusion, which causes mild concern and anxiety.

However, she is able to stop the situation deteriorating further by making herself heard. It is likely that this ‘reversed’ the situation which halted as a result. However, in the end the dreamer feels there are still significant others in her life who remain ‘oblivious’ to her ‘authority’ and situation.

In summary, the dreamer has identified herself as a confident, self-assured person, who feels unappreciated by person or persons important to her, even when she makes some noise about it.

The persons represented in the dream remain unaware of her plight and the dreamer does not reflect on how she feels about it, but I suspect this is a long-term issue that remains frustrating.

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, in detail..

• 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.