Dream analysis and my own dream this morning

Earthcircle

Well-known member
I just woke up, and here is a dream I had: I was in a large bus headed somewhere far off, apparently traveling from one town to another town. There were many other people in the bus. The bus driver was my childhood bus driver, but this was definitely not a school bus. I think I may have known one other person in the bus, apart from the driver, but did not speak to him and I am not sure who it was. We were beginning our trip in the parking lot of what I think was a shopping area. I noticed that the brakes didn't seem to be working, and I was afraid we would crash in the parking lot. The driver managed to keep control of the vehicle, but I was thinking that the trip would definitely be canceled now, as the vehicle wasn't safe. To my surprise, we kept going. We drove out of the shopping area, and we passed a building with a sign reading "Chelsea Hotel." At this point, it seems that I realized we were in a city in Texas, and I found it very funny that they would name their hotel after a famous hotel in New York City. I was thinking of texting a friend, via my cell phone, to tell her how funny this was, but I don't think that I got around to it. Then we began to drive up an incline or hill, but we were still in town. To my amazement, the hill was so steep it was nearly vertical. But the bus managed to get all the way to the top. Above the hill was a kind of ceiling, and I was afraid the bus might crash into the ceiling, but we didn't. We made it to the top of the incline, under the ceiling, and I was thinking that the bus must have a powerful motor. Then it occurred to me that there would be an equally steep descent on the other side. I was wondering if we would lose control going down.

That's it. I don't remember anything else. I am recounting this, because I was actually thinking of dream analysis before going to sleep last night. I am frustrated because, even though I had many years of psychotherapy, I never had a single insight. I never accessed anything unconscious, despite the fact that some people say this is an easy thing to do. One therapist blamed it on me, saying that I unconsciously identify therapists with my father, and so I deliberately undermine the therapy in an attempt to abuse the therapist. I don't know. After all, if it is unconscious, and I can't access the unconscious anyway, then how am I supposed to know if that's what I'm unconsciously thinking or not? Anyway though, despite many years of therapy, I never had dream analysis. No therapist ever bothered to do it. Given my difficulties in accessing any repressed material, I find this odd to say the least. I wonder if anyone has any ideas about how I could understand this dream that I had, and if anyone has thoughts or experiences with accessing the unconscious as a means of curing social phobia.
 

Earthcircle

Well-known member
One step in interpreting dreams is to consider what feelings/emotions were happening in the dream - so, for instance, you talked about the bus not having brakes in the parking lot and later there being a steep descent. Was there a recurring theme in the dream of felling unsafe or out of control or something else? Once you work out the feelings from the dream, then ask yourself if it relates to something in your waking life.

There was a feeling of insecurity and wondering what might happen. Perhaps a memory of flying on a plane. It's interesting that the dream included a reference to the Chelsea Hotel, given that, as I just learned, there was a bomb blast in that part of New York City. I didn't know about this until after I posted about the dream.
 

awkwardamanda

Well-known member
Try just googling "dream dictionary" or "dream analysis." There are often some common themes, but different people can have their own symbols in dreams. A therapist can't tell you what your dreams mean to you. You kinda have to figure it out for yourself. If you make a habit of trying to remember your dreams, and then writing out what you remember and trying to interpret them, it is possible to get a lot of insight into the things going on in your life. It takes time and practice though if you're willing to put in the effort. I've done some reading on this stuff. I'm no expert, but I've been able to make some sense out of some dreams anyway. I've even had a few that foreshadowed things that happened the next day. It's quite interesting.
 

Earthcircle

Well-known member
Try just googling "dream dictionary" or "dream analysis." There are often some common themes, but different people can have their own symbols in dreams. A therapist can't tell you what your dreams mean to you. You kinda have to figure it out for yourself. If you make a habit of trying to remember your dreams, and then writing out what you remember and trying to interpret them, it is possible to get a lot of insight into the things going on in your life. It takes time and practice though if you're willing to put in the effort. I've done some reading on this stuff. I'm no expert, but I've been able to make some sense out of some dreams anyway. I've even had a few that foreshadowed things that happened the next day. It's quite interesting.

The dream does make sense to me now, but it seems to be nothing but a garbled version of things that I already believe or know consciously. I'm still not aware of anything subconscious in it.
 
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