Carl Jung believed that dreams give man the guidance he needs to help him deal with the issues he faces in both his inner and outer lives. However, the symbols found in the dream, such as a car or a road, should be put into the context that the dreamer, himself, supplies.
Are You In the Driver's Seat?
Dreaming of a car represents our own personal space. If we are the one driving the car, it means we are in charge. If someone else is driving and we are the passenger, it means that someone else has responsibility for us, or we have given it to them. Therefore, a dream like this would represent how much control or not we have in our inner or outer lives.
What are the Road Conditions?
Driving conditions represent the situations we face. For example, driving on an icy road can mean we are in a dangerous situation. Driving into oncoming traffic could mean that in our lives we are going the opposite way we want to go, or else we feel that we are going "against the flow" of society's norms.
Having, or almost having a car accident, can be a warning dream signifying that you are "driving" yourself too hard. The warning would be to slow down, be more careful or change plans.
What are You Driving?
Today, many of our control or loss of control dreams feature cars as symbols. In the past, did our ancestors have different symbolism to show this issue? Did they dream of driving a carriage, a chariot or riding a horse? Gustav Hindman Miller, who wrote about dream symbolism in the early 1900's before the advent of the automobile being the driver's choice vehicle, put emphasis and meaning on exactly what one was driving. For example, dreaming of driving a carriage would signify extravagance, while driving a wagon would be a symbol of poverty. Similarly, paying attention to what kind of car we are driving in our dreams could suggest the same meanings. Driving a sports car could represent feelings of youth and affluence, while dreaming of driving a minivan could show feelings of family responsibility. Freud would probably put an emphasis on the shape of the car. A long, powerful lamborghini would definitely be viewed as a classic phallic symbol.
What Does it Mean?
Using the theories presented above to attempt to interpret the dream, in the dream example at the beginning of the article the dreamer feels that he has to navigate a dangerous or uncomfortable situation. He feels that it is a situation that he can't "put the breaks on" and he feels helpless and out of control. Perhaps he feels he is on the wrong track or "going the wrong direction'. He is disconcerted to find himself "going against the flow" of traffic but that traffic soon begins to flow the same way and the driver/dreamer feels in control again. By paying attention to this dream, the dreamer should feel competent that he will be able to handle the situation that is presented to him in his outer life or the issue he is grappling with in his inner life.
References:
Ball, Pamela. The Complete Dream Dictionary. Ontario: Prospero Books, 1999.
Campbell, Joseph Ed. The Portable Jung. U.S.A.: Penguin Books, 1971.
Jung, Carl Ed. Man and His Symbols. U.S.A.: Dell Publishing, 1964.
Miller, Gustavus Hindman. 10,000 Dreams Interpreted. U.S.A.: Barnes& Noble, 1995.
Starr, Anthony Ed. The Essential Jung. New York: Barnes&Noble, 1983.
http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary/a.htm
Lisa Loewen - Lisa Loewen is a writer and educator living in the area of Vancouver, B.C. She has a B.A with a major in History with a focus on Canadian ...
Join the Conversation