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Dreams of being lost or having lost something are fairly common for me and, from what I've heard, for others as well. These can be mildly distressing to profoundly disturbing. Often the sense of loss will remain after awakening at which time I may consider whether the loss was real or even get up and look for something I may have dreamed about losing.
Many times the dream will be about losing money. In these cases, upon awakening, it may not be unusual for me to try to remember if I actually have lost money or worry about the possibility of having done so. The better dreams are those of finding money that I have lost. These dreams will also lead me to think about the possibility that there is money to be found somewhere. I have even woken up and looked somewhere a dream indicated there was money. I have never found any.
In other dreams I will have lost a thing or somebody. For the material objects the outcome is the same as the dreams of lost money. Frequently the lost objects are very odd things that seem valuable in the dream, but are absurd to think about in waking life. The dreams of losing people like my kids are always very upsetting. I can sometimes lie awake for a long time after having a dream like this trying to bring some kind of closure with a better ending, but feeling worry at the same time.
The most obvious symbolism that I can see going on with these dreams is a fear of loss. This may be the result of an insecurity I am feeling about that lost something of the dream. Perhaps I am afraid that I am in serious danger of losing something or somebody in a real or in a metaphorical sense.
Another interpretation may relate to something that has already happened that is actually or symbolically being played out in my dream story. Perhaps my mind is trying to gain understanding of the loss or merely replay the event for whatever purpose my mind may need.
The dreams of being lost will most often involve me going to an important meeting or event and losing my way. Most of the time in these dreams I become distracted by other activities or happenings and forget that I was going somewhere. Eventually I might remember my engagement, but by that time I am usually late or have missed it. At this time I may feel panic, disappointment, or resignation.
The symbolization of these dreams depends on the feeling I have in the end. The dream story probably represents my life or current life events in most cases. In other dreams of this nature the story may represent a fear of something that could happen if I am not ready for it or careful approaching it. If I am lost, I need to either find my way or improvise the situation to make the best of it. It's the way I actually do things in life and my dream life reflects this in the being lost dreams.
Dreams of losing things are typically troubling, but not always devastating. Dreams of being lost can cause distress, but allow recovery space for me that allows me to fix the situation and end up okay.
What have you lost in your dreams? How does losing things in dreams make you feel? Are you able to recover well when you become lost in a dream?
I feel "Lost" while awake without having to dream about it.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post as always something of interest.
Enjoy your week-end.
Yvonne.
Hey, fellow dreamer! Imagine seeing you here! Blog hopping early on Saturday morning and kinda going down the list, clicked on your blog and there you were! Yeah, you know I'm a dreamer. I'm having a great time with my story this year, keeping my readers hanging on the cliff. :) Last night I was dreaming about not being able to find my way out of a building. (This is a recurring dream - maybe signifies I can't find my way out of a paper bag...ha ha) So glad I found this post. Best regards my friend. Love, Ruby
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah, one more thing... I am becoming frustrated when I want to comment on a post and can't find the place to comment. Several, I have searched for five minutes, looking for the commenting clue...no luck. I know it's not your fault, but I know you understand my "vent". Thanks for being a great sounding board. :) Does it bother you when you can't find a comment indicator?
ReplyDeleteNeat blog idea... worse are the 'falling' dreams... or the scary ones! GirlZombieAuthors
ReplyDeleteI often lose the person I'm with in the dream, whether motoring or walking. Then I find them again. So the dreams have a beginning, middle, and end. I'm guessing it's part of the need for "story," to make sense of things.
ReplyDeleteI very much appreciate your posts and how they help us to ponder and suppose. Thank you, peace and all good,
Diane
Yvonne -- I know that "lost" feeling sometimes.
ReplyDeleteRuby -- Good to see you here. I keep meaning to stop by your place, but, well you probably know how things are for me. And know the feeling about not finding a place to comment easily. I usually do, but if I have to spend too much time doing it I'm gone. Thanks for dropping in.
Chris-- I've heard about the falling dreams but don't think I've had one other than those falling off to sleep ones where I'll suddenly jump back awake. Thanks for visiting.
DM -- I've had those and similar dreams often. I'll call them dreams of distraction because I'll be doing something and then get diverted to doing other things. Gosh, sounds like my real life!
Lee
I have frequent dreams of losing my car, probably because I often misplace it in real life.
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh at Yvonne's comment, because I also have several "lost" moments while I'm awake. The most common one is walking into a room, and forgetting what I was looking for. I've also had falling dreams like Chris. Great topic Lee!
ReplyDeleteHope you have some well deserved sweet dreams!
Julie
Still at my advanced age, I have dreams of having lost or misplaced either homework or something I need for a class. I can never find it and I can never open my locker to see if it's in there. Of course there's always a time crunch involved. Then there are my dreams where I am trying to get somewhere and I am forced to follow a corridor or stairway that keeps diminishing until it's too tiny to move through. I'm getting the creeps just telling you this. Eek!!
ReplyDeleteLately I am often looking for my partner who died a few years back. Interestingly when I do find him he is on a sidewalk that is caving in and he is falling too fast for me to reach him. Makes tons of sense given circumstances. Awake, Im gaining peace with the loss but apparently not yet in my sleeping life.
ReplyDeletethelmaz -- I think that would be a common dream for many of us.
ReplyDeleteJulie -- I have a post slated for Tossing It Out sometime in the future about this very topic of forgetfulness. I also touched upon it on this blog a month or two ago I think--but now I can't remember.
Frances -- I too have those school dreams. It was such a big part of our lives. The other dream thankfully I cannot remember having.
Zoe -- Yes, the symbolism of that dream makes a lot of sense, but not sure why you would seem to feel responsible in any way.
Lee