Warehouse, Green Logistics Co., Kotka, Finland (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
On my last post I discussed the fairly common dream of being back in school. This post will look at a dream that is perhaps even more common--the dream about
being at work. Typically, dreams about work will have the similar themes of school dreams.
In the work dreams the dreamer may be unprepared for something that is supposed to occur, be late for work, be dressed inappropriately (or not at all), be unorganized or unable to perform work duties, be lost in the workplace, be confused about circumstances at work, or some other difficulty. The dream events are often accompanied by frustration, apprehension, fear, embarrassment, or distraction.
The dream locales may be actual work places, variants of places we have known, or places that are totally alien to us but accepted in the dream as our place of work. The people in the dream may be known to us, but often there are also others we may not be able to identify.
In my current state of three years of unemployment, I typically dream of my previous job. Sometimes however I dream of past jobs. In the past when I was employed my work dreams were often about jobs I had held prior to the job I was holding at the time of the dream.
My most recent work dream:
I don't remember much detail, but I am at the warehouse job where I was the general manager. We have recently moved to a new location and have been there for a few weeks. The owner of the company comes to visit and I realize that since we moved I have not been in the new warehouse, but have only been in my office. I know little about what is going on with the operation I am supposed to be managing.
When my boss arrives we make conversation and I try to avoid talking to him about the business. Inevitably he starts discussing the new warehouse. I bluff my way through the conversation, but feel very guilty that I have not been doing my job and I'm afraid that he'll find out.
We go into the warehouse. It is very large and old looking. There is much merchandise on many rows of shelves that go beyond my field of vision. This is a massive and somewhat disturbing place. My boss seems very happy and friendly as he walks by my side. A long line of men wait at a door and I know that they are waiting to apply for jobs. My boss and I come to a long table where a number of celebrities and important people are seated, but I'm not sure who any of them are. I lead my boss and those at the table to go to the head of the line that is waiting.
After I wake up I feel neither positive or negative about the dream. I am somewhat perplexed, but beyond that I don't think much about the dream and forget most of it.
My typical dream of work:
This recent dream is a good example of the type of work environment where I am. The places are usually warehouses or meant to be warehouses. They are large, old, and not particularly well lit. There is often a great deal of material goods--usually merchandise--although sometimes the warehouse is mostly empty or totally empty. The warehouses always feel strange and eerie, yet I almost always feel like I belong there and have an awareness of familiarity.
Many times I am either alone in the warehouse or with just one or a few other people. Sometimes there are many people who are engaged in various activities or merely meandering. If other people are present I usually only know a few of them.
In the dreams I often feel lost or unprepared. Sometimes I may be trying to find something that has been lost. Often what I'm looking for is money that has been lost. Other times I maybe trying to get something done, but I become distracted by other activities or because I don't have equipment that I need.
Even though the nature of the dream involves frustration and other negative feelings, I almost always maintain a sense of calm through the dream. I rarely wake up from these dreams feeling upset in any way and often feel a sense of confidence and optimism with only a tinge of uncertainty about the state of my life.
Dreaming about work makes sense due to the fact that we spend so much time working or have done so at certain times of our lives and the activity has usually been so vital to our daily existence.
Do you often dream about work? Are your work dreams generally good or bad? What do you think dreaming about work signifies?
