Recurring Dream - Lost on a train journey

[Bill_London]

I really hope someone can help me interpret this recurring dream / nightmare - I've been looking around various sites but can't find anything too useful 

Been having this dream for 10+ years on and off, it's not been so bad lately but had a godawful one that woke me up at 6am today, couldn't face trying to sleep again so here I am!

Basically it always goes like this:  I'm going on a train journey - sometimes I'm with family or friends who see me off, sometimes not, doesn't play a big part.  Things start fairly easily, but then there's often confusion about which train to catch, where it is etc.  I tend to have loads of awkward luggage, and sooner or later I lose some vital item, like say I realise I'm on the wrong train, jump off and leave something behind.  It tends to get more confused as it progresses, no-one can really help me find my way, strangers / staff try to help when I request sometimes but I forget the number they have given me, find myself stranded in some big station, catch another train that I'm not sure about ...

There's a terrible feeling of anxiety, I'm lost, I've lost one of my bags, had all my stuff in it, left something else behind, no-one can help, everything is unclear... Sometimes I remember them later in the morning, a really bad one will wake me up as today.

I'm thinking it has something to do with my relationship - we had a bad storm just recently, the usual 'should we split up' kind of thing....  Any thoughts appreciated, thanks!

[Bill_London]

Anyone got any ideas on this?  Would really appreciate your thoughts...

[ConsciousPuppet]

if its been hapening for 10 years it cant be your current relationship.

What has your life been like? The things you like and dislike about it

What makes you feel safe about your lifestyle? Any stuff you don't like about it?
Anything that you haven't been able to deal with for a while [days, months, years]? [situations, people, feelings, ideas or beliefs]

[DrmDoc]

I'm thinking it has something to do with my relationship - we had a bad storm just recently, the usual 'should we split up' kind of thing....  Any thoughts appreciated, thanks!

Your dream more likely have to do with fate rather than relationships.  When we travel by train, we are compelled by an engine [train] along a predistined path [train tracks] to some destination [destiny].    Further still, exiting a train in mid-transport suggest a desire to change your destination.  Finding no counsel on which train to take could suggest the idea that ultimately you must make the choice as to where you want your life to lead.  This dream may suggest your anxiety about the choices you have made in life and where you may arrive socially because of those choices.  I hope this helps.

[acousticeagle]

I think I can relate to this, for I too have had dreams of long standing, about travelling, strange places, strange people. I know what my dreams mean, so I would like to try to help you from some sort of dreamer's 'empathy' - this is not to say my circumstances are the same as yours, by any means.

"Been having this dream for 10+ years on and off, it's not been so bad lately but had a godawful one that woke me up at 6am today, couldn't face trying to sleep again so here I am!"

From what you've said here, this is something that your subconscious mind is trying to bring your attention to. It's like the subconscious saying 'this [dream scenario] may only get worse, or continue, if you don't deal with it'.

"I'm thinking it has something to do with my relationship - we had a bad storm just recently"

No, this dream began 10 years ago, but what you've gone through recently probably caused that wound/unresolved issue to smart, that the dream keeps giving you a nudge about.

So what happened in your life 10 years ago, or prior to 10 years ago? In your dream you talk about confusion - lost luggage. It speaks to me of great frustration. Frustration comes from the desiring of something - something that should have been accessible to you but something or someone (maybe more than one person) has come along to impede the reaching of that goal or desire.

Those 10 years past, were you hanging out with people that were messing around with your psyche? Maybe people that you were with that somehow 'changed your mind' about something you wanted to do - or people who influenced you in a very negative way  - possibly to the point of sabotaging your self-esteem and/or goals in life?

This could be anyone, family, friends, people in your school or workplace. Was there anyone in particular that seemed particular noxious to you at that time? A person(s) that may have influenced you/confused you in a particularly negative way - maybe took away for a time, or sought to take away, the control you had over your own life?

I feel that much psychological situations - problems or whatever - that we face come from other people in our lives, or indeed wrong choices that we ourselves can make of course. In this dream you sound ok at the beginning -with family and friends 'seeing you off', like you were just living your life 'normally' but something, or someone else has come along and railroaded you. (Apologies for the figurative speech!)

I sense you have an unresolved and undealt with problem - could be a deep emotional wound that you haven't given much thought to before. Sometimes we are got at by situations or the people in our circumstances and we think we can 'cope' and continue on. But something remains 'wrong' deep in the psyche ie there could be someone from your past that you're angry at (for eg) but you've been in denial (or merely just mentally put aside), thinking that you could just 'get over it' and move on.

But a recurring dream is like a symptom of something that needs resolution. It's 'talking' to you, telling you something. But it's like putting the pieces together to get the picture so you can move on. Then the recurring dream will more likely cease.

[Nivleonus]

Well I suggest that you keep a note pad next to your bed and next time you have that dream note down everything that happens and I mean literally everything, sometimes the smallest piece of information can be the key to unlocking the situation...

To be honest from the information you have given it sounds quite honestly as though you are scared at failing... I don't know if this is correct (please correct me if I am wrong) however it seems that in the dream you keep changing you're mind because you can't decide which train you want to be on, even the fact that you lose a bag (which could be seen as a minor issue) is something that in the end could be classed as a failure, which obvious bothers you quite alot.

I hope this helps, please if you are still having the dream can you provide much more information...

[alloker]

"I sense you have an unresolved and undealt with problem." This and the other views of DrmDoc are quite good but don't expose your unresolved problem and its solution.

Your dream says that you always expect being helped and guided by others and act as they advise you, without having a clear idea about what you have to do; your relatives and friends (who come to see you off) and also perfect strangers influence you in this way, and this costs you much loss.

Looking for help on the Internet is one more example of your habit of expecting to receive help from anyone and everyone.

The solution that your dream implies is (a) to be more self-reliant, (b) not to let others influence you so easily, and (c) think sufficiently before acting.

[alloker]

My previous message was related to the message of acousticeagle, not to that of DrmDoc.

[Nivleonus]

To be honest the number of replies you are getting to this that suggest different answers means that there could be any number of ways to understand this particular dream, I would personally suggest then that you try to think about the deeper meaning of the dream and come up with an answer that best suits your situation, sometimes a person knows that something is affecting them and after some thought can actually work out what it is themselves. After all, all the answers you have got are just educated guesses noone can really answer the question of what the dream is about except for you. The best person to ask though would probably be a psychologist or counsellor (proffessional) they might give the best ideas....

[pinkmint]

The problem with analysing dreams, is that there is no definate truth. I stopped analysing mine when I started lucid dreaming. If you can master it, you could try a new solution, which is going into the dream lucidly, and asking questions. Questions to the players, like 'who am I, what am I doing here, who are you, etc....
good luck

[Nivleonus]

The problem with analysing dreams, is that there is no definate truth. I stopped analysing mine when I started lucid dreaming. If you can master it, you could try a new solution, which is going into the dream lucidly, and asking questions. Questions to the players, like 'who am I, what am I doing here, who are you, etc....
good luck

I would say that is an excellent idea, if you can learn to take control of the dream, change the outcome it is like you as your concious self are taking control of your unconcious self and deciding how things are. If as many people have suggested it is to do with being unable to make decisions or being gullible or something this should help you to overcome your deep down problems.

[Chris87]

Well I suggest that you keep a note pad next to your bed and next time you have that dream note down everything that happens and I mean literally everything, sometimes the smallest piece of information can be the key to unlocking the situation...

To be honest from the information you have given it sounds quite honestly as though you are scared at failing... I don't know if this is correct (please correct me if I am wrong) however it seems that in the dream you keep changing you're mind because you can't decide which train you want to be on, even the fact that you lose a bag (which could be seen as a minor issue) is something that in the end could be classed as a failure, which obvious bothers you quite alot.

I hope this helps, please if you are still having the dream can you provide much more information...

Bill London,

I agree with  Nivleonus about keeping a notepad next to your bed and recording your dream. Yet I would also ask for, only if you are comfortable and in a vague way, a small description of your family situation and some major things that have happened in your life. These also may give clues to the means of this dream.
Thanks!