Dreams of being completely lost and bewildered, usually in familiar territory where we should know better, are quite common.  Teenagers frequently dream that they cannot find their classrooms or lockers at school.  Adults dream they can't find their car in the parking lot or can't find their way to an important business or social function.  Sometimes it is a critical item that is lost or forgotten, such as a resume in a job interview or the wedding ring at a wedding ceremony. 

Almost all of us have had a dream involving losing something or being lost, and we all know the frustration (and ultimate relief) upon awakening and realizing that it was indeed just a dream.   These dreams are usually work or professionally related, but an upsetting or anxiety-provoking personal situation can also trigger them.  These dreams can recur over a lifetime, sometimes never changing significantly - i.e. a 45 year old having a dream about not being able to find his locker at school.

There is little disagreement, psychologically speaking, that dreams of being lost or unable to find something are indicative of feelings of vulnerability, inadequacy, and of feeling "out of place."  Questions to ask yourself include:

Is everything okay in your professional life?  Are you where you believe you should be?  Is there some threat to your position or authority at work?  Is a boss or co-worker overbearing or burdensome?  Do you feel you are not doing as good a job as you can? 

Are you getting enough sleep at night, taking medications,  not feeling well?  Often, when we feel fuzzy or not 100 percent during the day, that fogginess will carry over into our dreams and manifest in this very type of dream, indicating that we are not thinking clearly and we know it on a subconscious level.

Are you avoiding something?  Although being lost or not being able to find something can be very frustrating, it may still be less frustrating than facing what is in that classroom or job interview.  Could it be that you are choosing the lesser of the two evils?

Have you lost a pet or a loved one?  Obviously you feel lost and disoriented, and it manifests in your dreams.  

The best advice after a dream of being lost is obviously to find out where in your waking life you are lost, and subsequently taking steps to conquer whatever it is that has you stuck.  Obviously, this is simple advice for a tough problem, but being aware of how you are inwardly reacting to the situation could give you valuable insight into the resolution of the problem.   Indeed, the way you react may turn out to be the key!

 

 

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