In modern world, having a driver’s license is almost a necessity. Almost everybody owns a car, which allows us to quickly get to the work, school, shop, friends or, in case of emergency, to hospital, etc.
No wonder that cars appear also in our dreams, often in dangerous and stressful situations. In the dream, driving a car, we may realize that the brakes are not working, problems with the radiator appear, we are out of gas, or the tire gets punctured. In a more dramatic version of this dream, we may lose control over the car and be in a serious danger.
When do dreams about having problems with a car appear?
Dreams about having problems with a car appear e.g. as a delicate form of a flash-back after the recent car accident, referring to the events which happened in reality. They may also occur before a long car travel, a driving test, or before the first time behind the wheel.
How to interpret a dream about having problems with a car?
Dreams about means of transport are strictly connected with the dreamer. Different vehicles symbolize different aspects of our personality – our body, our relations with the others, our whole life… Ubiquitous cars appearing in our dream may be the metaphor for our life journey. It is worth paying attention whether it is us who is driving the car in the dream, or somebody else, whether the travel is sedate or uncontrolled, if the car is working or is broken… Each of the defects may have a specific metaphorical meaning – broken brakes mean lack of control over some issues in our life, overheated radiator may suggest excessive irritability and lack of distance to the events, while running out of gas may mean that it is the time to get some rest.
A car which keeps on breaking down means that we are trying to achieve something, but will not manage to, or we will have to put more effort in it. A car accident or losing control over a car may portend emotional problems, complications in the personal life or at work, which we subconsciously suspect, but do not want to become aware of.
If the dream about having problems with a car returns, it is worth having the car checked out.
How would Freud interpret a dream about having problems with a car?
According to Freud’s theories of dreams about dangerous driving or car problems, such a dream may be interpreted as the expression of the Thanatos’ manifesto, which is the inevitability of death. Freud believed that dreams about missing a train, driving too fast or having problems with a car are the expression of the fear of the inevitability of death, which we are aware of, but do not want to think about everyday.
How would Jung interpret a dream about having problems with a car?
Jung believed that every mean of transport in a dream illustrates the characteristic of the dreamer’s psychical life. Interpreting such a dream, he would pay attention to whether the mean of transport is individual or collective, self-propelled or mechanical, etc… He could interpret a dream about having problems with a car as the sign that the dreamer makes decisions too quickly and without consideration – so it is worth slowing down and devoting more time to thinking.