The Dream

I am with a group of my best girlfriends as we leave a very nice restaurant after having dinner. I have the biggest car, which makes me the designated driver, but when we get outside, my car is nowhere to be found. I search the parking lot, but my car is not there. I am dumbfounded.

Understanding the Dream

The dream begins with the dreamer in a safe and familiar environment, but the situation quickly changes as she realizes her car has disappeared. To understand the dream, it is important to explore what the image of a car symbolizes.

In our culture, a car represents a primary means of navigating life—how one gets from place to place. Without a car, everyday activities such as going to work, buying food, seeing friends, or visiting the doctor become far more difficult. Psychologically, the car represents an aspect of the ego and ego strength. Losing the car in the dream may symbolize a loss of direction, agency, or control in life.

It could signify that the dreamer feels “stuck” or unable to move forward in some aspect of her life. The car—her ego—is what she presents to the world, and its absence might reflect feelings of insecurity or uncertainty about her role or identity in her waking life.