Author’s Note: If you read Wednesday’s post, this will make perfect sense. If not, good luck.
After sharing my blog about recurring dreams, I realized I’m in good company, because apparently half of you are also wandering the halls of high school at 3 am. Honestly, high schools should hand out a warning with the freshman curriculum: just so you are aware – there is a high probability that the combined chaos of whatever happens within these walls over the next four years will haunt your dream state for the rest of your natural life.
The comments from my faithful readers were great: lost lockers, forgotten combinations, missing classes, someone barefoot, and yes, one of you was fully naked, and somehow it was “just another day.” Now that’s dream confidence.
I found it fascinating how many of us are having the same dream. It makes sense – high school was the perfect storm of pressure – trying to fit in, trying to figure out who we were, trying to keep up, trying not to embarrass ourselves, trying to remember where the hell our locker even was. It was a place where you were constantly being evaluated, watched, compared, and expected to know things you didn’t know. No wonder our brains drag us back there whenever adult life gets overwhelming.
Your brain is basically saying, this stress feels like school, so let’s stage the dream here. Plus, you spent thousands of hours in school hallways, classrooms, and cafeterias over 12 – 16 years of your life. Your brain was trained to worry about things like tests, grades, being prepared, being late, and being judged by teachers and classmates.
So it makes perfect sense that when life gets chaotic, our brain uses that setting like a stage set it already owns. Those environments are easy for your brain to recreate while dreaming.
I did a little research. These dreams aren’t really about lockers or classes or missing shoes. They’re about that old familiar feeling of being unprepared, unsure, or stretched too thin – and our subconscious just loves to recycle the most dramatic backdrop it can find.
The missing lockers or combination dream – feeling overwhelmed, unprepared, feeling like you can’t access what you need. It’s about the feeling of not being ready.
The can’t find your class dream – reflects moments in life when you’re unsure of your next step.
The barefoot in high school dream – new job? Big decision to make? Life transition?
The naked in high school dream – research says this is a classic dream symbol for feeling exposed, judged, or afraid of being seen too clearly – but also realizing people aren’t paying as much attention as you fear.
Thank you for your comments and sharing your dream experiences. I appreciate you taking the time to write in, and I especially love knowing you’re out there reading what I take the time to write. It means more than you know.
Happy dreaming, and the next time you’re lost in that high school hallway again, remember we’re all wandering it together – but let’s try to keep our pants on, okay?
