Young adulthood Dream Meanings

Whether you left home at sixteen, eighteen or thirty-five, there will have been a point in your life when you struck out on your own. Your dreams during that period would have reflected your urge for independence and sense of adventure, mingled with the fear and uncertainty about your ability to cope on your own. In your early twenties, your dreams may therefore center on battles of some kind. They may also focus on your ability to perform well at school or work. The characters in your dream are likely to be less well focused than your own, suggesting that your adult identity is yet to emerge.

Dreams at this time may also be marked by separation anxiety. This is because most twenty-somethings do not yet have a strong sense of identity; their dreams will therefore reflect a wish to become a child again, go home or avoid growing up in some way. For example, you may dream of your grown-up self being back in your childhood bed, with your mother reading you a fairy story.

Such dreams may be viewed as an attempt by your dreaming mind to fulfill parental functions yourself; in other words learning to take care of yourself in a responsible caring way.

One’s twenties are also the decade in which we try on possible relationships and careers to see if we can find the perfect fit; not surprisingly, your dreams during this life stage may reflect your concerns and anxieties, often containing scenes and situations that are frantic and frustrating. Your focus may be on split- second mistakes, such as taking wrong turns in a vehicle, being unable to find your keys, going to the wrong examination room and so on.

By the time we reach our early thirties, we tend to be more realistic about what we can do in life and what constitutes a perfect partner; your dreams will reflect a sense of resignation but may also start to contain elements of frustration. Conflicts between what you hoped for and reality may be played out in your dreams. Many of us decide to have children in our twenties and thirties; this decision can stimulate some interesting dreams.

If you are not in your twenties or early thirties, a dream about this stage in life may reflect a longing for excitement and adventure, whether you are a teenager or a pensioner.

One very common dream during our thirties is that of missing a plane or train. In this dream, you have packed your bags, rushed to check in but there is trouble with your ticket, seating, ID or passport. Eventually you manage to break free and run for the gate but the flight, boat or train leaves without you. This kind of dream is very common for people who are juggling responsibilities and trying to advance their careers; the plane in the dream represents your ability to move to the next stage in your career. The frustration and disappointment in the dream reflects an internal experience rather than a situation in waking life.

If you have this dream, your dreaming mind is telling you that running faster, working harder or taking on more responsibilities is not always a solution.

Many young mothers have nightmares in which they go off to do some errands and completely forget their child or children in a restaurant, office or shop. Such a dream may be a warning that you have taken on too much. It could also be urging you to focus more on the important things in life (your children) and less on the details (your errands).

If you have this dream, try and see if you can adjust your routine so that you do not neglect what is most precious to you.

See also BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD; RELATIONSHIPS; SCHOOL AND WORK.