I’m Meryl Sleep, Queen’s resident dream interpreter. I analyze dreams in an effort to decode the symbols in each Queen’s student’s subconscious. Today’s dream involves forgetfulness, a car accident, and a police station.

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My dream begins with me walking to my car. I seem to remember that I was supposed to grab something from my car and then meet some friends, but as I’m rummaging through my things, a giant truck rear-ends my car. Talk about rude!

It doesn’t stop there. This guy continues driving, pushing my car forward. Alarmed, I jump out, and am suddenly barefoot. Instead of stopping, the truck drives away—still pushing my car forward—and steals it!

I begin the trek home, when I see the truck parked outside a store. In a fit of anger, I run to the police station (still barefoot) and try to convince them to help me get this guy behind bars. Sadly, the mystery truck man is never brought to justice, because that’s when I wake up.

Dear Dreamer,

This dream is based in rea lity, meaning the subject is probably related to an event that happened to you around the same time.

Realistic dreams can be upsetting because of how much they resemble real life—they often feature people you know in familiar places and situations. In this case, as you approached your car and thought about meeting up with your friends, it’s clear this event bears some resemblance to your actual life because you describe it as though it’s a mundane occurrence for you.

Sometimes, dreams are so realistic that you wake up convinced they actually happened. It’s not uncommon for stress and worries from the previous day to influence dreams, particularly if the subject is on your mind right before you fall asleep.

It’s important to think about the content of realistic dreams because they can provide a clear image of how you’re feeling about something happening in your life. In all honesty, these dreams often require very little interpretation because the imagery can be contextualized so directly.

This dream indicates you’ve recently faced some kind of obstacle on your own, possibly as the result of someone else’s unwelcome involvement. It’s also likely you dealt with the aftermath without receiving the help or outcome you desired from it.

There are a couple of significant symbols, including forgetfulness, a car accident, and the police station.

First, the dream begins when you forget something in your car. Forgetfulness is a pretty straightforward symbol, indicating you’ve forgotten something important in your life or are feeling overwhelmed. Have you felt overwhelmed by your commitments recently?

Next, the action progresses when your car is hit by a truck. Car accidents are often representative of feeling out of control. This accident is explicitly caused by someone else’s reckless action, suggesting your distress about a difficult circumstance is the result of another person’s decision.

Since you don’t identify the truck driver, you’re likely unaware of exactly who was involved in this situation. Consider how other people supported you throughout a difficult time. Did they help, or make the problem worse?

Finally, the police station serves as both a symbol of suspicion and justice. You were inclined to take your case to the police station, indicating you had suspicions about who hit your car. Have you been suspicious about how someone else’s behaviour or actions are impacting your life?

Moreover, visiting a police station is one step in the search for justice—having identified the truck that hit your car, you wanted to hold the driver accountable for their actions. Perhaps your suspicions have been validated, and you’re seeking a constructive way to confront the individual who’s caused you stress about how they’ve mistreated you.

The abrupt ending suggests you had this vision before you found a resolution to your real life problem, likely as the result of your subconscious processing the facts of the event to find some answers.

Remember, it’s not healthy to leave stress and suspicion unaddressed over time because your brain will continue to sort through the situation at the root. When you’re experiencing a hardship and feel unsupported or intentionally pushed down by a friend, it’s important to communicate those feelings. It’s possible for confrontation to be a good thing, leading to important discussions and helpful solutions.

Sweet dreams!

Meryl Sleep