Example: My dream is of an eternal journey, which takes a road that turns into a circle or maze that is endless. Behind me is a large fat young man with blond hair. I can’t get along and he catches up with me, I say “We can’t go back we must struggle on.” He takes my wrist. I am trying to hide my fear of him and the pathway, when I wake up’ (JP). JP feels her life is something she must ‘struggle on’ with, but it is an endless circle of confusion in which she gets nowhere. This illustrates the road as a symbol of one’s approach to life. Perhaps it is her fear which creates this sense of life for her.
Example: ‘Janet my wife was cycling beside me. We came to the end of a short road. I said we should turn left, but Janet thought we ought to turn right. We got out into the middle of the road without turning either way’ (Arthur P). Crossroads, deciding which road to take: Arthur’s dream shows crossroads as depicting our many choices. Arthur’s choice involves his attempt to include his wife’s needs.
The size, richness, cleanliness, amount of people, situation of the road shows how you inwardly see either the direction chosen, or the choices confronting you.
See crossroads.
Example: ‘Walking alone along a road through a small town. I was heading for a place that a group of people, in a street parallel to mine, were also heading for.
A person from the group tried to persuade me that the right way to get to the place was along the street the group was walking. I knew the street did not matter, only the general direction.
The person was quite disturbed by my independence. It made him or her feel uncertain to have their leader apparently questioned. I felt uncertain too for a moment. Then I walked on and came to an open stretch of ground’ (Tony C). Tony’s dream shows how roads can represent different sorts of social behaviour.
To choose one’s individual ‘road’ may be difficult, because others are so sure they know best. Patterns of behaviour such as needing an authority figure to follow are also here depicted as a road.
Road behind: the past; what you have already achieved or done. Road ahead: the future; aspects of self not yet expressed; new areas of endeavour. Fork in road: something to decide; parting from accustomed way or relationship. Unpaved road, track off to one side: going off the beaten track or being sidetracked. Lane: individual direction. Known road: one’s associated feelings with that road. Running out into road: danger. Going wrong way up one way street: going against prevailing attitudes. Going out from house into road: how others see you; being in public view. Idioms: on the road to recovery, road hog; end of the road; take to the road, middle of the road; the high road to.
See track.