“I regularly dream (of) having set out (on) a journey, and every time I miss or fail to get the transportation. These dreams began ever since I started a business in 1975. The transportation I dreamed about is mostly a train or a bus. What does this indicate?”

When you think of different modes of transportation, there are some designed specifically for group travel such as trains and buses. In dream language, both trains and buses represent forward movement or progress by a collective group of people. This dreamer sets out on a journey but doesn’t take a motorcycle, bike, car or taxi. She misses either a train or a bus.

Let’s look at the dream symbols:

The Dream Symbols
Setting out on a journey. A new adventure, activity or life direction.
Misses the transportation. Not getting what is needed to make progress.
Train.Depending on the type of train (Bullet, steam locomotive), the meaning varies but generally, because trains are railway vehicles, they represent collective thinking. Linear, “straight” and conformist thinking.
Bus. Filled with people, buses represent the type of thinking and progression of the general populace.

The Dream Interpretation
This dreamer wrote to tell me that she launched a business several years ago at the age of 78. Since the dreams began soon after, it seems highly likely that they are connected with this new direction in life. Starting a business is a major life journey. While everyone else seems to be on the train or bus, she misses it and is left behind. The older generation often feels that they can’t keep up with current society whether in business or personal life. This dreamer did admit that she felt her business was not growing as she hoped, and certainly not keeping pace with the other businesses in her area so the stress plagued her day and—now through dreams—night.

Dream Therapy
Dreams can help fix waking life worries. I encourage this dreamer to reflect upon her business to see why she isn’t keeping up with the others. What can she do differently? Better? If her age is slowing her down, can she hire younger employees? Can she appeal to a special market? If she cannot compete in some areas, she should use her maturity and wisdom to her benefit by finding a niche she can fill that no others can.

Instead of thinking of these dreams as nightmares, she should consider them gifts. Her dreams tell her that she cannot keep pace with her competition so it is time to re-evaluate her business marketing strategies.