What Do Dreams of Being Lost Mean?

There are just as many ways to get lost in our dreams as there are in waking life and all of them have very different implications. From dreaming of being lost in the dark, to being lost trying to find your way home, being stuck in a forest and asking for directions.

Here we explore what it means to dream  and the meanings behind the most common of these dreams.

Dreaming of being lost in a forest can be disturbing and scary, especially if the forest is dark and eerie. The Dream Bible reports that this type of dream may signify confusion, fear, and despair. A dream of being lost in a forest may also represent the inability to rectify a situation, the lack of support in your life, and, perhaps, a feeling that you have lost your way. According to DreamsO’pedia, dreaming about being lost in a forest may also be a sign of encouragement to continue your work and your ability to overcome challenges.

If you get lost in the dark in a dream this can symbolise feelings of guilt or a breakdown of a plan, says Dreams Directory. You may be getting caught up in your own guilt and have been holding back some negative emotions and thoughts for too long. This dream can also be about the darker aspects of your character, and the worries you have surrounding it.

Have you ever asked for directions in a dream? If so, you’re confronting some uncomfortable emotions. You’re in search of some help or advice for a problem or decision. The dream reveals your desire to attain a balance in your life. Perhaps you need to show more passion or be more open and in toch with your emotions.

Following directions in a dream, particularly in searching for an address, is commonly said to mean you should be open to opinions and criticism from people you don’t normally talk to. On the other hand, if you’re the one giving directions to someone else, this is said to mean that setting and managing your priorities should be your main objectives.

Becoming lost in a sea of people, with familiar faces or complete strangers surrounding you is a common dream that can take place in a strange place, or even in your home. This dream may cause confusion and distress, and you might wake up feeling uneasy. It can highlight insecurities about your social relationships, or that you’re feeling backed into a corner by someone close.

Looking past the analysis, what cultural symbolism can be found in the human condition of being lost? Everyone can relate to the feelings of fear and helplessness closely associated with the idea of being unable to find our way back home, so the notion of being lost is one that features heavily in books, television and music.

For a few years back in the Noughties, it felt like the whole nation was obsessed with Lost, the critically acclaimed hit US TV series. A fantastical dream-like tale of the survivors of a commercial jet airliner flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, it shows events both before and after the plane crashes on a mysterious island somewhere in the South Pacific Ocean. Lost ran from 2004 to 2010 and critics hailed it as being among the greatest television series of all time, indeed “the show with perhaps the most compelling continuing storyline in television history,” according to the New York Times.

Another cultural phenomenon about getting lost was Lost in Space, the smash science fiction television series, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 before being made into a film starring Gary Oldman and Matt LeBlanc in the late 90s. The series was inspired by the novel The Swiss Family Robinson and follows the adventures of the Robinsons, a pioneering family of space colonists who struggle to survive lost in the depths of space.

Find out more about dreams that evoke strong emotions by reading our articles on being chased in your dream, why your teeth fall out in your dream and what it means to be late in your dream.