Car

The car we drive or ride in illustrates how we navigate the world, our ability to get to where we want to go (the ego's capacity), and/or what drives our lives in the context illustrated by the dream, or what motivates us. It reflects our everyday selves, the daily experience of "being on the way," possibly toward a goal, similar to how a house represents a situation.

Like all vehicles, the car can represent one's ego and/or psychological development. Particularly characteristic of our personal vehicle is that it provides us with autonomy and independence. Not having access to the car in a dream can stem from this meaning.

It is important to note what kind of car is being dreamed about and whose it is, as one wants to understand which aspect of one's inner life—what situation—the dream image refers to.

Method

The car one owns, drives, or is driven in generally relates to the method one (more or less unconsciously) uses to navigate more mundane matters.

Driving Force

An associated meaning is one's (unconscious) driving forces—the car is what drives; symbolically, it represents our energy and ability to move forward. 

This driving force can propel us to travel far, achieve distant goals, cross boundaries, and so forth. But just as much as the car can be used for travel, it can also be used to escape the present, to not be fully present. 

This perspective on the car can lead to the question: "What drives me?" What does the dream car symbolize, and who is driving (or operating) it? 

The car symbol may also encompass the feeling that one is not the driver of one's life, that the vehicle represents a kind of "method" one finds oneself in and cannot control. 

Type of Car

It is important to pay attention to what type of car it is in the dream, as it can reveal something about the situation. Is it a sports car, a vehicle suitable for cargo, a car almost without windows—comfortable, cramped, and so on? A rule of thumb is that the unexpected in the dream is key to understanding it—for example, a car with three wheels is not "just a car."

Identity 

One's car is associated with one's identity and self-esteem, and many people are somewhat identified with their cars. One may wish to have a car that reflects who one is or rather want to be. This relationship is exploited in dreams, where one might lose one's car, or it is excessively lavish, or one is considering buying an inappropriate car, and so on. (Compare with Clothing.)

Protection

Just like clothing, the car offers protection from the outside world, essentially acting as a barrier or a comfortable bubble we travel in. The car can become a refuge and a means of escape; a cradle we crawl into.

The reason drivers get angry with one another, in a way that pedestrians do not, is that we lack direct contact with our fellow travelers; inside the car, we are relatively isolated among other relatively isolated individuals.

As a symbol, the car shares certain similarities with our house—a kind of “third skin,” following our own skin and clothing. This could serve as a relevant understanding if we get dents in the body or if the window breaks, etc.

Body

The car is an extension of one’s own body; in a way, it is a shell that we move around in. In this sense, the car often becomes a symbol for our body. von Franz argues i Katten i saga och verklighet (The Cat) that the horse used to symbolize the human body, but in modern times, it is the car that carries this projection (p. 81). A car in poor condition may thus suggest that one is or is becoming unwell (exhausted, stressed, sick, etc.).

Who Drives Your Car?

If someone else is driving the car, we lose the freedom to decide where we are going; we can only determine to a limited extent where this “driving force” takes us. If someone else is at the wheel, we can assume we are under the influence of the complex that the driver represents; for example, if one’s father is driving, the father complex may be the driving force in the situation. If one is sitting in the back seat with the parents in the front seats, it may suggest a regression to an outdated “family pattern,” and so forth.

If no one is driving the car or if the car is speeding dangerously, it may indicate a lack of control over one’s own life; it can also suggest inflation (compare with Flying).

While it is generally good if we have influence over where our lives are headed, we should not forget that sometimes it is beneficial to let someone else take the wheel. This can indicate guidance, an adventure—one does not know what will happen while being “driven” toward unknown territories, which can always be good or bad.

Whose Car Are You Driving?

One can also note whose car it is—if it’s mom’s car, a stolen car, and so on—as well as where in the car the dreamer is sitting. Such details at the beginning of a dream reveal quite a bit about the dream's content in certain respects. (The opening scene of the dream usually illustrates the psychological situation that the dream addresses.)

Competence

Driving a car on city streets, highways, and country roads requires certain knowledge and finesse, as well as consideration for other road users. The car is well-suited to what it is normally used for; it is a complicated but typically well-functioning and purpose-built machine that takes you where you want to go, if you have the skills needed. Being unable to navigate your way to the goal, may be a metaphor regarding your abilities in real life.

Social Rules

Driving a car entails following a multitude of rules to protect oneself and other road users. Sometimes, we slightly overlook these rules. There are specific rules aimed at ensuring we adhere to traffic regulations. A good journey with the car generally depends on the driver following established rules, knowing how to operate a vehicle, and possessing a minimum level of social competence.

Problems

It is a common theme that we encounter problems with the car in our dreams. The specific problem illustrates the psychological challenge that the dream reflects. For example, if one cannot find one's car in a dream, it means one cannot find a way to get to where one want to go. But note that the dream usually contains more than just this fact, and the entire dream must always be considered to understand any detail of it.

Some additional examples: running out of gas can indicate a lack of (psychological) energy to reach one’s goals; an overloaded car may suggest some kind of need for control or fixation; a car that breaks down can indicate physical problems or that, more psychologically, something simply isn’t working regarding one’s way of navigating through life; running over someone may symbolize that the chosen path or the psychological development one is undergoing “kills” what the run-over person represents; colliding with another car can indicate a conflict between two inner wills, and crashing into an object may represent a collision with an external or internal obstacle; seeing cars collide can suggest a struggle between opposing sides; getting stuck in a ditch may mean that one has “hit a dead end,” and so forth.

Sometimes it is the case that the path we have chosen does not work for one reason or another, and the other images in the dream suggest in what respect.

A car that does not function as it should often refers to the idea that we would benefit from finding another way, and in fact, in many dreams where the car breaks down, won’t start, etc., the dreamer takes another vehicle or a different method to move forward.

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