Exhaustion in Dream

Last night I dreamt about quite a bit. I was in high school math class, divided up into groups, because we were studying for finals. I was able to walk around the room easily. There was a chalkboard that could switch to a whiteboard. There was a note on the whiteboard for me and a few other students. It was on the chalkboard setting, and he erased it. I started yelling at him to stop, because the teacher was gone for the day and I needed to know what was written. He kept saying it would be fine, and when he switched to the whiteboard setting, the note was gone. I flipped out and started swearing at him. Class ended, and my backpack was very heavy. I was wearing shoes that made me bounce uncontrollably. I was in the snow, going 10 feet high and landing wherever. I learned I could control my shoes with my arm movements, and one of them started to slip off. I was trying to leave my old high school and go somewhere. Oddly, I was an underclassman again. I asked someone I knew where the exit was and she gave me a weird look and pointed me in the direction. I was offered a ride home by another friend, but by the time it was time to get in the car, I was so exhausted I couldn't lift my own weight. I strained and strained just to lift my leg and I felt so helpless. I asked her to pull me and in and she couldn't do it. I ended up back where I used to do gymnastics and my movements, again, were uncontrollable. Feeling very weak and out of place throughout the dream. Comments?

Although in order to provide a more accurate interpretation it would usually be best to have some general background information about you (and a description of events just before the dream), it looks like the dream wants you to look at an attitude, outlook or way of behaving etc. that had its origins during your high school years and which might now be counter-productive in some way.

The first part of the dream broadly centers on the theme of “failing an exam” because the erased note apparently will have a seriously negative impact on your success in the mathematics finals.

Schools, classes and exams etc. tend to represent, on analogy, certain generally accepted collective roles and attitudes that an individual in a given society is expected to meet as part of fitting in with the group.

For instance, institutions of learning are funded by public taxes and/or “established” alumni groups etc.

They’re also usually overseen by various collective boards and committees etc. which have certain views and standards about what constitutes a “good education” etc.

Depending on your actual performance around the area of mathematics, its symbolism in the dream will shift.

For example, if it wasn’t your best subject and you felt ill at ease any time there were tests and exams, mathematics could represent a certain area of life that you’re not as skillful in and therefore which could limit your perceived “acceptance” and “valuing” by those around you.

If, say, a person hated algebra and anything to do with it, the same emotions could be consciously or unconsciously present when trying to do something they weren’t good at.

As a very general example, dealing with any social occasion would make the person react in some way as if they were going to an algebra class.

This isn’t an example of a dream hiding behind a “façade” as Freud wrongly believed because dreams just naturally use a language consisting of metaphors, similes and analogies.

So focusing on an image related to algebra in a dream and asking what came to mind would probably release for such a person all sorts of memories of various uncomfortable situations and the emotions connected with them.

This is a living way of helping the dreamer understand a situation instead of the dream just saying verbally, for example, “You don’t like being around people”. That would just be a bare intellectual statement with no real emotional impact.

If on the other hand, mathematics was one of your best subjects, the dream could be hinting that you’re possibly tending to become too dependent of “doing” as opposed to just “being” and accepting yourself as being okay without having to “prove” this all the time by “succeeding” at things such as mathematics etc.

It’s not clear who “he” is as being responsible for erasing the note but at least he can be seen as probably representing an inner figure who’s connected with the “opposites”, “black and white” as suggested by the whiteboard and the chalkboard (especially if the latter is the traditional black color).

He badly stirs things up by erasing the note from the whiteboard, perhaps suggesting a need to reduce an over-dependence on being “white”, “perfect” and “always doing the right thing” etc. as opposed to being at least able to switch sometimes to a more relaxed “earthy” or darker side which isn’t seen as “acceptable” for some reason.

Part one of the dream now ends and its symbolic events can possibly be seen as the “cause” of part two where your backpack is very heavy, your shoes cause uncontrollable bouncing in the snow and then you can hardly move until you return to the gymnastics area where uncontrollable movements occur again.

The weighty backpack with its implied standard textbooks etc. could symbolize something like being too attached to fulfilling what society says are the “right things to do” instead of sticking more closely with your own personal feelings and reactions.

Maybe the shoes are meant to be “trendy” and “what everybody is wearing”.

If so, the dream could be showing the consequences of following along in any such attitude too freely, i.e. from its point of view, you might be in danger of becoming “out of control”, losing your “grounded-ness” and potentially disconnecting too much from your own felt emotions (i.e. landing in the snow).

The dream then shows you as being “lost” because you can’t find your way out of what should be a familiar place.

Also, it kind of “demotes” you to being an underclassman again, perhaps hinting that you have a lot to learn about a certain situation that could become “disabling” to your personal growth as a person (e.g. you can barely drag yourself around or even get into a car).

Potentially, certain outmoded habits, attitudes and interests etc. which have worked well in the past (as symbolized by the girl who offers you a ride) apparently could fail to “move you forward” because they might have become too far removed from the unique combination of potentials inside yourself.

Perhaps you were very good at gymnastics in high school and this attracted attention and admiration.

If so, it’s possible that trying to replicate “attention-getting” and “pleasing others” in your current context might lead to you being subject to “uncontrollable” energy taking over and in the end, leaving you feeling “out of place” by leading too far away from the “real you”.

Anyway as mentioned, without knowing anything much about you, this way of looking at your dream might not fit your personal circumstances very well, but I hope these ideas can be helpful in some way.

Please feel free to ask any questions or to make any comments about this particular way of looking at your dream.