It falls into the category of dream images that most frequently populate our dreams and can sometimes even become a recurring situation.
We talk about dreaming of being late, a condition that often makes us face with a sense of basic anxiety, both during sleep and when we wake up.
But why do we have this dream and how should we interpret it? The meanings are multiple and identify more than an “unresolved issue” in real life, something that the dreamer is not facing as he should, so much so that he has to face it while sleeping.
One of the typical causes that stimulates dreaming of being late is feeling under pressure to meet the expectations of others.
We feel in real life that we are in trouble and that we do not have enough resources to do what others expect, so much so that we see ourselves in a dream as someone who is constantly late.
Dream of Being Late – Meaning
It can happen that you dream of arriving late for an important appointment, an exam, an interview, a representative event. The feeling that the subject is trying to feel uncomfortable is the fear of change. To this is added a kind of guilt connected to the awareness of not having done enough to avoid the delay.
If the delay is the main theme of the dream, there are a number of variations and possible developments of the same. In some cases, in fact, with the awareness of the delay, the subject finds himself running to make up for lost time. The race indicates the possibility of recovering in life this occasion that seems to be about to escape forever.
The race is therefore a positive symbol, because it represents the commitment and the will to strive to prevent the irreparable from happening.
Another type of dream is that which sees the subject being responsible for the delay of some other subject. In this case the dream is to be understood as a projection of a sense of guilt that one has for having “damaged” in a conscious way or not the life of another person.
It may also happen that the dream stages another person’s delay and sees us therefore forced to wait for him. This dream could reflect the fear of not being able to take care of another person, the fear of not understanding his times, his needs.
The dream, for example, is typical of new mothers who fear they do not know how to respond to their children’s needs in time. Often the concept of delay is associated with the concept of departure. In this case the departure represents a moment of escape, of freedom, of novelty, of the future to which one is going.
Dreaming of arriving late at the time of departure means being afraid that something may intrude and may hinder your dream of freedom or even temporary escape. It is possible that the obstacle is represented by the subject’s ego itself.
In this case the delay must therefore be read as a lack of security and determination. Very often this restraint is unconscious, so the dream should push the subject to a correct assessment of what his thoughts are and above all his fears.
It may also happen that the departure is hindered by a delay not ours, but by the means of transport that we must use. Contrary to what is illustrated a little while ago, in this case it is possible that some external factor (work, third parties, misfortune …) can actually intervene to undermine your programs.
The dream in this case becomes the concretization of a fear, real or exaggerated. It is good to work on this fear or on the factors that cause it, to be able to face with greater serenity what is the journey, or the future in general, that awaits you.
In all cases it is good to specify that the value of the dream fades in the cases in which the dream is accomplished by a late person. In this case, in fact, the dream could simply stage what is a custom.
Dream of Being Late – Symbolism
In real life, when you are late, you feel a certain level of anxiety or panic, as well as concern about the loss of an opportunity.
Generally dreaming of being late, represents the voice of one’s own conscience that warns not to make promises that cannot be kept; if instead other people are late, the dream is a warning that it is necessary to curb one’s own extravagance to avoid financial difficulties.
Being late in dreams, due to unforeseen events, such as the car that doesn’t start or waking up late, is a representation of the dreamer’s fears in real life.
Being already late and having missed an opportunity is slightly different: in this case the dream means that you are experiencing a period of anxiety and concern for the future.
Represents feelings of anger, frustration, and disappointment at having missed that important occasion.
According to some dream interpreters, dreaming of missing an appointment because late means that you are working too hard. It is likely that it will be necessary to spend time relaxing and above all it is necessary not to be too hard or demanding with yourself.
Dreaming of being late can also be a sign of change in one’s life or the fear of change itself; perhaps you feel hesitant to make important choices that affect your future. The delay in dreams can reflect feeling back or feeling that you are losing ground to others.
Dreaming about being late for work – refers to the feeling of being insignificant. This can happen due to lack of self-confidence or because people doubt the dreamer’s ability to perform a task perfectly.
According to other interpretations, this dream represents a lack of preparation or organization to begin alone to pursue one’s goals. So you will tend to procrastinate or distract yourself from your obligations and responsibilities.
Dreaming of being late in going to school – is a lack of preparation to start things concerning an important or serious issue. You could be unprepared or too distracted to face the challenge you want to take forward.
Dream of arriving late – And if, in a dream, you arrive late to something very important, like a marriage, this is also a sign that you are thinking too much about work and too little about your loved ones and family. One feels anxious because one thinks that one cannot finish everything in time or with the least possible expense for the family.
The best solution is to go on vacation and relax with your family.
Being late in dreams when taking a plane or losing a flight means that when you try to finish everything, time will not be enough.
So: be careful of assuming a task that you already know you are not able to finish in time.
Dreaming of being late in taking a bus – is the procrastination of doing something difficult or unpleasant like a university exam or a question at school.
Dreaming of being late for the exam – instead denotes fear of not being able to do everything that should be done.
Being late in dreams when taking a ship or ferry – is a procrastination in dealing with a situation deemed negative.
Dreaming of being late to catch a train – is the procrastination of starting to work on a long-term goal.
Dreaming of being late for a party – announces problems in the workplace and in business.
Dreaming of delaying the falling rain – is the desire to abandon responsibility and lighten one’s work.
Conclusion
If we dream that the being late is the cause of other problems, such as the loss of a train or an airplane, we probably live with the fear of losing the opportunities that life is presenting us. It can be either an advancement on the job, or the concretization of our personal life, maybe getting married or expanding the family.
Being late in a dream can also reflect the same feeling we have when awake. If we feel too old or inadequate for something that is happening to us, then our subconscious will turn this discomfort into a very clear dream image.
Not only that, because this kind of dream also alerts us to the fact that we may not have given the right priorities to things. If we work so hard at work while neglecting our loved ones, we probably feel late in the lives of our loved ones.
In this case, dreaming can put us in front of our shortcomings and our uneasiness that we probably can’t really admit. Making some clarity and rearranging the priorities of our lives can help us live better. Not just during sleep.