Train Journey

One of my recurring nightmares is that of train journey. In the dream, either I miss the train or I get down to buy something and the train leaves. Out of sheer desperation I start running behind the train on the track, sometimes I managed to catch the train (may be the effect of watching Rajnikant’s film).

Getting up in the morning, I used to wonder why the hell this kind of dreams repeatedly come to me. I am fully aware, it is our anxiety, fear, insecurity or some suppressed desires which form the major contents of a dream. So I sat down to recall all my mis-adventures with train journeys.

• I had to take the train from Madurai to Chennai, and I entered the correct coach, but someone else had occupied it. I showed him my ticket saying it is my seat. That person looked at the ticket quietly then said, “Yes, it is your seat, but you have come one earlier” I had to leave the place embarrassed, tried to talk to the T.T, but he sternly told me not to waste his time.

• I was travelling from Jamshedpur to Chennai. At Vizak, the train stops for nearly 30 minutes. I got down from the train, sat on the platform and started reading a magazine. I was so involved in reading, and did not notice the train leaving the station. Fellow platformer shook my shoulder and pointed out that my train is leaving. Luckily I could run and jump into the train. But the thought of missing the train along with my bags troubled my mind for a longer period of time.

• I had to give a talk at Berhampur, and I went catch the train. Since I reached 40 minutes earlier, thought of reading something. The same thing happened, almost I missed the train. I had to run and get into the last coach. Then onwards I have given up the habit of reading on the platform.

I could recollect several similar endeavors with train journey and I noted them down on that day. Surprisingly, the nightmares of missing trains and running after them have stopped. Bring the dream to the conscious mind and integrate the associated fears and anxieties, they stop bothering us. Of course some dreams we do not want to stop coming back; them we should not integrate with our conscious mind. Suppose silk-smita is dancing in the dream, why on earth one needs to stop her from dancing? (effect of dirty picture)