Tell me this recurring dream is not literal.

[rbnyc]

I do often have premonitions, but they usually do not come as dreams and I am usually certain that they are premonitions. This recurring dream, however, is so frightening and confusing.

My whole life I’ve had various versions of the same nightmare, going off a bridge in a car into a river or large, deep, cold body of water. It’s completely horrifying. I am the passenger. The driver loses control of the car. I can see what’s happening. Then suddenly we are in the air and there’s nowhere to go but into the water.

In recent years my son is occasionally, but not always, in his car seat in the back. As we’re headed for the water, I try to figure out what I can do to save myself (and my son if he is present.) Sometimes I wake up before we hit the water. Sometimes I jump out of the car before it hits the water and I swim to safety. Sometimes we hit the water, but for some reason we are able to drive the car to safety. Sometimes we sink and I wake up while I’m figuring out how to get out of the car.

I always wake up thinking I need to have a plan for getting out of a submerged car. But then I shake it off.

I am afraid of bridges and I am afraid of cars. I always have been.

I had another one of these dreams right before I woke up this morning.

They really bother me.