Discussion: in a dream, it's hard to read a map

hey, question for the neurologists and psychologists out there:

had this dream, and at one point, had to read a map. It was really hard. Couldn't do it, stressed out, and woke up.

Is it just me? or is there a biological/neurological basis for that?

What scale was the map, and how big were the symbols?

"To see or study a map in your dream suggests that your current life path will lead to fulfillment of your needs and realization of your goals. It also indicates that you are set on the path to self knowledge and self discovery. If you have difficulties understanding or reading the map, then it means that you are feeling lost. You are literally still trying to find yourself and figure out where you want to go in life." - Taken from the source of all truth: The Internet. More specifically the webpage called dream moods. Lol.

And I'm an accountant You're welcome.

Usually in my orienteering dreams, things start ok (imaginary map = imaginary terrain), but then the map changes and doesn't make sense anymore.

Either that, or I continually fail to get my pants/shoes on before the start.

Funnily enough that website does a thorough breakdown of shoe related dreams, including being without shoes. Too many people out there like their shoes obviously. :P

In my orienteering dreams the map, terrain and course are always the same and I am making fewer mistakes but I have never finished the course. On the way to the finish line I either get washed away in a flash flood if I take the stream route or I start running in slow motion if I run through the field. Once I had an orienteering dream and the map was different. I woke up thinking of the movie inception. ;-)

Not even Batman can read in a dream

I usually end up late for my start if I sleep through it.

You have to replace the late for class / didn't study for final / didn't realize I was signed up for that course dream with some other phobia....
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On the bright side, you weren't being chased at the time

In a reverse chasing start, I'm always the one being chased.

I always feel like I'm trying to run as hard as I can, and making pitiful progress. Like trying to run through mud or something. Very frustrating.

I have certainly had orienteering dreams with readable maps, although the terrain usually starts out normal and then turns into something weird/cool. Such as orienteering through a mall, a strange futuristic city, a very interesting urban park, or controls on islands, big cliffs, and other neat features.

The stressful dreams I have are usually about work or school (Even though I haven't been in any sort of school for over a decade. I don't think those dreams ever end.)

Map reading in a dream I can do. But usually my dreams are about getting to the airport to fly out to a rogaine or orienteering race and finding that I haven't packed any of my O gear - or about missing the plane because I am still frantically packing!

It's hard to miss a plane. They are quite large.

I actually had a dream last night where I was super fit (hey, it was a dream), and I showed up to the start without any shoes. Sigh.

In just about all of my running/orienteering dreams, I keel over and fall down on my side. And stand up and fall down on my side again.

I'm a side-sleeper, so a potential explanation is that at some point my brain realizes that I'm not actually running and that I'm actually laying on my side, so my dream-self falls over to match.

I always lose my map :(

I sometimes day dream when I am orienteering and then I get lost :-)

I don't recall any dreams where I've been reading a map. But I had one recently where I was trying to make a map, and couldn't figure out how to represent the terrain.