Flying Dreams

The dream interpretation of flying.

Flying Dream Definition

If you have vivid dreams of flying or floating then you may find yourself wondering what any of it may mean. Typically, dreaming of the ability to fly evokes an enjoyable experience in the dreamer. This happiness often manifests itself as a symbol of hope for the greater things to come; it may even connote how far you still have to soar.

But like with anything, positive dreams always have a negative connotation to consider when exploring meanings.

Typically, negative flying dreams may elicit imagery of plane crashes, anxiety, and unsteady landing. However, this always comes with its own set of meanings.

If you’ve dreamt of negatively experiencing flying like from the list above (or something similar to it), then this may represent fears in your lived perspective. Some emotions these negative dreams may evoke from you may be anxiety, a lack of control, and a struggle to perform everyday tasks in your waking life.

Flying is Represented by…

While flying is easy to define, it is also a topic laden with metaphor and symbolism. For many of us, it’s easier to understand the feelings that flying evokes when compared to the typical representations. These are:

• A Sense of Self: Flying connotes an air of heroism for many. If there are elements of heroics to your dreams, then it may be an inclination to explore how that aligns with your ethos and who you are. It can be easy to fall victim to an inflated ego if you begin to view yourself as a hero to the world, so be cautious if your dreams depict this representation.
• Escape: Flying also has many romantic notions of escape for people, this may be escaping a situation or relationship, or it may just be a sign for you to lead the life you dream of.
• Spiritual Connection: If flying in your dreams has links to a heavenly body or religious entity, you may want to research more into your own beliefs or religion. Sometimes, especially, if you’re flying high, it may be representative of closeness to God.
• Freedom: This is the most common theme when discussing flying. Often, the dream meaning of flying links to freedom and if you feel this in your life, then it may mean that there’s a lot of hope and possibility coming your way.

Most Frequent Examples of Flying Dreams

Do You Dream About… Having Wings While Flying?

Flying with wings in a dream would be an exciting ability for many people.

Wings often give off an air of freedom or liberation. For many, wings would mean that they could fly away from any obstacles holding them back. However, there’s also a sense that the dreamer may feel as though this gives them a way to run from the world.

In either avenue, it’s important you consider why you may feel this way about your situation, and if there is anything you can do to change your future.

If this is a dream you experience, then ensure you also take note of the type of wing you’re soaring through the sky with. If they are angel wings then this may connote a sense of innocence and that you have feelings of power and healing. Whereas flapping wings often indicates important changes that are due to arise.

Do You Dream About… Flying in a Plane?

If you dream about flying through the sky in a plane, this represents that you’re taking control of your life and walking towards a new avenue in your life.

You might be at a crossroads, but this flight will be the thing that takes you to your correct destination in life. There’s a feeling of moving forward in this flight and that you may see yourself being taken to a new destination; embrace it because this plane will lead you to a positive point in your life.

Do You Dream About… Falling Out of the Sky?

If in your dream, you’re flying but then all of a sudden you fall out of the sky, then this suggests a feeling of bad luck and anxiety over potential failure.

To dream of hurtling to the ground also represents your concept of self and success. To dream of falling does represent a decline in status, friends, or emotions. There may be some events in your future that might lead to this decline or some obstacles that are proving to act as roadblocks.

Although this may be a shock to your confidence, this dream isn’t negative. It’s a chance for you to explore the areas of life you’re currently struggling to control and allow you to take back your future and success.

Do You Dream About… Being a Bird While You Fly?

To dream of flying as a bird represents a magical idea of freedom.

Often, birds represent independence. As this is a bird soaring through the sky, that means it isn’t caged or trapped, but instead allowed to be free and take on any challenges that get in its way.

If you don’t feel as though you have the ability to be free, then maybe question why? Are you trusted in your personal life to be free? Or are you being forced to the ground? Maybe you’ve been unreliable as of late? And instead of staying loyal to your duties, you’re flying away in search of success and freedom?

Do You Dream About… Flying in Outer Space?

When you dream, it is often of fairly radical things. If you dream of flying in outer space, then this often indicates that some life-altering events will soon arise in your personal life.

However, as you can imagine, floating in space is fairly unusual. As such, the events that arise in your life may be a little more quirky than you may have expected.

Unfortunately, the good comes with the bad. While floating in space isn’t inherently a bad thing to dream, it indicates a lot of uncertainty in the life of the dreamer. For many, this type of dream appears in an unrealistic way. You may be a person with their feet on the ground, but this dream indicates a tendency to become out of touch with reality or the desire to be free from some constraint.

Do You Dream About… Flying with Someone Else?

Flying with someone else in a dream is a great sign for those who are looking for love in their real life. This is because, for many, it indicates romance on the horizon.

If in your dream, you’re flying while touching the other person then this symbolizes a sexual relationship filled with love. The touch doesn’t need to be sexual in nature, it may be something as innocuous as holding hands. But the act of soaring through the sky with someone suggests that you’re willing to open yourself up to the idea of a relationship. Sharing your dream space with someone is always an intimate act, so ensure that you see things for how they are when you wake and make sure nothing is holding you back as you navigate love.

Do You Dream About… Flying in a Hot Air Balloon?

A hot air balloon tends to be a more social activity. If you’re flying in one of these then it’s symbolic of your social relationships. It may hint that you want to keep the peace, and ultimately, just want to feel love and be accepted by others.

Hot air balloons are a man-made contraption, so it may also link to the tendency to be too rational. Give yourself the chance to dream of greater heights – but just be careful if you visit those heights. For if the balloon bursts at any point, this may also symbolise a surprise or shock that is coming your way soon.

How to Fly Through Lucid Dreams

If you’re unfamiliar, lucid dreaming is the act of a dreamer being able to control themselves while they sleep. Many people use this dreaming as a way to carry out fantasies such as flying. There are a few ways that you’re able to trigger yourself to have lucid dreams, and here are a few examples.

When you lucid dream, it’s important that you take control and put yourself in a position of power. Typically in dreams things happen to you, when you’re lucid dreaming, you’re in the driver’s seat; be warned, it may take you a few times to fully perform lucid dreaming and be rid of the barriers that are holding you back. However, if you think back, there are probably times in which you’ve lucid dreamed without even knowing it!

Before you go to sleep, reaffirm to yourself that you’re in charge of your dream. It’s your dream, you can do whatever you want in it. If you want the freedom of flying – whether you’re flying low, with wings, or with your whole family, that’s up to you. When you lucid dream, freedom is yours. Once you’re dreaming and in control, forget any typical human limitation.

At night, you need to start by imagining the feeling of flying. For you, this may be a running start or hopping from one foot to the other, whatever system comes most natural to you, follow. Then, like a bird, reach your arms out and fly. In your dream, you may start by flying close to the ground at first, but this type of dreaming takes time and practice to perfect.

As such, don’t worry about any hurdles that may get in the way. Perhaps you end up dreaming of a flock of birds, or you struggle past the buildings and skyscrapers, or maybe you struggle to see where you’re going in the night; whatever they are, it doesn’t matter. You’re the one in control of your dreaming, no concept is too strange or abstract. If this is what you want to happen in your dream, then let it happen. You deserve to be true to yourself – whether you’re dreaming or in your waking life.

After you reach past the obstacles, soar higher. Flap your arms harder. Explores nooks and crannies of the sky, try to aim for the moon, head for outer space if you want. There are no limits, only the ones you create for yourself.

When you wake, you might feel tired or worn out, this is normal. Sometimes people even feel invigorated by what they’ve experienced. It’s an entirely individual journey that reflects the person. However, for many, those wanting to experience a lucid dream also have an inclination towards the spiritual. As such, some use this experience as a segway into an out-of-body experience. While these experiences are different, the practice and experience do lend themselves to one another.

Remember, if you have dreams beyond the ability to fly, then it’s possible to lucid dreams. You choose what you do, where you visit, who you take with you. In some circumstances, dreamers have reported taking friends and family on their journey, and their friends and family are able to recount the exact same dream as the original dreamer.

This type of dreaming may also be useful to those who struggle with nightmares. Many of those who experience lucid dreams develop their dream selves. Keep in mind that this dreaming technique can only manage so much, in the instance of sleep paralysis, lucid dreams may not be much help.

When you wake, there is always more research you can do on this topic. Regardless, you want to ensure that you keep practicing. You may not be fully in charge of your dreaming straight away, but that’s completely normal and you shouldn’t put any external pressure on yourself.

Enjoy the dream journey and what it represents to you. And if you end up trying to fly, make sure you come down eventually.

Dreams About Flying Could Make You Feel…

Good Dreams

If you have a dream of flying that leaves you feeling positive or as though you had a ‘good dream’, then these feelings and situations may resonate with you:

• Growing: another association with flying is the idea of growth, this can come up in many ways. But ultimately, flying is the discussion of how to grow beyond the place you were born or brought up. For some, a flying dream suggests it’s time to fly away.
• Bravery: take the leap, confront your fears. You can do it, all you need to do is believe you can.
• If you develop the ability to fly in your dreams, but something seems out of reach then you may be disappointed upfront. However, this dream actually means that you’re close to reaching your goals in your everyday life.

Bad Dreams

On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you dream of flying and you’d believe it to be a nightmare then you may be receiving these particular messages:

• Passivity: do you feel stuck in life? If in your dreams, you didn’t manage to take off, then this could be in reference to your passivity or leaning towards a static situation in your life.
• The future: we all want to advance in life. But you’re having a nightmare of flying then it could symbolise that you’re ready to take the next step towards your future. However, if this evokes fearful imagery, then it may be best to focus on planning and preparation, as opposed to jumping ahead.
• Fear: in the instance that you dream of flying, but you’re held back by your own fear then this could symbolise the fear you’re feeling in your waking life.
• Risk-taking: as with anything in life, there is a fair amount of risk attached. If in your dreams of flying, you’re too afraid to take that risk then this could represent opportunities you’ve missed out on in reality.

A Bit of Context Into… Flying Dreams

Spiritually

Originally, flying dreams may have been associated with death or the soul, and flying would be the spiritual representation of the soul leaving its body and this physical plane. For many, a soul never dies. As you navigate your future without this person, it’s important you listen to your dreams to let go of the past.

Psychologically

According to Freud, flying dreams indicates repressed sexual energies. This can mean that flying dreams act as a symbol of uncertainty and panic over your thoughts and emotions. Thus, the dreamer can feel a loss of reality, meaning that daily life is more difficult to manage.