Dreaming of Flying – Meaning and Symbolism

Flying is one of the ancient dream images, occurring long before humans have conquered the sky.

It always strikes me as impressive how realistic these dreams feel, even though we aren’t birds, right?

Since the sensation of flying is not an ordinary, shared life experience, flying dreams are rarely of the “everyday replay” kind. Instead, they may carry more profound messages from your Unconscious.

Flying in dreams can mean many things. Like it’s often the case, details are what matters for a reasonable interpretation. How you fly, where you’re flying, what you’re observing, and how you feel about it all while flying all make a difference when trying to discover the meaning behind your dream.

So, what dreams of flying mean? What’s the difference between a good flying dream, when you feel free and unbound, and a bad one when you feel like you’re going to crash?

Let’s take off and find out.

Dreaming of flying in the air

Flying – even in a dream – can be an extraordinary experience that you can feel very intensely. Of course, just flying through the air on your own sounds completely surreal, and it is, but in your dream, the chances are that it will feel completely normal.

But what does it mean to find yourself gliding through the air in a dream, just like that?

Flying dreams that feel good

First of all, flying is related to freedom, and that is quite obvious. For example, thanks to their flying abilities, birds have been a symbol of freedom since before we can remember. Soaring through the sky stands for being free from earthly things, obligations, and bonds.

From that point, the interpretation can move into (at least) two directions.

• Your pleasant flying dream can mean that, currently, you are living your life to the fullest. Your inner strength is allowing you to be independent and pursue what you think is right. According to If the sky is clear, blue, and sunny, it’s a sign you’re on the right track in life. Enjoy your flight please, there’s a great chance you’ve earned it!
• On the other hand, the dreams where you are flying with joy can also mean that you crave to escape – from your mundane everyday routines and responsibilities. You can tell that’s the case if you are feeling nostalgic or filled with longing after you wake up.

Perhaps you feel stuck where you are or crave change? Would you like a new career or go traveling for a change of scenery (craving for vacation often includes flying themes)? Think about what you can do to freshen up your real life. A bit more joy and adventure might be the answer and the solution.

Finally, flying dreams can specifically represent spiritual hunger. In all religious systems, our souls tend to ascend, right? You are gaining spiritual strength and ancient wisdom – and you possibly want more of it. You need a higher perspective of the situation you’re in.

In that sense, if you look down in your dream and find the ground below beautiful, interesting and overly positive, it means that you can see things clearly from an overarching perspective, and things are probably going well. However, a dream like this can also be telling you what you need to do – to step back and look over your life from a more comprehensive perspective.

Flying dreams that feel bad or wrong

The troubled flying dreams are also common, and they can carry various messages based on how you were feeling in the dream and the other elements besides flying.

For example, if you are flying in a dream and constantly are flying into obstacles – mountains, powerlines and other electric wiring, trees, and branches – it can mean that you have circumstances in your life. It could be other people, ideas, or situations – that you feel are blocking you or your progress.

Also, the feeling of control is also crucial for the quality of your flying dream. It is understandable that in positive flying dreams, you will feel completely in control of your flight, or at least like you are very protected.

If you feel unable to control your flight or if in your dream you are flying too high or too low, it can signal that you doubt your skill and power. You may be scared of a possible failure.

Flying without any outside warning signals, but while still being fearful about it and scared of falling, might mean that you may have taken too many responsibilities in your life, that you’ve bitten off more than you can chew. The good thing, though, is that you are still managing to remain airborne. It is likely that you just need a boost of self-confidence.

If you are flying against a backdrop of a dark, stormy, or thundering sky, that can signal danger. In your waking life, it would be best to aim for a safe landing until a storm passes – have your eyes open about possible threats on your life journey.

Dream of flying like a bird

A bit rarer motif than flying through the air, flying through your dream in the form of a bird can signify big things such as spiritual growth. Also, as the bird is a symbol of freedom – and especially avians such as swallows who spend a lot of time airborne – the dream may mean you wish to transform yourself and your life to gain more freedom and to use your instincts more. Do you often say “Nay” to the suggestions of your gut feeling? If so, try to look up to our little feathered friends (and dream guides) at least a little bit.

Interesting fact: some Native American tribes believed that dreaming you are a bird is a full-blown out-of-body experience, where you get to move around unbound in the form of a bird.

Dream of flying on a plane

Dreaming of flying on a plane is similar to dreaming of being on a bus since both are vehicles and means of public transportation. Like with the bus, the interpretation difference between flying a plane and flying on the plane as a messenger is significant.

The dream image of traveling in collective transportation is always related to your belonging to a group or the entire society.

If you are flying on a plane as a passenger, you could be pretty passive in your daily life, a member-of-the-crowd-type of person. You are sharing the collective experience and faith; however, you may not always be comfortable with it. Being scared while flying on a plane may signal that you are uncomfortable with your collective’s direction.

Instead of a large transportation plane, you could dream that you are in a small plane, helicopter, or a balloon – alone. If you get into turbulence, or the wind blows you off the course, or the vehicle is otherwise out of your control, it means you feel that the external forces are controlling your life and yourself. If these dreams repeat themselves frequently, it’s time to define and call out those forces in your waking life.

Dream of a plane crash

The plane crash is probably one of the scariest dreams because of all the suspense that takes place from the moment you realize that the plane is crashing. But after the terror of the dream itself subsides, you should focus on the content and the message instead of dread, that is, unlike the message, useless in your waking life.

The plane crash is what it is – a disaster and one which you have absolutely no control over. These dreams occur in periods of great stress, anxiety, and suspense in your life, when you feel like the life you’ve built, be it family or business life, is in danger. Sometimes they can even announce a real-life disaster before it happens. I don’t believe that this is some sorcery; the explanation can be pretty logical. Your subconscious already holds all the essential facts about your life and can be aware of impending mishaps based on them.

An interesting twist in plane crash dreams is when you watch a plane crash from the ground. I know for certain that some people never dream of being on the plane but always watch it crash from the ground, feeling more or less endangered by it. However, this is a topic for another article, as these dreams don’t include the sensation of flying.

Conclusion

Dreaming of flying is related to one’s sense of freedom and perspective in life. The quality of your flying dreams can tell you if you are comfortable with your current lifestyle and if you are heading in the right direction – especially if a particular dream scenario that includes flying keeps repeating.

However, you shouldn’t be overly worried about flying dreams, as they rarely indicate a real-life disaster. Instead, try to take on the messages, but also relax and enjoy the unique experience.

Do you dream of flying often? Share your most intriguing flying dream in the comments below!