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Falling
Dreams can
have a symbolic or even literal significance,
often indicating a feeling that life is
spiraling out of control on some level or
reminding us of a real physical danger |
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What does it mean when you dream of falling?
Popular Expressions:
- Headed for a fall
- Take the fall for someone
- Fall in love
- Fall from grace.
See also: Accident, Adventure, Flying
Falling dreams are one of the most
common dreams that people have. Everyone at sometime in
their life will have at least one falling dream.
Studies reveal that in many cases,
dreams of falling happen at the verge of sleep, and
that at least some falling dreams may be physiological
in nature - i.e. a blood pressure drop at the moment of
slumber stimulating the sense of falling, an inner ear process
through the equilibrium out, etc.
However, falling dreams can have
a symbolic or even literal significance, often indicating a
feeling that life is spiraling out of control on some level or
reminding us of a real physical danger. Falling dreams
are an indication of insecurities, and anxieties. You are
feeling overwhelmed and out of control in some situation in
your waking life.
This may reflect the way you feel
in your relationship or in your work environment (you are out
of control or losing control of the situation). You have lost
your foothold and can not hang on or keep up with the hustle
and bustle of daily life. When you fall the the dream there is
nothing to grab or hold onto that is sturdy enough to save
you. This lost of control may parallel a waking situation
in your life.
 Falling Dreams can indicate a sense of
failure
Falling
dreams also can reflect a sense of failure or inferiority in
your life. It may be the fear of failing (being demoted)in
your job/school, or even failure in love. You feel as though
you are unable to keep up with the status quo or that you
don't measure up to the standard of society or your peers.
Out of control; being under grounded or unsupported; in a slump
You've woken with a thud. You know you've just taken a fall in your dream and made a crash landing back into you body.
Why are we so frightened of falling when the sensation in itself is so exciting? What we're really frightened of is being unsupported and crash-landing. If you dropped from a tall building and 20 strong firefighters stood underneath you with a net, you wouldn't be as afraid being because you'd feel supported.
Falling in a dream may suggest that you feel unsupported in life. Why don't you feel unsupported? What can you do to support yourself? Notice what you're falling from in your dream (a cliff, a ladder, or out of thin air) and if you don't wake up first, take note of what you fall on or into. What's the context - work, relationships, or a social situation? This will give you a clue to the areas of your life in which you feel unsupported.
If you dream you fall off a ladder, first check the ladders around your house to make sure they're safe, then ask yourself if someone was supposed to be holding the ladder for you. If you see someone else falling in dreams, ask yourself if they needed support. Or perhaps they're falling from your grace? What do they represent to you? Perhaps an aspect of yourself is falling away?
Look at your life, too. Are you anticipating a downfall at work, in a relationship, or in another area of your life? Fall is another name for autumn, a time when the leaves drop off the trees. Is it time to hibernate and get ready for the regeneration of spring?
Research has found that when astronauts dream in space, they dream that everything floats! Perhaps the fall in your dream is simply a physical sensation.
Falling dreams typically occur during the first stage
of sleep. Dreams in this stage are often accompanied by muscle
spasms of the arms, legs, and the whole body. These sudden
contractions, also known as myclonic jerks. Sometimes when we
have these falling dreams, we feel our whole body jerk or
twitch and we awaken from this jerk. It is thought that this
jerking action is part of an arousal mechanism that allows the
sleeper to awaken and become quickly alert and responsive to
possible threats in the environment.
See also: Accident, Adventure, Flying
Falling Dreams and
Psychology
 Psychologically, falling dreams are not
generally thought of as having major significance, but they
can be used to get insight into basic things that are
happening in our lives. Below are questions to ask yourself to
help interpret a dream of falling:
- Are you stressed? Could this be a subconscious forewarning of a
perceived failure, or demotion?
- Are you afraid of losing
something or someone? Falling dreams can be
interpreted as a physical "letting go" in some cases.
Is a child moving away from home? A divorce? Financial
problems and stress?
- Do you feel insecure? Have you started a new job?
Joined a new club? Started a new
romance?
- Are you feeling
overwhelmed? Are you trying to do too
many things at once?
- Has someone important
disappointed you recently? Are you
disappointed in yourself?
- Made a bad business or
personal decision recently? Have you or
someone close to you done something that has upset
your emotional equilibrium? Has a spouse, friend, or
significant other lied, cheated, or disappointed you
in some way? Have you done any of these things
yourself?
- Is there something
physical in your environment that needs your
attention? Is there a broken step, loose
hand-rail, or wobbly chair in the house? Is there an
"accident waiting to happen" somewhere in your
environment?
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In all cases above, try to determine what caused
the dream, what changes have come into your life just prior to
the onset of the falling dreams. Write in your journal what
you think the problem is and what you can do to resolve it,
and then flag that page and check back in a few weeks to
determine if you have made progress.
If it seems to be just a vague fear, consciously try to
confront that fear, listing the worst and best case scenarios
in your mind to help you work through the situation. Continue
writing in your journal every morning and you may be able to
spot the counter-dream signifying that the problem has been
resolved!
- Fall Back may represent a forced move made for the purpose of stepping back to get a better perspective of an issue.
- Fall Down represents a misstep; a failed attempt one needs to get and recover from.
- Falling-out underscores the fact that one has had a considerable disagreement with another, but the relationship can recover if both parties aren't stubborn.
- Falling Star applies to personal disappointments.
- Fall Out connotes a possible future disassociation from someone in the dreamer's life. May also represent destructive ramifications from a confrontation or a particular behavior.
See also: Accident, Adventure, Flying
Go to the Dream Dictionary
Also see Lucid Dreams
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