The Dreaded “Falling” Dreams

Do you have dreams where you see yourself falling off a cliff or building? Are you often awakened by a sudden sensation of falling, only to realize you are comfortably snuggled in your bed? Do you have falling dreams? These types of dreams can have us breaking out in a cold sweat very quickly—and then there is the old wives tale that if you actually hit the bottom of your fall you can die. The myth is enough to make our hearts stop. But what does it all mean?

As with all dream interpretations, their meanings are different for every person who experiences them. The symbols will have one interpretation one night and a very different interpretation the very next. But why? The interpretation of dreams can be generalized, which our past dream interpretation blogs have provided. The specific interpretation depends on the other symbols or underlying theme of the dream. So getting back to our “falling” interpretation, in general when we experience these types of falling dreams it can represent a feeling of insecurity, anxiousness or being overwhelmed with some situations in your waking life.

Falling from a building may reflect a sense of professional failure. People who are going through a rough patch in their career or those who feel they aren’t getting their due often have falling dreams at night. Falling dreams can also take the opposite interpretation; that is, when a person is contemplating taking a big step up in responsibility in her career or trying to decide whether or not to start her own business, then her falling dreams can be representative of testing her wings with this new heightened responsibility. And in business, most of us know we learn more when we “fall” and pick ourselves back up than when everything just goes along swimmingly. When we fall we have an opportunity to sit and reflect on what happened—what worked and what didn’t work, what improvements can be made, etc. Having this type of dream can actually be a wonderful opportunity to notice on a subconscious level what we may not be aware of in our waking state.

If you are one of these individuals just described, then I would like to offer you a quick tip on making and taking advantage of your dreams. Before heading off to sleep, set a mental intention that a falling dream is supportive of the transition you are working through and that you would like to take notice of the knowledge and wisdom being offered during the fall. Remind yourself you have complete control over the dream: its speed, the symbols being offered, etc. Then when you are actually experiencing the falling dream, you can “activate” your parachute and slow the descent. During the slower descent, begin to take notice of anything new you missed in the previous falling dream experiences. You will be surprised at what you are about to learn.

Falling dreams can also be an indication of the state of your relationships. If you have been feeling insecure about your partner/spouse’s feelings toward you or are generally emotionally dissatisfied with your relationships (romantic and/or platonic), you may experience falling dreams. The same interpretation for business can apply for personal relationships. Are you about to get married? Divorced? Use the same mental intention prior to falling asleep to gain clarity around what you fears and worries are regarding this transition.

Falling dreams are often very vivid and are most often accompanied by muscle spasms of the arms and legs and a jerking sensation in the entire body. The medical explanation for falling dreams is they generally occur when one has just fallen asleep, and the jerking sensation is attributed to a sudden fall in blood pressure, a movement of the fluid to the middle of the ear, or because of limbs dangling off the bed.

Some dream interpreters believe these dreams may have prophetic messages or may be warning about a falling accident which may occur because of your carelessness. Remember the general interpretations are a great place to start, but connecting them to the underlying theme playing out in your dream is a great next step.

To help understand and identify which interpretation applies to you, think about the dream in your conscious state. Try to remember if you have noticed any malfunctions in the equipment or machines you use. Introspect and try to figure out if you have any professional or emotional insecurity you are unwilling to acknowledge or admit. Additionally, you can close your eyes and re-live your dream, letting it go on beyond the jerking movement that woke you up. Where and how you fall will give you clues about the real meaning of your dream. And sometimes our dreams are just dreams, and we therefore may not be in a position to understand them at this point in our journey and need to be patient for clarity to arrive when we are ready to receive it. Keeping a dream journal can help relieve you of trying to remember when you’ve had a similar dream before.

Falling dreams are normally the dreams we try to shake from our consciousness, but I would like to encourage you to take a new perspective of the symbols and interpretation of these dreams to empower yourself as you move through your life and the experiences it holds.

Until next time, embrace your inner wisdom.

Namaste,
Karen