Falling dreams are the most frequent among all the common dreams we experience in our lifetime. Researchers say the average human will experience falling in a dream up to five times in their lives.
These vivid nightmares often revolve the dream Falling, Slipping, Jumping or Being Pushed from high above ground. Researchers tend to believe falling in dreams may be a result from a natural disorder called Parasomnias, whereas dream analyst feel it is to do with not being grounded.
Reasons For Falling Dreams
A phenomenon called Hypnagogia is a common yet natural experience that occurs during the transition state between wakefulness and sleep. Similar to the state experienced from sleep paralysis, falling in dreams is considered a “hypnagogic state” known to make the dreamer feel like they are actually falling.
According to the American Academy of Sleep say there are many reasons why one experiences these disturbances. One theory suggests falling dreams are connected to what is taking place in our waking life. Whenever we dream of falling we have lost control in some aspect in our life that needs to be identified. Possibly a metaphor for a need to be grounded or lost touch with reality.
- afraid of losing your job
- connecting to relationships
- not having control in a situation
- lack of confidence
- embarrassed that you wouldn’t make the cut
- your not in control of your destiny
- hitting rock bottom
- insecurity
- need proper grounding
- spiritual grounding
Falling In Dreams & Waking Up
Hypnagogic jerks are involuntary muscle spasm that occurs right before you go to sleep or just walking up. Researchers say that these consistent, yet strong unexpected contractions happen up to 70 percent of sleepers. However not all falling sensations will force you out of sleep, most go unnoticed sleeping right through them.
Also known as hypnic jerks or sleep starts which are accompanied by hallucinations; sensations of falling, bright lights and exploding head syndrome. Some scientist believe certain factors, such as stress, anxiety, fatigue, caffeine and sleep deprivation, may increase the frequency or severity of hypnic jerks.
Another scientific take on this is when the brain sends electrical signals to muscles to test for this paralysis, but it has not yet kicked in. However this mystery still remains inconclusive.
Another popular theory takes a more evolutionary approach to falling dreams, suggesting that the jerks are an ancient primate reflex to the relaxation of muscles just before sleep — the brain essentially misinterprets the relaxation as a warning connecting to the primate falling off of the tree. This causes the brain to react quickly by sending signals to the muscles.
How To Stop Falling Sensations
- avoid caffeine
- do not oversleep
- reduce stress
- mediation
- avoid stimulants
- check medications for symptoms
Falling Dreams
#1. Losing Balance In Dream Meaning?
Dreams of losing balance are metaphoric in nature reminding you of your own lack of balance in life. Currently you may be unstable as you need proper grounding – a need to explore areas where you may be vulnerable or slipping that will cause a disturbance. The location and the people around you might give you a hint of what to look out for.
#2. Pushed In Dream?
A common dream is we are pushed by either an unknown person or someone you may currently know. These dreams are symbolic showing you that a person might be responsible for this lack of control or possibly yourself.
If you are unable to see the face of the person that pushed you might be connected to the shadow side of your personality. This is your neglected side or the unknown part that pushes you to your own troubles.
If you were pushing yourself to please other for example, this dream might be appropriate. If it was someone you may know they could be the person responsible or a reflection of someone who carries these similar traits.
This dream would imply you might be pushed to your limits. You could be a push over suggesting being to agreeable. Someone might catch you off guard.
#3. Lost Grip In Dream?
Trying to hold on for your dear life in your dream is a common occurrence. These dreams suggest a need for grounding in your life. You might feel a lack of control and it is unconsciously affecting your path.
You might want to explore different areas in your life where you feel you are just hanging on; or if you feel someone has the upper hand on you. You might need some more support in your life as you may experience a lack of control.
#4. Holding or Slipping In Dream
Holding on for dear life in your dream suggests that you are trying your best to fix a situation you may have no control over. This can either be with a relationship, friends or even your family. It could also be connected to your emotions as you are trying to hold on before you crash.
Slipping and plummeting to your death is a quite a scary experience. Slipping to your death suggests that you will eventually “slip up” in a particular situation that will cause emotional distress. Where you able to regain your grip? Did you fall to the ground? Where was your location? How did you feel when you slipped?
Trying to hold on for dear life at the edge or balancing on a cliff implies possible danger. Could it imply you live on the edge, or maybe you make risky decisions; hence being on the edge. It’s quite possible you need some grounding physically and spiritually.
#6. Falling From A Building Dream
Buildings appear in our dream as things that have been previously built, metaphorically speaking relating to a new idea or project. It may also relate to your belief system, relationships, ideas, projects that has been “built” by you in the past. Falling from a building in your dream represents a loss of control or abandonment.
#7. Somebody Falling In Dreams
You might see the person who is falling as a metaphor for losing them in a particular way. You may feel the person is out of your control, or some other force has affected them. You might be witnessing distress from other people around you in your life.
Finding out who was with you, your emotional state and location are all clues to better decode the dream. If you feel helpless then it might imply you are not in control in helping others in danger.
#8. Falling Down A Staircase Dream
Stairs are symbolic in the sense as they show us advancement or progress in our lives. In this case falling down the stairs suggest you may experience a setback or delay in this area. If it was in your house could represent your mind/psyche in some personal development.
#9. Falling in water
Dreams about falling in water bring our attention to our emotional state of mind. There could be a loss of control or unwillingly plunging into a part of yourself that makes you apprehensive.
#10. Landing at the bottom
This could suggest an ending of some sort of your life. Something where you might need to get to the bottom of things. Do you feel that you might hit rock bottom in life? Could this relate to your job or relationship?
Remembering how you fell on the ground can suggest what needs to be fixed in your life. If you fell on your back implies that you need more support in your life. If you fell on your hands means that you need more of a hand with people that are close to you.
If you fell in water means that you are emotionally breaking down and need to address your problem asap.
Spiritual Meaning Falling From Dreams
If you had the ability to land on your feet after the fall reflects overcoming a obstacle in your life. Falling then gliding yourself to safety shows you will find another way out of the difficult situation. Find out how to stop falling in your dream (r).
Quotes
“People who fall the hardest, bounce back the highest.” – Nishan Panwar.
“Just because we fell one time doesn’t mean we can’t get up and let our light shine.”
“When real people fall down in life, they get right back up and keep walking.
Falling dreams should never be overlooked especially if they are recurring. This dream could be unconsciously hinting at our insecurities and our beliefs in life . Though all falling dreams are not always bad symbols, but indications for us to open to change that is taking place.
Sometimes we need to hit rock bottom before we start a new stage. Dreams of this nature alert us to becoming more cognizant of our actions and behaviors in our life.
Famous dream analyst Carl Jung stated that falling is a warning as being too high in life, trying to impress others. This would be referring to the comparison to one’s neighbor as a benchmark for social class, or the accumulation of material goods. To fall in the dream would be perceived as demonstrating socio-economic or cultural inferiority.
I had a falling dream. I cannot recall where I was falling from, but I knew something bad was going to happen and I ended up in water, near a bridge. I thought “Well, that wasn’t so bad, it’s ok.” And then there was a train, I remember seeing yellow, on the bridge above and it was derailing off into the water on top of me. I remember thinking “Oh, there is the bad. I knew it was coming.” and I put my hands up, knowing it was going to land on me and I was going to drown. But… Read more »
I just had a dream where I was in a condo or apartment building and was moving from one apartment to another. Then, the part of the building I was broke away and I was falling while in the building. I landed in water. Next I went to another building to tell someone about it and I once again got trapped and the building fell. Once I got out, I was standing looking at another building that had lots of tall flag poles with various flags on the roof. The started wobbling and then all flew off and down into… Read more »
I’ve had falling dreams before, not often, but today I had one that scared the crap out of me. It seemed so real. I was falling and I reached out to grab something. There was a smooth rock wall, nothing to grab. I kept falling and I was thrashing about to grab something. There wasn’t anything. I looked down and it was a long way to??? Below was covered with fog, gray mist. I awoke and didn’t know where I was at. I’m actually sore and cut my arm while thrashing. I’ve never had a dream as real as this… Read more »
For some reason I have a reoccuring dream once every 2-3 months, where I fell off a building and I’m falling into darkness. It’s like I can’t control anything for some reason and I wake either scared, sweaty, or crying. It’s honestly so scary and awful, and I’m not even afraid of heights. Maybe it’s stress? I don’t really know, I just need help.
I have this reoccuring dream, where I am in a grassy area, with a tall bluish tower. It has large brightly colored slides leading down from it. Going up to these slides are colorful columns of glass rectangular prisms(They’re attached to the side) and for whatever reason, I have to climb the blue side. Close to the top my hands get sweaty and I fall, and hit the ground. Then I wake up. Does it mean anything?
I have had for as long as I remember had the same recurring dream of being seated on a plane and my seat falling from the plane but always waking up before the fall is over I haven’t had the dream for many yrs now im 32 but I haven’t been on a Plane sense
I have a reoccurring dream in which I am in a plane, simoultainiously I am also seated in the stands of a stadium of some kind and finally I’m in the middle of this “stadium”. I jump from the plane without fear or parachute. All at once I watch myself fall from the ground from the plane and from the perspective of the jumper. I always hit the ground and usually bounce several times before coming to a stop. This dream has been reoccurring over my entire life always remembered with the same detail and multiple points of view.I am… Read more »
Once the theme is recurring it’s main purpose would be for you to pay attention to something that still remains hidden or unconscious within you. If you think back when the dream started to occur you might be able to find the event or trauma that caused you to experience this dream in the first place. If you want you may read the article in the search bar for helpful tips: how to stop recurring dreams. Planes are symbols of transitions and you jump out of this before you make it. Seems to be reflecting something in your life.
I had a dream a couple of hours ago, and have struggled falling back asleep. I had a dream the night before that disturbed me as well, and I wanted to see if they were related. Last night’s dream dealt with my 9 year old daughter. What I assume was, we were sitting on a ledge eating, and she lost her balance and fell to her death. In my life right now, I have recently gone through a rough divorce, and my ex-wife tries to have all control of my kids life without my say. I’m constantly fighting her over… Read more »
Hello Ryan. Sorry to hear about your situation. I think the dream about her losing balance is relating to the divorce; not being grounded, stable, secure that you may unconsciously be picking up on. Eating brings energy to the person and if you are on the ledge it becomes a metaphor related to your feelings or situation. As for the second part of the dream you might see similar parallels between you and your friend (psychological projection); or perhaps this was your wife a former friend. The screaming and yelling tells you something, emotions that are bottled up within. “It’s… Read more »
What would you make of a dream where my three kids and I are for some reason having to move from a large scrabble type board on a cliff to get to safe ground. It has spots to hold on to and slide from one side to the other carefully. My 9 year old step son makes it across, my 3 year old daughter is is the front pack on me and my 7 year old son is on his way following me. My daughter pushes hard and we fall back off but I catch up and can get back… Read more »
I think the dream has to do with your (family) progression in life. You see, unlike hills, mountains only appear in our dreams when we are faced with a major obstacle, one in which wants you to get to the top. At the top is higher awareness. Remember you are trying to move to safe ground suggesting that something is unstable or lacks support. You might see something related to your son losing grip that seems to be metaphoric related to his progression. The game being built on words seems to be a clue related to why your son or… Read more »
I had a dream that my husband and I were in the top of a barn with very few and very weak rafters. It was at least 50 feet to the bottom. We were feeding chickens that were kept up there. My husband slipped and fell through the rafters but caught himself with his hands. I was frantically looking for something to help him but knew even if I found it we would probably both fall because the floor was too weak. I was pretty much running around in circles and then woke up.
Circles in dreams usually points to finding completion or wholeness within the dreamer (see circle). I think you can look at the barn as something built in your relationship; stored away, energy, nourishment, and unconscous behaviors/instincts. I think you might be picking up on something negative that challenges this substructure built. t
in my dream i fell in the earth and then i got teleported in my house when i closed my eyes.
What does this mean?
I am not sure really. Would you be able to provide more information if possible?
i have dreams at times where I am trying to get to this place, almost like a vacation type area and i at times struggle with getting there. at times i can make it with out issues but other times, i am driving on the this mountain where its supposed to be 2 way but looks more like a one way. ill be driving and all of a sudden im in air in my car and then i wake up. one time my kids were with me in the dream. and a few time we have made it to our… Read more »
I think the mountain is a clue to find out what the dream is hinting at. You see, unlike hills, mountains only appear in our dreams when we are faced with a major obstacle, one in which wants you to get to the top. At the top completes this issue. If it is a vacation area it might be hinting at feeling relax and not stressed out.
Read article in search bar: Driving
When I was younger, I had a recurring dream where I would get up out of my bed in my house and walk to the staircase with my blanket in hand. I would then get on my blanket like a magic carpet and ride down the staircase. But when I got to the bottom, I would hit my head on the floor and blackout and see a skull. I would then wake up sweating. It always was a very realistic dream, and it was almost as if I was sleep walking sometimes. Do you know what this could mean?
I don’t think the dream had any meaning in terms of analysing, but rather related to a possible OBE or night terror. It used to happen to me as a kid as well but I would be floating on the staircase. I am not sure why staircases emerge but it seems symbolic. Have you ever had flying dreams, obe or astral projected as you got older?
I just had a dream that I was walking up a very steep staircase, and halfway up, it began to crack and break just at the part where I was holding on tightly. I was holding on, terrifired.I was hoping someone would come and help me, because some people I knew well were near by. I guess they didn’t hear me, they didn’t come in time. The staircase ( honestly it kind of looked like a sliding board, btw.) broke, and I fell!!! I was terrified!!!
What does this mean?
Do you remember the location of the staircase? The dream seems to do with your progress, inner balance and stability in your life. Steps tell us about advancement in our lives (see climbing dreams) that tells you about your fears of not being grounded in a particular situation. If its a building or house go to the search bar and find out where it could be referring to.
Ohhh okay, thanks so much for responding.
I was pushed by my friend from a tall building in a dream and somehow I was able to safely land without any harm and dream continues to road trip adventures where I was planning a revenge but couldn’t find him. (during falling process it was very slow fall from an apparent tall building but I was able to grab by nearby window and able to land safely)
Buildings in our dream are symbolic in the sense they appear to be related to things we metaphorically build in our lives; a sub construct (mind/psyche) relating to principles, relationships, beliefs (see building dreams in the search bar).
If your friend pushes you than it could be seen as a metaphorical “push” related to your relationship. It is good you landed safely. Could revenge have anything to do with your relationship? Getting back at things that push you over the edge?
I have two recurring dreams throughout my life since 5 yrs of age. The worst is a nightmare of falling into a large hole in the ground, like a well and that the surroundings I am falling in are layers of black earth and the darkness swallows me up as I fall, never landing, always falling into black nothingness. The second dream of falling is getting into an elevator with others. We go all the way up to the top which is about 100 floors. We get out. I then get back in with others or by myself to go… Read more »
Hello Kathleen. It is quite possible that the “falling” feeling is related to the pre stages of astral travel or O.B.E’s. Maybe something traumatic happened to you when you were that age. Buildings are often seen as symbols of structures that are built in our lives (see building dreams in search bar for more details). You may even explore your emotions or moods that shift from one extreme to another. Could it be related to a past life? Sure… Who knows! I was writing out the dream section by section and I now realized until the end part that these… Read more »
I just had a dream that I was on a walk at night with my family and approached a beautiful mansion on a cliff that was beautifully lit and had beautiful landscaping. There was a rock/boulder incline that led down to the water (but not intended to safely walk down). My son started running down the rock/boulders without realizing how steep and large the rocks were. He lost his balance and tried holding on/hanging from a high rock for dear life. He screamed “HELP” and then his hands slipped off and he fell backwards down towards the rocks. I was… Read more »
It might be related to a particular situation where your son lost his balance (metaphorically speaking) related to something. But what? Water tells you about an emotional state, by a cliff tells you about dangers, situations, decisions, obstacles (hill/mountain). Rocks can represents hardness, strength or in your case protection against something. Houses like mansions in dreams often connect the person to the psyche/mind or inner architecture. This area might be related to larger growth. It might have some correlation with the family as well since they were with you at the bottom of the mansion. The emotion of feeling helpless… Read more »
I had a dream abut my mum falling off the stairs of our home and she was fine after the fall and I remembered pulling her back before she do the same thing again. I’ve dreamt about this once before. What does this mean?
Stairs are very symbolic images that often connects us ascending or descending, advancement or setbacks, or arriving at something. Though if it is in your house it alters the meaning as it belongs to the inner architecture of the dreamer. Perhaps you may have seen something or a minor set back (she is fine) and you may have help “pull” her out of something or helped her. Think of this dream metaphorically and see in what aspects you may have helped (pulled her back) from something that affects her.
I have a reoccurring dream where I’m just falling in blackness and I hit spikes at the bottom and no one pushed me or anything.
How often do you experience these dreams? What time do they normally occur? Are you under a bit more anxiety lately?
My husband had a reaccouring dream of a terrorist pushing him off the 22nd story of a building and him catching himself on the 7th floor and surviving.
Buildings in our dreams often connect themselves to the mind/psyche of the dreamer – inner architecture or a sub construct made up of beliefs, principles, relationships. In your husbands case something within this structure has been comprised (terrorist). He has to find out who or what matches the description of the terrorist in his life. These are the people who you cannot reason with and ties back in with a skewed belief system. This might in fact be related to what is unconscous to him.
Almost every day I dream of falling from a tall building that has over 10 stories, grey, has glass windows, and sometimes when I fall it’s from the spot where the glass is supposed to be. Sometimes I loose grip of the rope and fall, sometimes I get pushed, sometimes I just fall backwards, and sometimes I loose grip of the one thing holding me up. What should I do? Why do I get these dreams so often?
If your dreams keep recurring it becomes a sign to fix an underlying problem. You might be able to trace it back to something that recently happened. However this might not be that easy as the dream contains unconscious elements to it. What is a building? In dreams its becomes things that you have built, sort of like a substructure of the house (mind/psyche) that contains parts of your principles, core values, relationships, environments and beliefs systems. It might seem you are not grounded in this area. (see building dreams) (see how to stop recurring dreams) Take into consideration of… Read more »