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.
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 »
I was falling down from a building trying to hold different things. Then I got saved.
People helped me. I’ve seen myself falling from a building many time but I’ve never touched the ground, instead everytime someone saves me or I get lost in the dream.
I think this is a good dream signifying help from others in our life. Buildings are very common dream symbols that connect to things that we have metaphorically built in our lives.
right after i fall asleep i feel like i just fell and wake up its so odd
well I just had a dream that I died in minecraft and then ended up jumping and waking both me and my girlfriend up.
In my dream I was falling
and then I landed on my feet and then I woke up to it just being the end of my bed thinking it was real.
When I had dreams of falling off very tall buildings I was little. Maybe 4 or 5? But I never got pushed I would just fall off and once I hit the ground I would feel this jolt in my body then I would wake up crying hysterically. My whole life growing up I always thought falling off of a really tall building is how I would die and still to this day I still think that’s how I am going to die. I would never fall into water or anything else but just concrete. You guys probably wonder why… Read more »
In my dream, yes lucid, dark shadow pushed me , as to pleasing into pressure. Fell and dropped for some time as I thought my last thoughts , (can’t remember although prob important ) I landed on my side and hit my head certain that much impact would splatter a human brain. My dream ended by me laying there opening my eyes and still having consciousness.
This is the second night I had a dream about potentially falling. Sunday’s night one, I was on a funfair ride, a pirate ship. I wasn’t strapped in tightly enough and I kept slipping out whilst trying to hold a pile of books.
Last night I was a very steep edge trying to find a toilet, edge of what I don’t know. All I can remember was being terrified of falling.