Theresa Cheung - The Element Encyclopedia of 20,000 Dreams - The Ultimate A–Z to Interpret the Secrets of Your Dreams

Flying high

Liberation from something that troubles you. Nevertheless, flying highhas its perils. The ancient Greek myth of Icarus warns against flying too high. Your dream may show that you are being overambitious.

Flying low

Native Americans, Tibetan Buddhists and others claim that all people have a light body that can leave the physical body during sleep. The light body can travel great distances and communicate with angels. To dream of flying may indicate the need or desire to develop the mystical side of your nature. Alternatively, it could be a warning to keep your feet firmly on the ground.

Hovering

If you are hovering or floating in the skyand looking down on earth this may represent feelings of optimism and success—the world is at your feet. However, as floating is impossible the dream may also be a warning against pride and over ambition and the possibility of coming down to earth with a bump.

Parachute

If a parachute opens as you fall, this may express your relief following a dangerous event, such as a car accident that you survived. Alternatively, it could suggest the need to bail out of a difficult situation, as a parachute offers a safe way to fall rather than a means to fly.

Shot at

If you are shot at or hit by something when flying, you need to be on your guard against people who might want to restrain your advancement into the higher spheres.

Sun

If you see the sun while flying, this could suggest that your worries will melt away.

Terrain below

If you are flying over muddy or broken places, this could be a warning to be on your guard against potential enemies or misfortune.

Wing color

If you are flying with white wings, this dream could represent the expansion of your awareness and the unfolding of your higher self. If your wings are black this could indicate the need for change in your waking life. See also COLORS.

rise above something in waking life? Are you developing an idea? Are you flying in the face of fortune? Flying into a rage? Flying off the handle? Flying high?

Prisonscan often stand for a set of beliefs that limit the dreamer’s personal development or progress. The dream may help us escape this limitations by forcing us to confront them and examine what triggered them. A similar symbol of psychological entrapment, a cage, may also represent some kind of frustration with our life. There may be feelings of inferiority or a desire to break free from social convention.

According to Freudian analysis, a lockis commonly interpreted as a symbol of the female sexual organ with the keyrepresenting the phallus. A dream of unlocking a box of treasuremay indicate sex as liberating. If, however, the box won’t openthis indicates sexual frustration or dissatisfaction with the sexual side of a relationship.

If kidnappingfeatures in your dream, this may suggest the desire to dominate or be dominated by another person. If you are the victim but don’t feel afraid, this could lend a sexual connotation to your dream. If you are held hostagein a dream, this could indicate that you feel someone has a hold on you, or that you are subject to some influence that prevents you from doing what you need to do. Hostage-takers often make demands for money, personal recognition and so on. Is there someone in your waking life who is placing unnecessary demands upon you, or making you feel guilty? In some hostage dreams, as in real life, a rapport develops between the victim and the hostage-taker; if this is the case, it could indicate a love-hate relationship in your waking life. Finally, might this kind of dream not also suggest that you are held hostage, not by a person, but by your fears? See also CHANGE AND CONFLICT; NEGATIVE EMOTIONS.

Courage

Couragein dreams involves turning to face your enemy or someone who threatens you, standing up for yourself or someone vulnerable or outwitting those who might want to harm you. How do your dreams display your courage? If you run in fearyour dreams are urging you to discover your inner strength. If you stand up for yourselfyour dreams are telling you about something you need to recognize about yourself in your daily life. The feeling of courage in dreams can play a special role in empowering you in daily life. With or without lucid dreaming techniques the more courage you start to show in your dreams the more courage you are likely to display in your waking life.

To dream that you are in pursuit of someone or something, suggests that you are being denied your power and influence. You may need to re-evaluate your strengths and concentrate your efforts on something more worthwhile. It is important to identify what exactly you are pursuing, but bear in mind that it may not be a person, or an animal, but an idea.

Dreams of climbing stairs, hills or mountainsreflect on your ambitions and your ability to face up to challenges in daily life. Were you climbing with ease or difficulty? See also AMBITION AND SUCCESS.

To dream that you are crawling on your hands and knees or stomachsuggests some kind of humiliation in waking life.

A dream of dancingsuggests an enjoyment of life and a go-with-the-flow attitude. This dream may contain elements of wish-fulfillment, but there is the underlying theme of years of hard work and dedication. Such a dream may be encouraging you to have more discipline or, alternatively, to have the courage to take up artistic skills. See also ARTS AND CRAFTS.

If you were digging or excavatingin your dream you may need to resolve some deep-rooted emotional problems, with or without the help of a counselor.

Do you need to exercise more in waking life? If you dream of exercising with weights, perhaps you need to lose some weight? Alternatively, your unconscious may be urging you to exercise your mind or your common sense in a particular situation. If you dream that you are jogging, you appear to have your responsibilities under control but you may also feel dissatisfied or bored with certain aspects of your life, especially if you dream you are on a treadmill. If you are jumping or leapingin your dream, this suggests ambition and a desire to move forward with your life, or progress in your career.

If you are kicked, or kick someoneelse in your dream, perhaps there is something in your waking life that you disagree with or disapprove of. To dream that you are hoppingcould suggest childish or immature behavior on your part. Alternatively, it may indicate your tendency to jump from task to task, or not being able to stay in one place. If you are stretchingin a dream, your unconscious may be reminding you to work on your flexibility, not just in your body, but in your approach to life. To dream that you are skippingsuggests you need to be more light-hearted and friendly in waking life. Alternatively, the dream may