Dreams of Falling

Dream question: Falling

“I always have dreams that I am jumping off a wall but it (the feeling of falling) never ends. What does this mean?”

Falling can represent being or feeling out of control, especially if you’re free falling in the way you’ve described. However, the fact that you consciously chose to jump off the wall in the dream, could represent that you  are aware of a decision that needs to be made. Perhaps there is a choice which can be made freely to see what happens, a bit like a leap of faith. To trust the situation and see what happens.

It also depends how you feel in the dream. I once dreamt I jumped out of an aeroplane, like a sky dive – I could feel the wind on my face, the sun was shining, I could see the fields below me – it was amazing! So much so I’ve joked with friends I don’t need to do a sky dive in real life now!

If you feel exhilarated this could be good sign that you’re feeling safe or happy about a recent decision, or maybe don’t need to worry so much about how things will turn out – we often worry things will be worse than they are, especially if they feel a bit risky.

There is a myth that if you hit the bottom in a dream it’s fatal. However, many people have hit the “bottom” after falling in a dream and lived to tell the tale. 

Falling in a dream is not to be confused with a “hypnic jerk”, the twitch or spasm you may experience when you are just dozing off.  This can be caused by a number of different things, but stress can be a common reason.

Keeping a dream diary can help understand common and recurring dreams. I talk about this and provide a template in my book, Answers in the Dark.