Recent Feedback
I am a 48 year old male and have had two constant dreams my whole life ( as long as I can remember ) . The first is witnessing a large airliner crash. I have seen them crash in water on land, in my back yard and into neighboring fields. I am never in danger and never see the aftermath, I always just watch them crash down and then wake up. The second dream is being caught in sudden flash flood usually when in in a structure with large windows. I watch the water rise and begin to trap me and then wake up. Both of these scenarios have played out in some form or another my whole life. Why ??.Dave
Hi Dave,
The recurrence of the dreams generally means that the conflict that's driving the dreams is unresolved and that it's important --so important that your unconscious mind won't give up on it until you resolve the issues.
Floods generally symbolize repressed overwhelming emotions (sometimes of a sexual nature, but it doesn't have to be that) --the fact that you feel trapped might represent that you don't feel like there can be a resolution to the emotions, however, windows tend to represent hope, possibility, and insight. So it seems like the overall message "deal with whatever it is --it can be done!"
For the airplane crash --I'm wondering what emotion you experience as you watch. Some interpret plane crashes to signify self-doubt, lack of confidence, or a self-defeating attitude. Another interpretation is a loss of power or uncertainty in achieving goals. However, I think your emotion is important --do you feel helpless to do anything, sad/overwhelmed by the trauma, emotionally numb ? The answer should help in deciding which way to go.
Also, it can help to take a look at the most significant events of your life prior to the start of these dreams and/or what it was like growing up as a child. Was there an event were you felt trapped, overwhelmed, defeated (for example).
Please feel free to follow up with me with more details, and we can possibly narrow it down a bit more.
Regards,
Dr. Fee
The feeling I experience when watching the airliner crash is detatched awe. I am in awe of the sight but strangely unattached to the actual event, almost as if nobody is aboard and no one is hurt, I am mostly transfixed by the odd sight of the plane failing in the air. As for the flood issue, I had a happy childhood with no sexual issues and am happily married with a teenage son. I have never felt isolated or trapped at any time that I can remember. What I can speak to is the overwhelming emotion with the airplane dream is awe and wonder while the flood dream is fear and entrapment.
OK -- what does make you afraid or overwhelmed? Maybe the flood does not represent one big, significant thing but representative of some of the more common worries of life that we all experience and your reaction is to have the dream?
"Awe" describes a feeling of power, reverence, some surprise, and some fear. Awe can be inspirational. I'm wondering if the air plane dream is not quite so negative (as many, myself included would take it) but reflective of some characteristic of yourself or some feeling you have about life in general ?
Do either of those thoughts resonate with you at all ?
You hit the nail on the head concerning the airplane dream. I feel power and reverence mixed to a lesser extent by fear and surprise. although I am a very emotional person in my waking state who would be horrified for the victims in real life, in my dreams they are not even in the equation. I am always such an "in control" person who always controls his surroundings that maybe the dream is my way to experience being a party to an event without being able to control the outcome. As for the flood , the water never touches me and although there is more fear ( have never learned to swim ) than in the airplane dream, there is still a sense of awe and reverence and I'm wondering now if they are actually the same dream !!. Both make me a slave to an event I can't control, which drives my worst fears.Dave
Great -- and it sounds like the plane crash in your dream has nothing to do with real people dying. Your interpretation about not needing to control the outcome sounds insightful, and what a relief it can be to not have to control something! Maybe your mind is trying to tell you to try it out --that some things can happen without you having to take control.
Yes, the more you talk about the two dreams, the more similar they sound. So same meaning, but your mind is trying several different ways to get the point across.
So the waking life work for you now is to figure out how to free yourself from real life situations where you do not have control, where you can "watch" and have peace (instead of fear) about not taking control.
Thanks for staying with me as we worked to get to the real meaning of your dreams!
Experience: Psychologist specializing in anxiety and trauma recovery