Dreaming of an airplane has meanings related to thought and imagination, to ideal and spiritual aspirations, to desires for freedom. But when you face the symbolism of the plane in dreams you cannot ignore one of the most frequent requests: What does it mean to dream of a plane crashing?
In fact, to dream of falling with the plane, to dream of a falling plane and all the other images in which the plane sinks into the sea or explodes in the air, clearly overcome more tranquil and banal dreams in which an airplane that flies appears.
As if the unconscious brought to the surface all the buried and unrecognized fears of man, a terrestrial animal that is anchored to the earth. And at the same time highlight one of the most ancient and innate desires in man: the desire to fly.
Airplanes and Airplane Crashes Symbolism in Cultures
Dreaming of an airplane connects to the symbolism of air and sky and reflects the world of ideas, of fantasies, of everything that is “high” above and separated from matter. But it also binds to man’s desire to have wings like a bird, to fly and move between the clouds and the wind.
The meaning of the plane in dreams is linked to the archetype of the journey and the concept of movement-displacement that can translate into the desire to go far away, flee, and change life and habits, in need of independence and freedom, to make an inner journey towards a new awareness or spirituality.
For Jung, dreaming of an airplane replaces the role of the great winged monsters of the past in the collective imagination, bridges the innate tension of man towards the spirit and towards God and his desire to see things from above. For Freud he reflects, with his tapered form and in lifting, planar and land (or fall), the phases of sexual erection.
The sensations felt in the dream will be important to give the right direction to the analysis of this symbol: intoxication, joy, excitement or fear, anxiety, panic will reflect the need to feel free, to find spaces in which to be able to express oneself, or fears, fear of change and the future.
Dreams about Airplanes and Airplane Crashes – Meaning
Dreaming of seeing a plane fall, an airplane that falls, that bursts: the dreams in which we see a plane that flies in the sky and then falls are very frequent, it crashes to the ground; or it explodes and catches fire, and finally falls to the ground or into the sea, among the flames; many report the sense of sadness and helplessness they experience in witnessing this dramatic event without being able to do anything to prevent it.
This dream can warn you that in some area of your life (sentimental, working, etc.) there is something that risks ending or failing suddenly; perhaps your ambition makes you chase unrealistic goals, too much above your possibilities.
You could be in danger because of too much haste or because of your irresponsibility; it’s better not to run too fast, slow down and think better about your choices. An airplane that falls or that bursts into the sky can also represent a relationship that has ended badly; the dream can happen under conditions of emotional stress, when you feel that the things around you are falling, when you no longer have control of the situation on the family level, in the couple relationship, etc.
The dream reflects your sense of powerlessness: you realize that things are not going well, but you don’t know how to avoid the worst.
Dreams about Airplanes and Airplane Crashes – Symbolism
Dream of an airplane flying in the sky – can be considered the manifestation of natural and unconscious forces, the expression of desires and thoughts in freedom and the need to wander with the mind and imagination. If accompanied by positive emotions: wonder, calm, a sense of beauty, admiration, it can indicate the dreamer’s ability to use his imagination and feel free.
Dreaming of aircraft that are evolving – represents the discovery and confrontation with the strength of the mind and the spirit and with the resources that are discovered within oneself. It can connect with the search for spirituality.
Dreaming of low flying planes – reflects the fear of risking too much: better to stay “low” and not dare, imagine or hope for more. On an objective level it can indicate modest situations and expectations and lack of courage, but also suggest the idea of danger and the need to be cautious.
Dreaming of an airplane flying over water – it is an image of archetypal scope linked to the polarities that populate reality and the human psyche and that express themselves in dreams. It highlights the dualism between the world of ideas and the world of emotions and instinct, between conscious and unconscious, between high and low.
Dreaming of air travel – is linked to the symbolism of traveling and movement towards a goal. Sometimes it reflects real travel wishes, a trip that is being organized or just done. It can indicate the desire to escape from the situation one is experiencing, the need for change, to detach oneself from the usual life and the usual habits, the need for freedom.
Dreaming of leaving by plane – is an action linked to a decision to be made. The unconscious shows the need to take the first step and to “move”. It is linked to an active attitude, the desire for novelty and the ability to give substance and substance to one’s ideas and desires.
Departing by plane in dreams is a metaphor for a real “departure”, a cycle, of a change that is necessary to implement, of the need to leave the earth (security and habits) to make new experiences abandoning what until then has been the reality of the dreamer.
Dreaming of buying a plane ticket – represents a decision taken. The dreamer has an idea to realize, a dream or a path to take. Dreaming of the plane ticket means that in its psychic system there is a metaphorical “pass” and there are concrete possibilities to “take flight”, to change something, to move to achieve what it wants.
Dreaming of losing your flight ticket – it is linked to the fear of not having what it takes to do what you want, not having the right tools. It reflects the anxieties and fears that can arise when an important decision is made and a change is about to take place, but also when one is about to leave for a real air journey.
Dreaming of checking in – it means to undergo the process necessary to reach a goal, to pass a step in which one must prove to be up to it, to have the papers in order to access the symbolic journey (to the chosen path, to the desired change).
Dreaming of checking in and not having the documents – it is equivalent to not being adequate, feeling different from others and feeling judged, not having the right tools to advance in a path of change, or in carrying forward an idea. Fearing judgment and confrontation.
Dreaming of seeing planes at the airport – depending on the feeling felt by the dreamer they can indicate the hopes for the future, the possibilities of which one is aware, the capacities and the riches to which one has access or, in negative (more rare), a feeling of stasis and impossibility, feeling that you have what you need to do and realize, but not being able to move, feeling limited, feeling a diaphragm between what you think and hope and the ability to put it into practice.
Dreaming of an airplane that does not arrive – it can indicate disillusionment and disappointment, stasis and fatalism, there is a tendency to wait for things to “arrive” or to settle on their own. One blames destiny, reality, misfortune, the others. It can highlight the need to become aware of a failed project, of a relationship that leads to nothing, of a blurred opportunity.
Dreaming of a plane taking off – it is a positive dream linked to the symbolic “take off”, that is to be able to start and realize something that is held: an idea, a project. Knowing how to take responsibility for something started, have hope and do not fear the unknown. The interpretation of Freudian dreams sees in these dreams the representation of sexual excitement and male erection.
Dreaming of an airplane that does not take off – the opposite of the above. Think of the expression “this thing does not take off” which indicates a block, something that fails. The dreamer will have to ask himself in which area of his life there is something firm and blocked, something that does not start, that does not “take flight”, that is not nourished by hope and effective jets for its realization.
Dreaming of losing a plane – equivalent to the dream image of dreaming of losing the train with the difference that the plane in dreams refers to the world of ideas and fantasies, to ideals and to freedom from earthly constraints. To lose the plane means to stay on the ground that is to remain anchored to the usual habits, to the usual ideas, to the usual people. It means losing a hoped-for opportunity or the fear that this will happen.
Dreaming of an airplane without fuel – like other images linked to the plane in dreams it indicates a block, the impossibility of flying, therefore the impossibility of realizing what is desired. It can link to blocked libido and signal problems of impotence and lack of desire.
Dreaming of falling planes – they are similar images linked to the symbolism of the fall, to a sharp return to contact with reality. The dreamer has perhaps “risen too high”, that is, he has used fantasy too much, lost himself in idealistic, utopian or too spiritual thoughts and has denied any instinctual component. Or he followed his own ideas in a risky way, abandoning all forms of prudence.
Dreaming of being on an airplane that precipitates – compared to the previous image it shows a greater involvement and greater anxiety than something that perhaps has already started. It represents the failure and fall of illusions and hopes towards something in which one has invested materially and emotionally. Very strong emotions of panic can emerge and very realistic scenes accompanied by the fear of dying.
Dreaming of jumping off an airplane in flight – indicates the dreamer’s ability to react in the face of a setback and a situation that does not go as it should, which does not take the desired direction. If launching from an airplane in dreams is not justified by some imminent danger, it can indicate temerity and chance, irrationality, throw oneself headlong into situations without pondering, without thinking about the consequences.
Dreaming of jumping with a parachute – unlike dreaming of jumping out of an airplane, it reflects the proceeding with a method knowing to protect oneself, not to throw oneself off, to evaluate all the risks of a company. Make it work even in the most demanding and delicate situations.
Dreaming of a plane crash – it has similar meanings to dream planes that fall, but the symbol of the accident is dominant and highlights the harmful consequences derived from fantasies and unbridled ambition, from dreams of independence not supported by adequate tools to achieve it, by capacity and by perseverance.
Dreaming of an airplane falling on you – indicates the results of some reckless fantasy implemented, of an unhappy project realized and the possible damages that come back to the dreamer or, on the contrary, the fear that what we think and hopefully can become dangerous.
Dreaming of an airplane falling into the sea – it can reflect the dominance of one’s emotional world and one’s environment with respect to wishes and projects initiated. It represents the strength of reality or existing relationships that sucks in every new idea, every desire for freedom and change. It is an image that is perceived as the end of something: the end of a life project, the end of a dreamed relationship.
Dreaming of a burning plane – it can reflect a conflict between two parts of oneself, one identified with ideal aspirations and the ability to abstract oneself from reality and move away with fantasy, the other linked to angry and destructive emotions. It can indicate a form of self-destruction, of punishment, the lack of hope for every attempt at change, but also a burning passion that conditions thoughts.
Dreaming of an airplane that explodes in flight – reflects a sharp return to reality, the consequences of some reckless ideas, the neglect of important details that led to dramatic consequences. It represents the instinctive drives and the disowned selves that emerge in a compressed and explosive form, the neglected unconscious forces that manifest their power that can become destructive.
Conclusion
Dreaming of an airplane often returns in the form of recurrent dreams, witnessing the dominance of this symbol in the collective unconscious of modern man and inviting the dreamer to confront the real and metaphorical possibility of “flying” in all its phases and needs: piloting or getting carried by the plane in dreams, taking off or landing, feeling security or danger, daydreaming, feeling intoxicated and pleased or trembling and praying.