recurrent plane crash dreams (LONG)

[constantdaydreamer]

Hi, I am 24 and for a number of years now I have been having plane crash dreams. I am almost certain they started before 9/11 (I was 18 and on vacation in Manhattan on 9/11 - I did not see the actual planes hit or buildings fall). In a moment I'll say a little about the different types of dreams I've had, but first I just want to give some details about my current life situation, as this will surely be relevant to any interpretations....

Me
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To be as brief as possible, here's a subjective summary of how I think my mind would classify my most salient features... I am very motivated, hard working & academically succesful, but I am also very introverted and socially inadequate. I am sarcastic & occasionally dark to the point that most people probably think I'm trying to offend / disturb them. I have wanted to be a war journalist for over a decade, but now I have my degree I seem to be stumbling in actually applying for jobs etc (it has been one year exactly since I graduated). I also haven't had a girlfriend for over three years, and my sex life is pretty much non existent. My family life is stable (I still live with my parents), though my brother causes some difficulties as he seems prone to getting in trouble with the law. I have relatively few friends, but they are close and I am happy to confide in them. 'Loneliness' is a fairly recurrent theme in my life, though I seem to have built up a tolerance for it. 'Confidence' is a difficult one - inwardly I feel that I am a very confident (even narcissistic?) person, but my appearance to other people generally seems to be that of an insecure, unstable person; and certainly I get (and am consciously aware of getting) quite anxious when in a wide variety of social situations.

What troubles me most at the moment is that I am single and might never settle down in a stable relationship: I desperately want a girlfriend. My second big concern is that my insecurities will obstruct me advancing in the competitive field of journalism (I have no concerns about my ability whatsoever, only about my compatability with the other people working in that industry).

As regards my experience of plane travel, I should point out that I have flown on hundreds of flights as my family used to take frequent overseas vacations, and also I flew between home & university some 50 times whilst i was studying. Plane travel for me is not at all an unpleasant experience. I actually enjoy it very much, and have only slight feelings of anxiety during take-off & perhaps during bad weather (like everyone else, I'm sure).


Some example plane crash dreams
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They vary hugely. In my most recent one I was in the plane... I though to myself 'I bet it's going to crash again', and sure enough the plane started struggling. It was a commercial airliner, and yet it did a sudden barrel roll where the sky was effectively beneath instead of above me. This was initially terrifying, but during the rest of the plane crash I had a more detached 'outsider' perspective (as if watching rather than experiencing), and at one point - as is very common in my plane crash dreams - I even thought to myself 'come on let's get this over and done with'. I was almost bored! I cannot remember the actual moment of impact, but afterwards I was left standing, totally unscathed, amongst the rubble. There were partially-buried near-fully-decomposed skeletons all around me, and the 'plane wreck' was now just a model-sized aircraft with minor damage. (!?!) I had no particular feelings of surprise about surviving the crash - I almost always survive my plane crash dreams, and I seem to be consciously aware of this fact despite the fear I have of dying in those moments - but in this dream I was surprised that others had been hurt. I had never seen any victims before and this was troubling to me.

One time (possibly more) I was in a plane that was riding just metres above a city street. After taking off it was weaving in and out of high rise buildings in an utterly, utterly implausible manner, and with a massive amount of inertia being thrust upon my body. To the other passengers it seemed as though the plane was just another vehicle, and that this was it's standard flight path, but I personally was utterly terrified. Though at times I felt reassured by the fact that no other passengers were scared, my awareness of how close I was to utter obliteration repeatedly took control and so my state of mind returned to mega mega high-intensity fear. In all honesty I cannot remember if the plane actually crashed, but if it didn't it definitely should have. The whole ride felt like a plane crash as we were only feet above the pavement despite travelling at the speed of an airborne aircraft. Frequently the plane's wings would be mere feet away from collision.

Years ago (I think before 9/11) I had possibly my first plane crash dream. I was stood on a road near my home when I noticed a plane struggling in the sky. I remember realising that it was going to crash, and I began running to get away. It soon collided with a medium sized block of flats on the very same road, utterly anihilating them. I recall a massive explosions and the feeling of being just a few feet away from having died. It wasn't so much scary as overwhelming & powerful.

A less typical example occurred about 6months ago whilst I was fairly heavily involved in an incidental dream about a theme park / festival type atmosphere. I don't remember the main dream well, but the plane crash element is quite vivid. I was amongst revellers by a river, when one & possibly more small white aircraft crashed almost in unison into a bridge and surrounding areas. I think they were supposed to be part of an aerial stunt display or something. I don't remember feeling concerned at all about any of the potential victims, and I promptly got back to other matters.


Summary
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Those are the only examples I could give any specific details about, and yet I am quite sure I've had over 20 such dreams in the last few years. I am very, very accustomed to both witnessing & experiencing plane crashes in my dreams, and they almost always involve very large commercial aircraft (and so subsequent high drama / spectacular impacts). Nowadays I always seem to survive the crashes, though in previous ones I think possibly the moment of impact jolted me into being awake (implying that I had perished?).

My gut feeling after experiencing such a dream - whether I wake up immediately or much later - is that I am bitter about the anxiety, stress & trauma that they invoke, and I'm worried that perhaps they symbolise something deeply unstable within my life. I am not really concerned about them predicting a future airplane crash involving myself (I don't believe in dreams foreboding real life events), and I look forward to flying many more times in my lifetime.

Wow what a long post! If anyone has anything to say that would be so awesome, and if not I am happy for just having had a chance to get that off my chest

T

[Wolfjk]

Hi,
Interesting dreams! I had many planecrash dreams in the past and perhaps can give you an indication of what might be causing them. First I give you an example of my dream: it started with beautiful blue sky with a few fleecy white clouds. Some planes appeared in the sky. An air display. One of the planes peeled off and flew low over my head and I knew it was going to crash behing me. I was worried about the pilot and wanted to help.
On one occasion I woke up during the dream and was in the process of turning over towards where the plane crashed and noticed that my right arm was hurting very badly. I noticed this painful arm after many subsequent dreams.
As you can gather, my dreams physically turned me over to free the painful arm.

It was a commercial airliner, and yet it did a sudden barrel roll where the sky was effectively beneath instead of above me.

My guess is that you were lying on your back and your dream tried to turn you over or move you from your sleeping position.

I was in a plane that was riding just metres above a city street. After taking off it was weaving in and out of high rise buildings in an utterly, utterly implausible manner, and with a massive amount of inertia being thrust upon my body.

Here again the plane is trying to move you out of a bad sleeping position ( probably sleeping on your stomach and facing downward.

I was amongst revellers by a river, when one & possibly more small white aircraft crashed almost in unison into a bridge and surrounding areas.

Here the dream is moving your head to follow whre the planes crash.

the 'plane wreck' was now just a model-sized aircraft with minor damage. (!?!)

The above extract from your dream is the calming factor! After you changed sleeping position and felt comfortable there was no need to be upset so you could go back to sleep. Violent dreams and nightmares often end with a comforting to steady the sleeper when he wakes up.

What troubles me most at the moment is that I am single and might never settle down in a stable relationship: I desperately want a girlfriend. My second big concern is that my insecurities will obstruct me advancing in the competitive field of journalism (I have no concerns about my ability whatsoever, only about my compatability with the other people working in that industry).

Perhaps you are a restless sleeper and often adopt a bad sleepeing position that needs a vivid dream to move or wake you from.
The reason for the plane crash dreams is, if you want to be a war correspondent it will often involve plane journeys. Also plan crashes, both civil and military often feature in the news.
Sorro about the long analysis, I hope it helps.
Cheers Wolfjk

[constantdaydreamer]

Omg I was wracking my brain trying to find all sorts of deep symbolism in these dreams, and you're telling me it's just because I sleep in an awkward position?!!? Lol!

I don't think your specific reason for the 'plane theme' settled well with me (it just didn't click - I don't feel that I associate planes with the news, journalism, nor terrorism; no more so than with other things like vacations & the business world anyway).... HOWEVER.... when I saw how you picked up on the specifically directional things in what I wrote, i.e. being upside down, having heavy inertia, being forced to look sideways etc... that TOTALLY makes sense. I can definitely see how the feelings I was experiencing in those dreams could reflect how I might feel if I was cramped / suffocated / in a very very uncomfortable or enclosed space. So I think you're right to be honest! Also the 'model plane' explanation makes perfect sense, and that was totally baffling me before! So thankyou very much for your insight

But why does it have to be planes? I am sick of bloody dreaming about plane crashes... they're scary! Why couldn't I just dream of an awesome sunset or something else than forces me to shift position?

I am shocked right now because I was so sure these dreams were about my career / social life / something deeper than just a sore neck! I guess I should be happy :S

[Wolfjk]

High Constantdreamer,
Thanks for your post. You gave a good self analysis in your introduction to your dream, so you are dealing with the psychological side of your life. Perhaps at present you are in a restless state of mind and it's effecting your sleep.

But why does it have to be planes? I am sick of bloody dreaming about plane crashes... they're scary! Why couldn't I just dream of an awesome sunset or something else than forces me to shift position?

At present you are preoccupied with your future and have less interest outside. The subconscious turns to the most effective way to construct a dream. It is like writing a book or a play, only it has to do it in seconds. So what works one time, with a bit of variation work another time as well. It is a case of economy with mental energy.
One thing I found about dreams is that the movements suggested in the dream are simulated or are actually made by the sleeper. In the early part of the dream the movements are simulated, however as the sleeper gets nearer to the waking level of consciousness the movements become more pronounced.
Cheers Wolfjk