Action Dream Meanings: What Flying, Falling and Running Can Mean

In dreams you run, fly, fall, or suddenly stand naked in front of the whole class. Actions often show how you handle pressure, wishes and relationships. Many of these scenes are surprisingly common: most people know being chased and falling. Here are the actions from A to Z, with the feeling as your key.

12 dream symbols

Being chased
Dreaming of being chased usually points to something you are avoiding: a pressure that feels close behind you or a feeling you have not faced yet. It is the most common of 55 typical dream themes in a survey of Canadian students, with 81.5 percent having had it. Your legs may turn to jelly, but the dream is about your feelings, not about real danger.
Being naked
Dreaming of being naked in public is usually read as feeling exposed, not as a comment on your wardrobe. In a large survey of Canadian students, 32.6 percent had dreamed of being nude, so you are in very large company. The dreaming brain picks this plot because nobody needs it explained.
Cheating
A dream about cheating is almost never a report about real life. It usually reflects feelings like insecurity, distance, guilt or a wish for more attention, and it does not mean that anyone is unfaithful. Treat it as a feelings check, not as evidence.
Crying
Crying in a dream is usually read as emotional release, not as a sign that something bad is coming. It often shows feelings you have been holding back, and many people wake up lighter than they expected. A good cry at night is a perfectly respectable way to let off steam.
Falling
Dreaming of falling usually points to a feeling of losing control, support or footing in some part of your life. It is one of the most common dreams there is: 73.8 percent of Canadian first year students have had one. The popular idea that you die if you hit the ground in a dream is a myth.
Flying
Dreaming of flying is most often read as a feeling of freedom, perspective or letting go. If you cannot get off the ground, it can reflect something that holds you back. Many people have had this dream, so it is a normal one with a very good reputation.
Getting lost
Dreaming of getting lost is usually read as a picture of uncertainty: a choice, a change or a stretch of life without a clear map. It is one of the most relatable dream plots, and it says more about your situation than about your sense of direction. The good news: you always wake up exactly where you started.
Kidnapping
Dreaming of a kidnapping does not predict one. It usually reflects feeling trapped, controlled or powerless, or a deep fear of losing someone you love. If it left you shaken, that is understandable, and you are safe now.
Killing someone
Dreaming that you kill someone almost never means that you want to hurt anyone, and it does not predict anything. It is usually a symbolic picture of ending something, of anger, or of a conflict inside you. These dreams are more common than most people admit.
Sex dream
A sex dream is normal and rarely about sex alone. It often reflects a wish for closeness, attention or curiosity, or a quality you associate with the person, and it does not mean you secretly want what happened. These dreams are very common.
Urinating
Peeing in a dream is usually read as release, relief and the wish to let go of pressure, or, if it happens in public, as feeling exposed and out of control. It is a surprisingly ordinary dream with an honest message. A full bladder may also play a part, and one explanation does not rule out the other.
Vomiting
Vomiting in a dream is usually read as getting rid of something that no longer sits well: a worry, a habit, a situation or words you have been holding back. It is an unglamorous dream with a surprisingly practical message. You are processing, not poisoned.