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Falling off a cliff in a dream is a terrifying image that most of us cringe at. But did you know there are also positive connotations to this dream? It can tell us a lot about ourselves and how we’re feeling. By understanding the meaning behind this dream, you start exploring yourself in a whole new way.
In dreams of falling off a cliff, there is always the sense of freefall before hitting rock bottom. It’s this feeling of not being in control of your life, either where you have no room for expressing your own will or are being pushed by something you cannot control, that is often repressed and comes out in your dream.
Dreams about falling off a high place like a cliff, mountain or tall building can point to something throwing you off course that you are not entirely aware off.
This indicates you are feeling a little lost and off-track. You might feel that something or someone has pulled the rug out from under you or taken away your sense of direction or that you have even done this to yourself.
At times, dreams about falling off a cliff can reflect the fear of setting out on a new path in life – in particular, if it is a path that does not match your expectations and is, therefore more difficult than anticipated.
The lack of a safety net beneath you indicates that there is nothing to cushion the fall and make you feel secure; this could be a sign of unsupportive dynamics in your relationship or at work or just uncertainty about your future.
💬 Interpretation Tip
To avoid taking this dream literally, look at your current life situation. Are there any problems or challenges that are preventing you from doing what you need to do? Are there any changes happening around you that may affect your work or relationships?The chasm at the foot of a cliff and the sudden drop-off are symbols of fear of change — often change to do with trying something new or leaving safety behind. The dreamer may be afraid they won’t succeed, or they’ll lose control and fall into chaos while doing so.
As a dream symbol, the edge can point to “the cliff of change” that we all face when we need to make a fundamental shift in how we live our lives. This could mean leaving a job, making a big decision about your life, and deciding to finally pursuing the course you have always wanted to take.
The cliff can also be symbolic of the “last hurdle” you must overcome before you reach your goal. This could represent the next step crucial to take in your life or the most difficult challenge ahead of you.
💬 Interpretation Tip
Dreams like this one can be very scary, but they usually signify transformation and evolution for the better, so it is good to know that there is a positive aspect within them.According to some sleep experts, dreams of falling can be connected to a physiological response that occurs as we fall asleep. For Madeleine Walmsley, “the feeling is triggered by an involuntary muscle movement called a hypnic jerk that occurs when the body is in the transitional stage between wakefulness and light sleep, known as the hypnagogic state.”
According to Dr. Barrett, psychologist and dream expert, “the sensation of falling and jerking awake, which can also happen outside of dreaming as people are drifting off to sleep, may be the result of motion signals being sent by the inner ear that are “completely random.”
Though this kind of phenomenon can explain why dreams of falling occur frequently, they only explain some dream scenarios and variations in interpretation that individuals have.
Your dreams aren’t typically just a reaction to a physiological stimulus; your mind also creates them as it tries to make sense of the sensations your body goes through while you’re asleep. And it’s in this process that you create meaning with your dream.
Falling dreams can represent emotional imbalances caused by personal choices or external factors. If you are experiencing a lot of stress, frustration or discouragement right now, this dream could tell you that your relationship with yourself and others is suffering from a loss of balance.
Perhaps you are experiencing some emotional turmoil that makes you feel out of control. You may be going through some emotional or psychological crisis that has left you feeling confused and powerless.
Falling from a great height into the unknown can represent your fears about the future, the need to take risks in your life, and the changes you may have to make.
The good news is that dreams of falling off cliffs into the void are not always negative dreams. Dreams like these can also reflect a journey into yourself, where your most terrifying nightmares are manifestations of your deepest fears.
The positive aspect of dreams like this is that they can help to instill in you an inner strength and perspective such as I have never before experienced, things are going to be alright.
By playing with the images of falling into the void, your unconscious mind can take you out of your current situation and bring you to a place of emotional clarity and a new perspective.
💬 Interpretation Tip
Dreams that deal with the unknown can give you the “push” you need to take that next step in your life, whether it be a new relationship or taking a risk at work.Dreams about “falling out of the sky” have been interpreted as representations of losing your bearings in life or feeling a loss of purpose. Perhaps you are feeling you are drifting away from your own personal goals or values.
Dreams about falling off a cliff or the edge of a skyscraper can also correspond to feelings of losing your identity and being exposed or vulnerable.
Dealing with some vulnerability or insecurity can be a hard thing to admit to yourself, especially in today’s world, where it feels like everyone is trying to be perfect all the time. But it is also important to make peace with this aspect of your personality.
Dreams of falling from great heights can often represent a lack of self-worth and low self-esteem that can come out at night in an exaggerated way. Maybe you are overthinking about yourself, or you are tying too tightly to some idea about who you should be – whatever the case, these dreams can be a wake-up call.
Dreams about falling off a cliff or high building can represent some boundary that you have crossed in your life, and you feel uncomfortable about it.
Just like the mythical hero Icarus fell from the heavens because he broke his father’s greatest rule – “Take the Middle Way. (…) Travel between the extremes,” – it seems that you have violated some boundary and are now getting away from it.
You could also be living life on the edge, which can make for some exciting experiences, but it can also cause many problems when you go too far. This is a warning to find your balance before it’s too late.
If you feel like the ground under your feet is crumbling away, and there’s nothing to hold onto and nowhere to go, it could also mean that there is not much security or stability in your life right now. You don’t know what the future holds or how things will turn out.
Your dream could represent the wish to return to some more stable ground or establish a new baseline because the current one is not supporting you. Your life may be in a state of change, and you recognize that something needs to give.
Another interpretation of falling off a cliff is that it represents the need to find your place in life. Perhaps you feel like you’re being pulled in different directions or that you are being stretched too thin. Dreams about this situation often occur when something new or unfamiliar is happening with you and your life, and you struggle to adapt to it.
Sometimes we just need to live on our terms and find the courage to do things our way. If you’re having a hard time with this, try looking around – how else do you expect to find your “way” in the world?
Take a step back and look at your life from a completely different perspective. You might look down from the top of the cliff and see that there is also something positive about not being on top of it at all.
💬 Interpretation Tip
Dreams about falling off cliffs say that you are ready for some profound change in your life, but you don’t know what it is or where it will take you.Dreams about falling off a cliff or tall building could also symbolize feelings of “falling short” compared to others in some area of your life – such as in your career or relationships. You might feel like you never quite measure up to other people’s expectations or your own and that this is going to lead you into trouble one day.
You could be struggling with some personal challenge or difficulty and feel like you need to do better. Whether these feelings are about your career, relationship status, or something else that affects your overall sense of well-being, try not to take them too seriously.
It’s true that you don’t have as much control as you would like when it comes to many aspects of your life, but at least you can use this time to figure out what exactly is making you most unhappy right now and decide how you want to deal with it.
These dreams might appear when you are facing some personal challenge and need to muster up the courage to face it. They can also remind you to confront your fears and face them head-on.
You might be feeling like your life is constantly in turmoil, and you are struggling to cope with all the changes that are about to happen around you. Eventually, even if not on purpose, you may take a step and fall off the edge leading to some new beginning – but only if you follow through on your fears enough to see it through.
💬 Interpretation Tip
If you have trouble letting go of old ways or ideas that have served you well in the past, this dream may tell you it’s time to open yourself up to new possibilities or new ways of doing things.Taking risks in your life by doing things you have never done before can be frightening and anxiety-provoking, but it can also be exhilarating and exciting. This dream might reflect a tension point in your current situation. You might feel afraid about taking risks and changing things in your life, but you are moving into new territory anyway.
You might be stuck at the top of the cliff right now, or you could feel like you are at a point where you need to do something, but you feel hesitant because there’s some risk involved.
Your dream shows you that you’re about to take a leap of faith and try something new in your life. It might relate to an actual situation or decision you have to make, and it’s hard for you because of your fear of the unknown.
Falling off a cliff in a dream evokes the cathartic process of letting go of that which no longer serves us. In this process, we often feel as though we are dying, but in reality, we are being reborn, or rather, starting over.
To fall off a cliff in a dream suggests a deep inner process of letting go that is meant to set us free.
It is a reminder to detach yourself from old patterns and settle into the present moment, which requires us to surrender all thoughts of the future. It asks us to take the leap and give up our attachments to self-imposed limitations so we can become more open and available to receive new opportunities in our life.
The spiritual dimension of the dream relies on what happens during and after the fall. Being able to sustain free falling can be compared to surrendering to a process of continuous transformation or death and rebirth on the spiritual path.
When we fall, we are in a state of surrender to the natural flow of life. We feel free because nothing is holding us back. But at the same time, we are open to whatever happens.
When we are in a state of surrender, we aren’t fighting for control or power, and this allows us to welcome a more organic and spontaneous way of living. If we try to control the process, we will be stuck in the same old patterns and self-limiting beliefs.
In this way, it is similar to dreams that feature drowning in water. It can be terrifying, but it also symbolizes purification and cleansing, rebirth and renewal.
If you reach the bottom of the cliff and die at the end of your fall, it might show positively that you’re embracing an experience of transformation, loss, letting go, and moving on.
If you fall, hit the ground, and survive, it might point to a new beginning, getting on with things, or starting over. It also might indicate that you are ready to accept a change in your life that will allow you to move forward.
In the context of falling in a dream, the part about surviving could mean that you can still manage your day-to-day life despite having some kind of problem. You can see the other side of the situation, and you have learned to deal with it.
It could indicate your personal strength and ability to adapt. You may not be living your life exactly as you would like to, but at least you can still function and keep it together. So you can also look at this interpretation as a positive one, even though the rest of the dream appears unsettling.
Dreams about falling off a cliff and landing perfectly fine can also be a positive sign because they point to a new way of viewing things in your life or a new path you want to pursue. You are willing to test out some new approach or breakthrough on your own, even if it means taking risks or going into unexplored territory.
Dreaming of accidentally falling to your death can be deeply unsettling. Going over the edge can be scary, but it’s also a normal part of life. It symbolizes taking risks, embracing change, and going through the necessary transitions to move ahead in life.
It also tells you that your current situation may not be as bad as it seems on the surface. You are going through something difficult, but you can get through it and accept the changes that come with it.
Death, in that case, is not to be taken literally but rather as a transition, an “ending” of sorts, or a new state of being. The dream is telling you that your experiences will become the foundation for the next stage in your life.
Dreaming of driving off a cliff symbolizes the process of taking a leap in life and breaking old habits and patterns. It may also tell you that the course of action you’ve been taking lately is riskier than you’d like to believe.
You might be making some impulsive decisions, or you’ve been putting yourself in challenging situations and overlooking the consequences of your actions. You may also feel out of control of your life or unable to change certain things, leading you to the edge of your comfort zone or what is acceptable to you.
Driving off a cliff’s edge could also symbolize frustration with something in your life that isn’t working for you. You might be feeling like you’re going nowhere, and you want to escape the situation quickly and leave it behind you.
Dreaming that you are driving off a cliff can also be interpreted as an indication that you are ready to take on something new and exciting. Still, it might also symbolize your fear of falling into the unknown or trying to push yourself out of your comfort zone.
You might be doing things because you are bored with your current way of life or because you want everything to change overnight.
A bridge is generally a well-known and trusted structure. It can be seen as an attempt to get away to somewhere new, or it can represent our ability to get through life’s struggles by staying focused on our goal.
Dreams about falling off a bridge can be anxiety dreams about failure, falling short of your goals, or losing something you feel is necessary for your life.
It could also represent an over-extension of yourself and how you are overextending yourself too much in your life these days. Perhaps you are taking too much on at once while ignoring your needs. It’s also possible that someone else is making demands on you that are more than what you can take right now.
This dream can also symbolize a break-up of a relationship in your life and how you are feeling about it. You may feel hurt and confused about the way things have turned out, and this likely has some kind of effect on your waking life.
The symbolism of this type of dream is a bit more complex. Water can represent our emotions and feelings or indicate a more profound need to change or reinvent ourselves.
Dreaming of falling off a cliff or bridge and landing in water can symbolize the kind of feeling of loss or abandonment you have been feeling in life recently. Perhaps a relationship has ended, or you made a risky move that has not turned out well.
Alternatively, it could represent a new beginning and a fresh start in your life. Or the desire to change some part of your life that you are not satisfied with in some way.
Dreaming that you’re falling off a cliff suggests you are on the brink of some significant change. It can represent some major upheaval in your life, but it can also signal a new beginning. If you feel like you’re not ready for it, then this dream is inviting you to trust the process.
It’s time to step out of your comfort zone and plunge into the unknown. The world has plenty of opportunities for you; all that is needed is that you let go of your fears and open up to them again.
Elena Harris is one of World of Dreams’ leading writers. Her approach combines the traditional wisdom of ancient cultures with the latest scientific research to bring a fresh, engaging perspective to dream interpretation. More about Elena
