With apologies to Frank Sinatra!
‘Come fly with me,
Where the air is rarefied,
We’ll just glide,
Starry-eyed,
I’ll be holding you so dear,
Angels cheer ’cause we are together,
Come fly with me…..’
Flying Dreams are not visited by everyone. Many understand the concept, but as it is not always possible to ‘create’ a flying dream at will, there is a degree of curiosity. And a touch of humor!
Flying Dreams and positivity seem to be connected. In contrast, some individuals have experienced flying dreams in order to escape a potentially threatening situation.
Such dreams may be prompted by underlying negative elements in a person’s life. Everyone is different and unique, so an experience by one person, rising off a sidewalk to escape being chased by unknown threats, possibly mirrors their real-life; endeavoring to avoid troubles at work or home, by flying away from the reality of earth.
The opposite side of the phenomenon visits an individual with the joy of freedom and sailing through the air as if a bird, but without the necessity of wings; or indeed flapping them.
My personal experience with flying dreams has been a factor for as long as I can remember, and most positive. Occasionally (‘dream-reality’, the ‘real-dream’ world) I have found the need to ‘escape’ but looking down at the ground, there are people who are not even looking up at this flying being! As if an everyday, normal sighting. Elevating above the ground is an amazing, ‘surreal reality’ when it is happening, the experience feels ‘normal’, not an ‘oh my God I’m flying reaction; just perfectly ‘normal’.
Many ‘ground-level’ dreams, however enlightening, pleasant, or indeed scary, are often forgotten; perhaps remaining subliminal. They may revisit unexpectedly; déjà Vous scenario?
Flying Dreams seem to remain vivid in the mind, whilst ‘every-day’ (every-night!’) dreams vaporize unless focused on a particularly relevant topic.
When awakening from a flying dream, it’s a ‘wow wow’ moment and the desire to fly off again and continue the journey…..wherever that may be. Sadly it never works! Not to say it won’t happen in the future. Ground ridden until the next time!
I often think about where I would like to ‘fly’. Perhaps over hill-tops and rivers; offering another perspective. For example, in late June I walked around the pristine, beautiful countryside, minutes’ from Winchester; the former capital of England. Aside the Water Meadows, passing SAINT Catherine’s Hill, resplendent with a wonderful copse of trees. And SAINT Giles’ Hill overlooking Winchester’s center with views of the 1000 thousand-year-old iconic Cathedral and Winchester College (motto: ‘Manners Makyth Man’).
I would just love to fly above SAINT Catherine’s Hill and view the beautiful copse of trees. Seeing tops of trees, their branches, and leaves; evenly curved splendour.
Once more to the River Itchen (as I always say, the poet Keats’ favorite riverside walk), but not walking beside this beautiful, winding river, but gently floating above it. And although swans can be seen from a bridge, a person is stationary and swans float by underneath. FLOATING above would match their own graceful moves and when their wings flap in a majesty of take-off, to fly with them; next to them. Their heads not turning in shock, but the same as people on the ground, glancing as if perfectly natural.
At one with swans. At one with the glory of Nature. Such imagination. Feeling the breeze as the swans feel the breeze, a particular kind of serenity. Such grace.
Leaving gracious swans behind, my next dream would be to visit from above a most beautiful avenue of trees. Having enjoyed walking between these majestic masterpieces many times, it is a privilege to glance at them from above. So memorable. There is something about treetops viewed from not a great height, but perhaps a hundred metres.
Trying to re-connect with a flying dream on awakening is not exactly a walk in the park, let alone flying over a park.
On rare occasions during a dream, it is possible to see oneself flying. Strange but true.
Flying dreams are liberating. No barriers, no limits, just a wonderful feeling of emancipation.
Have flying dreams anything to do with the heart, vibes, outside influences? Such dreams cannot be ‘ordered’, but ‘arrive’ spontaneously. There is no specific stimulation or dream-like motivation; suddenly you’re flying; not at great altitude, but that depends upon the individual. Some may FLY above clouds, others above tree level. All stimulating; enjoyable, memorable.
A wonderful sense of freedom; a release from a world of conformity, order and structure.
How does a flying dream end? Perhaps a gentle landing, or an invisible, subliminal return to earth, but not necessarily remembered as such.
Following the heart, to be led by the heart, maintaining equilibrium.
No Spiderman. No Batman produced by technology, but actual, real elevation to another dimension, which feels real………is real during a flying dream.
The subliminal connects with the heart, facilitating what most people would love to experience in reality; but a flying dream is reality, freeing the individual from earthly confinement to enjoy and be at one with Nature.
To fly with the swans. To appreciate Nature to awaken refreshed; glowing with positivity. Flying dreams and positivity, inseparable.
Simon
This is a wonderful piece. It’s is evocative, inspirational, and your prose, used to such great effect in describing the landscape, experience and feeling. I was carried away to a place where humanity and kindness blend with the natural world, as your words do, with the imagery and and expressive descriptions of your flying dream adventures past and anticipated. It brought to mind a movie I was taken to by my father “The Red Balloon “ a French film : Le ballon rouge made in 1956 (I think I saw it when I was 7). The film follows Pascal (Pascal Lamorisse), a young boy who, on his way to school one morning, discovers a large helium-filled red balloon. As he plays with it, he realizes it has a mind and will of its own. It begins to follow him wherever he goes, never straying far from him, and at times floating outside his bedroom window, as his mother will not allow it in their apartment. So it goes on, but a wonderful story, yours is as inspiring but for us grownups. Thank you for this.
Dear Christopher,
You have done me a great honour. Thank you so much. Flying dreams can quite rare, but experiencing one, releases the grounded human spirit, to roam freely amongst Nature’s paradise. Tree tops, rivers and indeed flying next to swans, who consider it quite normal to be joined by a mere human!
The 1956 movie sounds spectacular. I was at prep school in Bradford upon Avon in Somerset. Kingwell Court – boarding school. Brilliant school. I even met Reverend and Mrs. Galdsworthy while at SCR! And as a special surprise, they introduced their daughter Catherine who had married a multi-millionaire. We were both ten years’ old at the time!! Good times, Christopher, good friend. Thank you again.
Simon, a beautiful adventure, I often dream of flying. It always a wonderful dream. Thank you for sharing…