Dream meaning
Seeing a plane crash
The short answer
Dreaming of a plane or other flying object crashing usually reflects fear that a plan, hope or ambition will fail. It often comes before travel or big ventures, or after news of real disasters.
12.8% of people in the study had had this dream. No. 47 of the 55 typical dreams · Nielsen et al., 2003
What does a dream about “Seeing a plane crash” mean?
What psychologists say
Researchers added this theme to the Typical Dreams Questionnaire. Under the continuity hypothesis, crash dreams pick up fear of flying, upcoming trips and media images. Emotionally, they relate to fear of high hopes coming down.
Nielsen et al., 2003; Schredl & Hofmann, 2003
The Jungian reading
A Jungian reading treats the plane as ambition or spirit rising high; the crash can mean inflation meeting reality. Watching from the ground suggests distance; being on board, personal stakes.
Jung, 1964
In history and folklore
Before aeroplanes, dream books read falling stars and birds dropping from the sky as similar omens of dashed hopes.
How common is this dream?
12.8% of people in the study had had this dream. From a survey of 1,181 first-year university students in three Canadian cities. No. 47 of the 55 typical dreams.
Common versions of this dream
What if I'm on the plane?
Being aboard suggests fear about something you are involved in.
What if I survive?
Surviving points to resilience after a setback.
What if I have a flight soon?
Pre-travel anxiety is a common trigger and says nothing about the flight.
Dreams that often come with it
Had this dream? Tell it to Oneiros.
Oneiros reads your own dream, not a dictionary entry: what it was about, how it felt and what it may mean for you, and it notices when it comes back.
Oneiros offers reflective readings for self-discovery and entertainment. It is not a medical or psychological service.
Sources
- Nielsen, T. A., Zadra, A. L., Simard, V., Saucier, S., Stenstrom, P., Smith, C., & Kuiken, D. (2003). The typical dreams of Canadian university students. Dreaming, 13(4), 211–235. doi:10.1023/B:DREM.0000003144.40929.0b
- Schredl, M., & Hofmann, F. (2003). Continuity between waking activities and dream activities. Consciousness and Cognition, 12(2), 298–308. doi:10.1016/S1053-8100(02)00072-7
- Jung, C. G. (Ed.) (1964). Man and His Symbols. Aldus Books.