A few nights ago, I had a terrifying dream, and I wonder what it means. I was in an elevator with two boys and a girl who are in the same Boarding House as me. (The boys are people I barely know and are of no significance to me in real life.) One of the boys said, “Watch this, this is cool!” and pressed a button on the back wall of the elevator. The left side of the elevator lurched up so that the elevator was on a slant, and we began to zoom up at an incredible speed. I was terrified, but I laughed because everyone else was.

Suddenly, I noticed that the little red number displaying which floor we were on was stuck at “4,” yet we were still traveling upward! Then I saw the elevator from an outside vantage point, and it was flying up into the air! We came down and landed on the ledge of a building. Everyone was badly injured, but I was the only one who knew that we had to be careful and balance the elevator on the ledge so that we did not fall (because I could see it from the outside occasionally, even though I was inside the elevator). The girl couldn’t hear me, her hearing had been damaged, and she started to crawl towards me...and the elevator slid off the edge. We plummeted, yet when the impact hit, I was able to stay in a crouching position on the floor, unhurt. I turned to the girl to say, “We made it!” when I realized that everyone was broken and bloody on the floor.

Then the dream changed, and I was in an unclear, white-and-blue environment, presumably heaven, and a saint in white robes was telling the four of us (we were all fully intact and healed) that we would look upon the face of God. Then in front of us, a firey blue light began to materialize, and I caught a glimpse of it before I woke up.

The dream happened at the start of a vacation, our last vacation before exams. I thought perhaps that the free fall had something to do with helplessness or lack of control, but I’m not sure. And I remember in the dream I was thinking about my boyfriend a lot (who was not there at the time) and wondering if he knew where I was, especially when I got to “heaven” (or whatever that was). In real life, he is on vacation in another country. I do have claustrophobia and fear of heights, which might also be related.

The first thing that pops into my mind is helplessness, and the bright blue light in “heaven.” I also remember the contrasts; utter sadness in the elevator (I remember thinking of my family and friends and wondering if they were watching), then complete calmness and relaxation as I looked upon the face of God.

I should mention that I have never had a dream so graphic before...and that I haven’t been on an elevator since!

- Heather, Age 18, SINGAPORE

Hi Heather -

I think you are correct in identifying the source for this extraordinary dream - your upcoming break (completion?) from school. Often when we live in a structured environment - school in your case, work in another person’s - even a simple block of free time or vacation can have a temporarily bewildering effect upon us. Without our normal routines and schedules, we suddenly can feel “out of synch” and as if our lives are in a “free-fall.” On top of this, your boyfriend currently is away (on his vacation) in another country. In the near term, your dream appears to address your uncertainty as to what you going to do this break. In the larger view, if you are completing high school this spring and are preparing for university in the fall, I would not be surprised if your dream isn’t addressing some of the larger questions and uncertainties that naturally attend such a major transition.

Elevators in dreams typically are metaphors for communication between different “levels of awareness” in our minds. In your case, the elevator you are riding in is out of control, which, like other “out of control,” dreams (cars without brakes, airplanes without pilots, etc.), suggests that you may be having a difficult time staying “in touch” with your feelings right now. The elevator rising appears to be a metaphor for your own stress level rising as your “break from school” - with its double meaning - approaches. You write that inwardly you were terrified in the dream, (as the elevator raced upward), but that you laughed because “everyone else did.”

Despite your feelings of “free-fall” and “helplessness,” your dream shows that you possess a sensitivity and awareness to your situation that others - at least the others travelling in the elevator with you (your schoolmates) - lack. You are able to “look outside yourself” to see the elevator perched precariously on the ledge of a building. Unfortunately, the girl with the damaged hearing is unable to heed your warnings, and ultimately causes the crash of the elevator to the ground - where everyone dies except yourself. The girl with damaged hearing appears to again reflect the theme of communication between different levels of awareness in our minds. Specifically, if we are unable to “hear our inner voice,” we lose an essential aspect of our psychological and emotional ability - at considerable risk to our well-being.

The final scene of your dream is truly extraordinary. I also feel it is significant to point out that the death of all members of the elevator - including yourself - is strongly alluded to at this point in the dream. Be aware that death in dreams should almost never be translated literally. Rather, death is a common dream symbol signifying change, growth, metamorphosis, and “going away.” A saint informs you that you all (newly healed) will “look upon the face of God.” “Then in front of us, a firey blue light began to materialize, and I caught a glimpse of it before I woke up.” As you looked upon the face of God, you felt “complete calmness and relaxation.”

Your dream overflows with pearls of psychological and spiritual wisdom, Heather. I believe it beckons you to listen to your inner voice, to stay in touch with your emotions so that decisions and movements you make in your life are performed consciously (as opposed to unconsciously - that is, “out of control”), and to think for yourself in group situations. Not only this, the dream encourages you not to fear change - and to trust your inner spirit to be your guide in life - “looking upon the face of God.” I believe the calmness and relaxation you felt as you stood in the presence of your spirit will be a tireless source of inner strength, balance, mystery and confidence as you face the many challenges - happy challenges - that await you in this world.

Next time you experience a sense of free-fall in your waking life - just remember that it’s time to take a few deep breaths and re-claim your sense of calm and balance. Also, I think your dream should make something else quite clear to you; you have no reason to be afraid of elevators. Your spirit will never “let you down.”