Experience of Flying in the Air

It has been quite a long time since I last dreamed of flying, but there is one that remains vivid in my memory as a dream with a very strange sensation.

The scene suddenly started with me on top of a utility pole. Aiming for the roof of a house visible nearby, I kicked forward as if surrendering my whole body to water, and my body was pushed forward smoothly. However, I could also feel the momentum beginning to fade, and when I hurriedly moved my limbs as if doing the breaststroke, I was able to move forward diagonally upward again.
It became fun, and when I set my target on a utility pole a little further away and kicked, my body was pushed forward smoothly again.
I flew just above the ground, flew over steep cliffs, and then suddenly woke up.

What exactly is the state described above? Is it possible to explain it scientifically?

ChatGPT📚:

The "dream of flying" is very interesting and something that many people experience at least once. There are several scientific and psychological interpretations for such dreams. I will organize the explanations from the main perspectives below.

🧠【1. Science of the Brain and Dreams: REM Sleep and Movement Illusions】

Dreams occur mainly during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. At this time, the brain is working very actively, but the body cannot move in a state called "muscle inhibition (motor paralysis)."

• However, the brain can generate movement imagery (for example, swimming, flying, etc.), and even though the muscles are not moving, an illusion that "I am moving" is created.

• This "sensation of flying" in a dream is considered to be a pseudo-spatial movement experience created by the vestibular system (the organ that controls the sense of balance) and the visual cortex working in tandem.

• The feeling of "flying as if swimming in water" is consistent with the brain's self-simulation due to a situation where gravity is weakened (= changes in bodily sensations within the dream).

🧘‍♂️【2. Psychological Aspect: Flying Dreams = Symbols of Self-Liberation or Desire for Control】

In the field of dream analysis (e.g., Freud, Jung, or modern dream research), flying dreams are said to have the following meanings:

• Desire for freedom: Feelings of being constrained in the real world or wanting to be released from pressure appear as "flying" in dreams.

• Symbol of confidence or sense of achievement: If you were able to fly well, it reflects a psychological state where you are successfully controlling the situation.

• Symbol of anxiety or effort: If it was difficult to fly and you had to flap your limbs, it symbolizes an attitude of trying to overcome difficulties or efforts in reality.

In your dream, the following psychological descriptions can be read:

• "On top of a utility pole" = An unstable place separated from daily life.

• "Flying as if swimming in water" = The will to move forward while surrendering oneself to the situation.

• "Heading toward a distant utility pole" = A sense of goal-orientation and challenge.

• "On the edge of a steep cliff" = risky behavior, challenging situation.

• "Suddenly waking up" = a possibility that the unconscious has signaled a "limit".

🔬 [3. Integration Errors in Neuroscience and Body Sensation]

Recent research suggests that "flying experiences" in dreams may also be errors in the temporary reintegration of self-body image and motor control.

• During normal wakefulness, we have a clear grasp of "how our body moves under gravity," but this tends to become ambiguous in dreams, and

• the reason movements that do not occur in reality, such as "floating," "flying," or "gliding," feel real is because information from vision, somatosensation, and the inner ear is crossed.

🔭 [4. Commonalities with Astronauts' Dreams]

In fact, some astronauts report that the "sensation of flying in a dream" changes before and after training.

• After operating in a gravity-free space, the sensation of "floating" in dreams becomes more realistic, and

• there are reports that dreams of flying have increased. This is also said to be the result of actual weightless experience updating the brain's motor simulation.

✨ Summary: Your dream is...

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