DREAMCATCHER : I'm trying to fly a small helicopter in difficult conditions

Kris’s Dream:

When the dream started I was flying a one-seat small helicopter. For some reason I knew I shouldn’t be flying it, I think that I wasn’t qualified to fly.

Nevertheless, I was flying over the sea and starting to feel frightened. The aircraft steering was controlled by pieces of string that I pulled left to turn left and right to turn right.

I decided it would be safer to try to get back to the land as the direction I was going felt empty. I pulled on the left string to turn around, the knot slipped but did not come loose.

The helicopter headed towards the land but it was difficult due to buffering from the wind and further loosening of the steering string.

Eventually, I managed to reach the cliff edge when the string came off the steering mechanism. Fortunately, with some clever flying I landed the craft feeling pleased with my actions and woke up.

Dream Interpretation:

In current terms, flying represents a sense of freedom and lack of inhibition, loosening ourselves from restrictions. This dreamer indicates that he is not up to that feeling and doesn’t feel his experience is positive - in fact he feels lost about his future.

The manner of finding his way is tenuous represented by the lack of control over his future, represented by using ‘bits of string’ to guide his way, suggesting that he feels somewhat unsteady and lost in his life direction.

To use images of flying upwards represents an appreciation of life while flying downwards is an attempt to understand deeper personal issues. However, in this dream the pilot is flying in turbulent conditions, suggesting that he is unsure of what he wants, again an indication that his life circumstances are currently changeable.

Nonetheless, in the dream he pursues his search for ‘solid ground’ and stability in his life as the situation gets worse. He eventually manages to reach ‘safe ground’ and comes to a decision about his future - ie ‘lands the helicopter’.

In summary, this dreamer has experienced recent turbulent times in his life from which he has had to make a decision(s) based on a difficult and conflicting situation. He has now achieved a positive outcome.

Interestingly, we have found it is not always possible to interpret your own dream, probably because it often represents the sublimation of feelings or thoughts that we are trying to avoid in our waking lives. However, with a little assistance from the dream interpreter, the symbols and themes can start to make sense and help us to move forward.

If you are interested in having a particular dream analysed, please send us an account of your dream to the following email address: ACDreamcatchers@mail.com

We only have space to interpret one dream a week which will be selected from those received. Please refer to the guidance provided to describe your dream as this will enable us to provide a full interpretation.

Guidance for the Dreamer:

• Record your dream in writing as soon as you wake up with as much detail as possible.

• First of all ask yourself who is in the dream.

• Where are you, what is happening to you and what is happening around you?

• Record how you are feeling about what you and/or others are doing.

• Are there particular symbols or objects in the dream that are unusual?

• Are there any sounds and is the dream in colour or black and white?

• Are you watching yourself in the dream or are you experiencing it first-hand ie: through your own eyes.

Alex Hossack and Catherine Aubrey are Public Service professionals with years of experience as practitioners and managers in the Criminal Justice System.