At the very last minute, I decided not to board the airplane. As I was standing outside, I saw it take off and noticed a bathtub attached to the side. I found it strange for a moment, but dream me is very easily convinced that everything is normal, even when something that bizarre occurs. As the plane ascended, the bathtub shook loose and eventually fell off. I watched as it came falling down through the sky, almost gracefully, though. I was expecting it to shatter, or at least crack, when it landed, since it had fallen from such a tremendous height, but upon inspection it was completely unharmed–fully intact in the grass, looking shiny and brand new.
Imagine waking up from that dream and not being curious about what it means. Couldn’t be me.
When I interpret a dream, I start by writing down everything I can remember in as much detail as I can recall. There is no detail too small, as seemingly little things can impact the overall interpretation. In this case, I focused on the following symbols: airplane, airport, bathtub, object falling from the sky, the sky itself, and the shininess of the bathtub.
Humans tend to forget their dreams pretty quickly after waking up, so when a scene or dream "sticks" like this one did, I'm always extra curious to know more. What is my subconscious trying to tell me? I dream about planes and airports all the time, but this is the first time that a bathtub has mixed itself in. What does it all mean?
At first I was really struggling to make sense of the bathtub actively attached to the plane. Was it being towed? Was it like a motorcycle sidecar? Something else? But after I started digging in to each symbol, I realized the importance was not in the initial attachment, but in the object falling out of the sky. This will make more sense later, I promise.
Okay, so let's dive in! Generally speaking, airplanes symbolize a higher level of awareness or understanding, or a newfound freedom. Airplanes and airports are both symbols of new ideas taking off or being ready to take off. In the case of this specific dream, because I chose not to board the plane last minute, I believe that I have an idea that is ready to take off, but has not taken off yet.
Like I mentioned a moment ago, I dream about airports and airplanes often. I'm usually going up and down a series of escalators at the airport, or I'm sitting on an airplane that is rolling around the streets like a car, which of course is not bizarre to me in the dream, but is always bizarre to me when I wake up and think about how not bizarre it felt in the dream. I mention this because I think it's cool how recurring symbols exist in dreams, but any and all changes can show internal growth and mindset shifts.
As I'm watching the plane take off without me, I saw my ready-to-take-off idea attached to the plane. The bathtub represents my desire to slow down in life, to relax, to focus on self-rejuvenation. I have been on an incredibly intentional journey of self-love and self-acceptance ever since I left my corporate job, which I believe was all being represented by the bathtub. To add to that, seeing something shiny in your dream usually represents your potential that has yet to be unleashed.
The most interesting part of the dream is obviously the bathtub falling from the sky and landing unharmed. It turns out that my pessimistic attitude caused it. By not believing that I can achieve my goals, I am causing myself to fail. It’s worth noting that I remember the sky being completely clear, and that can indicate hope, possibilities, creativity, peace, and freedom of expression.
Basically, my subconscious was kindly pointing out, "hey, you have been circling around this calling of yours for a long time now and I need you to know that the only thing getting in your way is you."
I really want to spend my days helping others understand themselves better so that they can build more balanced lives. I feel called to support those who yearn for a happier life, but can’t get out of their own heads about what they “should” do instead of what they want to do. Reconnecting with my own inner voice has made me the most happy and free I have ever felt in my entire life. On a larger scale, I want to dismantle hustle culture. I hate the way capitalism has conditioned society to prioritize productivity over literally everything else. We all deserve and are made for so much more than optimizing every waking moment of our lives.
All in all, I’ve taken this dream as a good sign. I feel validated and encouraged by my inner voice to lean more into what I’ve been wanting to do. Dream interpretation is part of that. I know that dreams hold meaning and can lead to deeper self-exploration and understanding, so I want to start incorporating this skill into my business. I’m not sure entirely what that is going to look like yet, but for now you can expect to see me sharing more of my own dreams and what meaning I’ve found in each of them.