Flying Puns and Word Play

The Meanings of Flying Dreams, page 2

Most flying dreams are narratives. We think in story style while sleeping and, once we wake, we use language to record our dreams. To help decode our dream tales, we can play with words and uncover their language structure. Dream puns seem to be a universal trait. Such grammatical forms have been found in the dreams of those who read Latin or spoke archaic Greek. However, the meaning of puns is not universal. You won't be able to discover the puns reflected in ancient Egyptian dreams unless you speak ancient Egyptian. This is one reason why certain dream interpretations of the past don't make much sense to us today: they're based on slang or jargon that has long disappeared into history. Sample dreams for some common types of English dream grammar are at the top of the page. More examples, and tips to find the types among your own dreams, follow them. Notice that some of the idioms were revealed when I created a title for my dream.

Homonyms Words with the same sound and same spelling (usually) but with different meanings	Idioms Colloquial words and phrases, slang or jargon which make sense only to another speaker of the same language	Syllabification Forming new words by dividing the original word into syllables
Flew = past tense of "to fly" Flu = influenza, a viral disease marked by irritation in the intestinal tract Stall = a bathroom compartment Stall = an interruption in airflow over a wing causing loss of lift. (When a Tomahawk single engine airplane stalls, it pitches forward and drops rapidly...which is why it's nicknamed the "Traumahawk") "Howard's Flu," 7/30/83 Wandering through a school campus. Many people, many rooms in session. I'm afraid I might be late for class. I go into the bathroom. Howard is tossed in, face down. He complains of "the night before." I take him to a stall and touch him in two places: shoulders and lower intestines, saying that he has pain "here and here." Surprised, he asks, "How do you know?" I reply, smiling, "Because I can feel it." He doesn't have a hangover ­ that I know empathically. I explain, "You just have the flu!" (Note: Howard was my ground school instructor ­ I took the course at a local community college. At the time of the dream I was worried that I might be taking too long (too late) to learn flying. When I flew the day before, I had to hold on tight to the wheel of the Piper Tomahawk with my left arm and I strained my muscles. I also got an upset stomach because I made the airplane stall again and again. I was trying to learn the best way to recover from such a condition.) 6 More Pairs of Homonyms	Fly-by = a flight passing close to a specified target or position "Flying for Hawkeye and B.J.," 9/11/86 I am coming over a hill in a large military truck with Hawkeye and B.J. (of the TV program "Mash"). The terrain of the valley floor is a patchwork of swamp and dry areas. I leave the truck and secretly fly a reconnaissance over the valley to discover a dry pathway to the far side. Then I come back and tell them. They wonder how I know, but I don't tell them that. The next day Hawkeye and B.J. awake in sleeping bags by a small lake in the valley, where they have parked the truck. In the early morning I can be seen gliding a few feet above the lake and doing somersaults in the air, just for the sheer thrill of it (I can't contain my secret ability). Seeing them awake, I fly by and "dive-bomb" them so they duck as they're seated in their sleeping bags. Then I swoop up, stand upright, and land, arms akimbo and grinning. B.J. and Hawkeye gape at me ­ they can't believe their eyes! 3 More Idioms	Awake = a state of consciousness in which you are not asleep A wake = a track of turbulence left behind a moving object "Explaining A Wake in an Elementary School Classroom," 6/24/89 I find myself standing in an elementary school, a class of kindergartners, like I'm a classroom guest. I'm dressed in my white supersuit. A little boy asks, "How do you fly?" I smile, wondering how to translate the sensation of flying into words. "Well, I have to be careful how I breathe. If I breathe too hard, like this (I demonstrate coarse panting), I drop. And if I drop too far, I land." "What about jets?" he asks. "Yes," I reply, imagining a jet streaking close to me. "If I get too close, I get caught in the wake. Do you know what a wake is?" I bring my attention back to the classroom. The teacher has lined up the kids, as if ready to go out for recess. Before they leave, I finish my explanation. "A wake is a stream of consciousness. If you get caught in it, you bounce up and down." I demonstrate this with my two hands. Then I wake for real. 2 More Cases of Syllabification

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More Flying Dream Homonyms Uncover most homonyms by speaking your dream aloud. Listen for like words that have more than one meaning. "Soar" means you can fly, but would the dream still make sense if you substituted "sore" instead? Are you in a "plain" old "plane" or on an exotic "plane" of consciousness? Is a dream character saying, "Hi, Sam," or "High, Sam"?

Fly = to float in the air Fly = to escape "Atomic Explosion," Summer '82 There's an atomic explosion in the distance. It seems to be the end of the world. I fly away across an ocean gulf and land on an island. The island is flat, sandy, with a few palm trees and native huts or houses. I fear that even here, half-way around the world, I will not be safe. The explosion or radiation will eventually reach me.

Fly = to travel by air Fly = a winged insect   Bug = an insect Bug = to annoy or pester "The Giant Hits the Planet," 10/7/89 I'm on another planet with many others. On the other side of the planet, we can feel a giant hit the ground, twice. The impact is so strong, it causes the planet to tilt. For a moment, we are all in danger of sliding off our rectangular platform into a canyon. Fortunately, the tilt isn't too great and we manage to return to an upright position. Then the giant comes around the planet, heading in our direction. People flee for the caves in the hill. I fly to where he's walking down a road cut into a mountain ridge. Like a small insect, I fly up to distract his attention. It works. He comes after me instead. I fly, seeking a place to hide. I swoop underneath an underpass, then double back to another underpass. (Note: My husband [the giant] turns and tosses in our bed [the rectangular platform]. When I ask him to roll over because he snores, he objects because I bug him.)

Flight = the motion of an object through space Flight = a series of stairs rising from one landing to another "Headed Down the Stairs," 12/9/89 Lying on the bed, I can see the kids out of the corner of my eye, hear them talking and feel my daughter reach out to touch me. But after quick reflection, I realize I am dreaming. I concentrate on pulling out of my body and lose the imagery. I feel myself sit up, push off and float out the bedroom to the landing. When the images return, my body is parallel to and about six inches above the first flight of stairs. Because the stairs go downward, my head is lower than my feet. There are tapestries on the walls and a blanket on the banister that I know isn't there in physical reality. Hearing my husband and the kids' voices down the bedroom hallway makes me hesitate. Should I turn around and interrelate with my family before going downstairs? This switch in mental intention cause me to lose the dream.

Rose = past tense of "rise," to ascend Rose = a fragrant flower of the genus "Rosa," a shrub with prickly stems "The Rose," 7/25/89 What a gorgeous day we've chose to be together! The path is so wide and inviting that I run ahead of the pack. Scattered over the grassy hill, couples are reclining, enjoying the ambiance of the moment. They loll under the shade of some trees which seem to stretch and tickle the bright blue sky with their feathered top branches. The sun massages my shoulders, my heart fills with delight and suddenly I am airborne, frolicking a few feet above the ground. The people watch, amused, as I flit around the trees, playing a short game of hide-and-seek. My friends arrive at the top of the hill, spread out a tablecloth in the grass for our picnic, and add piles of food. I take handfuls of flowers that I have been cradling in my arms and add them as my contribution to the gathering. From the daisies, carnations and other blossoms I withdraw a perfect red rose, as my personal symbol for being able to levitate.

Air = the sky Air = a melody or tune "Flying in San Francisco," 12/6/84 In San Francisco I fly through the air, demonstrating my ability to people. There's not much of a reaction; they just look. I'm flying up a street singing, "I can love, I can love, I can love, I can love, I can love!" to the tune from Peter Pan, "I can fly!"

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More Flying Dream Idioms In daily speech, you use colloquialisms and clichés to describe yourself and other people. You may call someone "flighty" or you can "land on your feet". You may be "up in the air," "on the fly" or "flying off the handle". These idioms are called "figures of speech" because you speak the words and your mind supplies imaginary pictures to match. However, you might not be aware of those inner pictures until you go to sleep. To decode an idiom, start with the imagery and events of your dream. Then ask yourself what jargon, slang and descriptive language you use that could be pictured by your dream.

Flyaway = (hair) blown by the wind "Yearning to Fly," 12/14/90 I'm standing in a well-furnished room. At the periphery, I sense built-in bookcases and end tables of dark wood but I can't see them well. The middle of the room is brightly lit by light coming through a huge picture window behind the sofa. Beyond the window I can see a 2-story cabin across the street, surrounded by a lush forest of deciduous and evergreen trees. (It's the expensive, woody sort of neighborhood that can be found on the Monterey peninsula.) I associate the view with Melinda. While thinking about her, I superimpose her image on the scene outside the window. Her dark hair is much looser than usual, flying out in all directions. I'm thinking about the dreams we've had of flying together and wishing we could fly in "real life." I imagine 2 forms (us) suddenly shoot up into the sky, past the tallest tree. The deep yearning I feel is in contrast with the mild philosophical realization of the limits of physical life.

Fly in the face of = to defy or resist openly "Flying With a Contrasting Belt," 4/7/92 I am flying horizontally, wearing a "super" jumpsuit. I have on a contrasting belt (like white-on-black.) I'm flying over a rectangular area of fields and buildings that look like college dorms. At the same time I'm flying above, I'm on the ground, having a face-to-face conversation with someone who has dark hair. The scene on the ground is in color ­ I recall a peach complexion. And it's outdoors, because the skin is contrasted with the bright, blue sky. The conversation is intense, like I'm being challenged, or put on the spot.

The sky's the limit (literally) "Hard to Fly Above the Eucalyptus," 9/10/90 In order to rise in the air, I flap my arms as I might scull from the depths to the surface of water. From a paved roadway, I veer diagonally, slightly to the right; then slightly left in order to compensate. To my relief, I discover that I have easily risen to the tops of the row of eucalyptus trees in front of me. But I look left and see, off in the distance, a cluster of eucalyptus trees which tower even higher than I am. When I flap my arms to move higher, straight up, the attempt is tiring. It feels as though there's a ceiling pressing down on my head. The effort causes me to lose the dream.

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More Flying Dream Syllabification Syllabification is taking a whole word and dividing it into syllables in order to discover the hidden phrase. For instance, "together" would have a much different meaning if you saw it separated into three words: "to get her."

aloft = in the air; flying a loft = an open space under a roof "I Can See The Blonde Man and His Crystal Gift Boosts My Hearing," 3/2/90 A blonde man is standing inside a barn or warehouse. It has an open loft cluttered with piles of stuff. In full view of me, the man levitates upward. I know he allows me to see him because he senses I'm somehow superheroic, too. Up in the loft, he surprises a guy who was waiting to pounce. He struggles with and overcomes him. Outside, the blonde man hands me a brown crystal that fits into my right ear. "I can hear on the moon!" I exclaim. Evidently, the crystal can magnify sound over long distances.

Karma = fate or destiny car ma = mother in a car "Ordering Parents Out of the Car," 9/25/83 I'm in the back seat of a car which is traveling through the streets of a city. I become lucid, and realize that my parents are up in front driving me who knows where. "All right, you guys, out !" I order. My parents leave through the right hand door. I climb over the seat back and move to the driver's side, then motion for my children to join me "up in front." Driving off, I look at my parents standing on the side of the road. My mother's face in unclear but my father definitely looks angry. I think, "Tough! that's too bad. It's my car." I turn the corner to the right, up a diagonal street, go kiddie-corner and to the left into a parking lot. We get out of the car and walk into a building which turns out to be a combination warehouse and store. It's brightly lit (reminds me of the government art store in Mexico City). Taking my children by their hands, one on either side, we begin flying up and around the store. I feel strong and steady and move up even higher. As I swirl us around, quickly, I begin to lose the dream and must concentrate to regain the image. Next time I turn much more slowly and fly over a large rectangular area surrounded by a counter top. Inside it is a man dressed in white. We all talk to him as he rings up a sale. (Note: Instead of being driven (crazy) by past fate, I realize that I have free will and take charge of my own future. No more Karma. No more car ma. Or car pa, for that matter.)

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