Elevator dreams represent events and emotions that are just like real-life elevators. Sometimes we’re moving onwards and upwards, while others go way down into the depths. We can even be trapped with nowhere to go.
In this article, we’ll cover elevators that go up and down and those that are stuck, worn, or out of order, along with those that repeatedly stop on the same floor.
If you’re dreaming about elevators, they can represent how you move toward your goals and success. Are you going upwards, or are you falling further down?
So let’s hop on the elevator and take a ride to find its symbolism and help sort out its meaning in your dreams!
Common Dreams Of Elevators
A dream elevator or mechanical lift usually represents a high status and wealth. It can also mean a state of consciousness.
For example, if you ride a glass elevator that lets you see the floors below you, you will observe the world from a higher vantage point.
The following are the most common elevator dreams and how they relate to your waking and subconscious lives.
Depending on the dream event involving the elevator, it can represent and be interpreted in a variety of contexts. Consider where you are riding an elevator and why, as you would with all other dream interpretations.
Take note of the people in the elevator with you and what happens inside. Also, think about your emotions when riding an elevator in the dream.
Studying these will help you interpret what your dreams are trying to tell you. Let’s look at common dreams about elevators and their meanings!
Dream About The Elevator’s Location And Condition
The elevator’s location can allude to a specific aspect of your life.
For example, an elevator in a shopping mall can reflect your commercial spending habits.
An elevator can represent your career, title, and work status in an office building.
Finally, an elevator within a residential skyscraper or hotel can represent your family’s atmosphere and social status.
Take note of the elevator’s cleanliness and the people around you. It can provide subtle hints about how you rise and fall in status. And who are the people you’re riding with?
For instance, if your elevator-related dream involves riding in a new and clean elevator with coworkers in a brand-new office building, it suggests that your entire team will have massive success with the project you are working on. Expect good profit, fortunes, and success for your whole team.
Perhaps you are searching or applying for a job position with many applicants. Or maybe you are trying to use to attend a prestigious school. A crowded elevator with strangers in the dream can signify competition.
Dreams About Broken Elevators Or Elevator Crashing
When the dream elevator is dropping, broken, or out of control with you inside, it suggests that you are now in a life crisis. The crisis indicates your fear of losing job security or a romantic relationship.
Your entire life’s perspective will shatter and change forever. The anxious and nerve-wracking experience reflects how you would feel when a major crisis occurs.
If the dream depicts the elevator crashing into the bottom floor, you getting seriously injured, or even dying from the elevator crash, it represents negative things. It suggests that the loss of control in your life can potentially do real damage.
Perhaps you are doing self-destructive behaviors in your waking life.
If the elevator dream moves upward and crashes through the roof, it indicates that you are being catapulted to a position of power.
You are moving too fast in a direction, and you do not yet know how to deal with your new-found status. The new responsibilities are crashing you.
Spiritual Meanings Behind Dreams Of Elevators
So what do these dreams mean?
Let’s take a closer look at the most common spiritual meanings behind dreams of elevators!
1. Big Picture Thinking
What happens when an elevator moves sideways?
It’s not how an elevator typically moves, but it’s movement nonetheless.
It may feel like you’re keeping busy and accomplishing your goals, but really, you’re stuck moving in the wrong direction.
This signifies that you’re focused on the more minor details instead of the bigger picture.
2. Move Quickly
If you’re dreaming of an elevator moving slowly, it could indicate that you’re holding back. You have a greater potential that you could achieve if you just took the leap of faith.
Stop overthinking and go with the flow a bit more than you usually would. Hesitating is leaving you stuck in place rather than moving.
Maybe you know where you’re going, but you’re not quick enough. This dream is telling you to hurry up!
3. Take Your Time
Unlike the last one, you might need to slow down.
Dreaming about going too fast in an elevator may leave you feeling nervous. Are you rushing into something instead of taking your time?
Take a step back and look at the situation with a clear head. This dream encourages you to listen to your gut and not go through with a rushed idea that leaves you feeling uncomfortable.
4. Getting Stuck
Are you dreaming about getting stuck in an elevator by heavy objects? Certain commercial elevators can be used to move larger things like furniture, and I bet it would be rather painful to be stuck under a couch on a lift.
Dreaming about getting stuck under heavy objects means you’re overwhelmed. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you tackle too many responsibilities, but maybe people in your life are holding you back, too.
While it’s admirable that others would offer advice, it sometimes ruins your focus and only further overwhelms you. What you need and focus on your success.
5. Finding A Solution
Many people fear getting stuck in an elevator, but what does it mean in the dream world?
When you’re stuck inside an elevator in real life you’re supposed to wait for fo,r help. In a dream, though, you’re left to find your solutions.
Dreaming about getting stuck means you have the resources to find your solutions. If something is bothering you in your real life, believe in your abilities and take control.
6. Pleasing People
Do you go out of your way to please others? Maybe you open the doors for others and prioritize others rather than yourself.
When you dream about elevator doors closing behind you, it’s a sign to cut back on pleasing others.
Sometimes, you need to focus on yourself and your own needs. Helping others out may feel good, but we can’t rely on others to help us in return.
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7. Wrong Direction
There are two dreams that could symbolize uncertainty. The first is dreaming that you’re riding an elevator that shakes before it stops. The lights inside could go out, too.
The second dream is where you’re riding in the opposite direction you need. In both cases, you could have a clear idea of where you understand maybe the universe doesn’t agree with you.
This could be why your elevator rides are being stalled. The universe wants to wait for the right time to continue your ride.
8. Impostor Syndrome
Have you ever dreamed that you’re wearing your best business attire while taking an elevator, but when you get to the top, every room is empty?
Well, this could be imposter syndrome. It’s common to feel like you’re a fraud when you find success and are afraid of what other people will think of you.
9. Loss Of Control
Many people are anxious when it comes to elevators. You may think it’s claustrophobia, but the fear of falling is what gets to people.
Dreamiout a falling elevator will give you insight into a personal crisis. Look at different details in your dreams for hints on how to work through your crisis.
For example, did the elevator crash, or did you wake up before it happened? Did anything happen after the accident? How did you respond to the fall?
Reflect on any details you can remember and take control of the crisis you’re in.
10. Current Purpose
A working elevator will always go up or down. They have a purpose and can continue to work towards their goal as long as they’re not broken.
Regardless of where you are in life, you have a purpose. There are times when we may feel this isn’t true. It means we need a bit more attention to get back on track.
Dreaming about an elevator may remind you that you’re in the right place and doing your best.
11. Overwhelmed And Under Pressure
Dreaming about an elevator you can’t reach may be a sign you’re overwhelmed and under a lot of pressure.
Maybe it’s inaccessible, or someone closed the door before you could get on. How rude!
The point still stands that you should look to relieve this stress before you’re trapped.
Another interesting point would be how you react to missing the elevator. If you opt to take the stairs instead, it can symbolize your need to take another path and turn away from your overwhelmed feelings.
12. Bad Timing
Dreaming that you’re unable to leave an elevator could mean there’s an invisible force holding you back.
Maybe you’re being pushed away from the door while others exit the lift, or you feel like you’re frozen in place.
This is a sign that you’re not at your final destination. Trust your instincts and wait for the right stop before you exit the elevator. You’ll be happy you did!
13. Drama
What about if you’re dreaming of an elevator that you are familiar with? It could be an elevator in the place where you work or the elevator you use to get to your apartment.
If that elevator is working just fine, but suddenly drops when you get on it and doesn’t stop, it means you are overworking yourself.
You are investing too much of yourself and your time in your work or relationships. It signals that you need to re-evaluate your needs and your life.
If the elevator you’re dreaming of is dropping and won’t slow down, it means that someone is trying to make it so that you don’t reach your goals. It could be your partner, a friend, or even your boss who is trying to make this happen.
Try to think of the people who would want to bring you down and remove them from your life! Otherwise, things will just get worse.
14. Discomfort
A broken elevator, or an elevator that is out of order, can cause a real inconvenience in your life. Similarly, if you’re dreaming of this, it might mean that you are doing invisible damage in your life.
Of course, just like a broken elevator, you can fix that damage.
When an elevator breaks down, you are unable to use it to get to where you need to go. You can’t go downstairs to get to work and you can’t go upstairs to go home. How will you get to where you need?
This broken elevator in your dreams may signify that you are experiencing depression or having thoughts about hopelessness. You want to go back to the comfort of your home, but you can’t get there without help.
Dreaming of this out-of-order elevator might also symbolize that you are unhappy with your life or current situation. You may need to make some changes.
15. Falling In An Elevator
Falling down in an elevator, plummeting toward the ground, is such a frightening image to have in a nightmare. This dream most likely symbolizes your fear of having your life spiral out of your control.
You might feel like you’re going to lose everything that you have worked so hard to gain soon if you aren’t careful.
If you’re dreaming about falling in an elevator, you’ve probably got a bad case of imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome isn’t easy to fix, since it’s a problem that comes from within.
Imposter syndrome is the idea and feeling that no matter how hard you’ve worked, you are a fraud. Your accomplishments don’t feel like they belong to you.
If you can pinpoint this feeling of being an imposter to a dream of falling to your death in an elevator, you may be able to finally face your fears. You can step outside of the feeling, like you would step outside of an elevator, and find your place as your authentic self with no doubts.
Emotions In Dreams Of Elevators
It’s vital to try and not forget that emotions are simply that—emotions. Dreams about your emotions are simply your brain trying to process facts and images through your subconscious.
Feelings aren’t facts. They aren’t prophecies. Feelings aren’t even synonymous with intuition.
The way we feel and the way we dream are emotional reactions to situations—they are coping mechanisms we use to navigate our lives.
Sometimes, our emotions are characterized as a reaction to events in our current lives. Other times, our feelings are dysfunctional reactions that serve no purpose aside from exacerbating an already tough situation.
Our regular response to stressful imagery or stressful emotions is to panic or to view the emotions as affirmation that what we feared turned into reality.
Remembering that our emotions aren’t always fact enables us to face what’s ugly in our lives without assigning it greater value and anxiety than it truly has.
If you’re dreaming of a damaged elevator and experience this fear and anxiety, you might feel like you can depend on nothing but your emotions. But rest assured that this will pass.
No one has deserted you and you don’t have to be unhappy. You can always repair what has broken down. It’s more sensible that way!
Talk to a professional if you’re feeling this way and having recurring dreams of elevators.
Interpreting Elevator Dreams
Here are some basic questions you can ask yourself to help interpret your dreams about elevators!
1. Where was the elevator in your dream?
If the elevator in your dream is in a place that you are familiar with in your waking life, it indicates a concrete situation such as relationships or finances.
But if it’s an unfamiliar place to you, it relates to your spiritual side.
2. How did the dream make you feel?
You must remember how the scenario felt when you dreamed it.
Also, notice how you feel when you wake up. Were you sad, ecstatic, nervous, or happy?
Both are equally important in the detailed analysis.
3. What do you think of the actual elevator?
Do you value your time and energy and take the elevator?
In the latter case, the dream of taking the elevator without thinking is symbolic.
The dream property has a message for you if you decide to take a few flights of stairs while the elevator is still working.
4. Do you suffer from acrophobia, (fear of heights) agoraphobia, (fear of being trapped in a situation) or claustrophobia?
Dreaming of elevators can also occur if you suffer from the phobias mentioned above.
It’s wise to do some research on yourself and your fears in real life, especially if you keep dreaming about elevators.
Conclusion
Ascending or descending in a dream elevator, getting stuck, or having an accident—these dreams aren’t there to warn you of the inevitable happenings in the waking world.
Instead, dreams warn us of our state of mind and what might happen if we continue on our path. When we travel in the direction we are going, we can dream and get confirmation that we are on the right track.
Occasionally, however, you find yourself taking the wrong path or pressing the wrong button and heading to a place you didn’t intend to. Our dreams, even nightmares, help us figure out where we went wrong and how to get back on track.
Dreams do not foretell what will happen the next day or the following days, but they are windows to your feelings and thoughts beyond the conscious.
While you should not let yourself be too affected by the scenarios that took place in your dreams, you should take some time to study their meanings and interpretations.
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