The following is a visitor-submitted question or story. For more, you can submit your own sleep story here, or browse the collection of experiences and questions other visitors have shared here.

Fears of Flying (S&D)

by Sanjay Padval
(Stanford, CA, USA)

It was supposed to be the first day of Spring Break. I had been planning to going to Florida to enjoy the white sandy beaches of Florida's Gulf Coast. Having finished my last final the day before, my spirits were high and I couldn't wait to get away. I boarded my flight in the mid-afternoon and was comfortably seated flying 30,000 feet in the air when we all of a sudden heard a giant explosion in towards the back of the plane. When I looked back, I couldnt believe what I saw. The whole back of the plane was non-existent yet we were still flying without falling. I was dumbfounded. Then it hit me - this was not happening to me, I was dreaming. Thrilled at the possibility of being able to control my dream I decided to make a leap out of the plane and see what happened. I took the leap, exited about controlling my dreams and free-fell, feeling the cool rush of air at my face. Just for fun I tried to land on on cloud and was able to do so. From then on I went cloud hopping, from cloud to cloud until I ran out of breath. And then as suddenly as it began, I woke up wanting to experience it all over again.


What do you think about this dream? Share your thoughts using the comments link below.

Read More Dream Stories | Share Your Own Dream Story

Click here to post comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Dream Stories.




Enjoy this page? Please help us pay it forward to others who would find it valuable by Liking, Sharing, Tweeting, Stumbling, and/or Voting below.

About This Site

Welcome! This site is continuously being created by students of Dr. William C. Dement's Sleep And Dreams course at Stanford University.

We made this site as a call to action for people all over the world to live healthier, happier, safer, and more productive lives by learning about their own sleep. We have faith that reading the information provided on this site will motivate you to be smart about your sleep deprivation and strategic about your alertness in order to live life to your fullest, most energetic potential.

In fact, we challenge you to do so! What do you say, are you up for the challenge?


A Note On Visitor-Submitted Questions:

Publishing sleep stories and questions from our visitors is meant to create a forum for open and proactive dialogue about an extremely important portion of our lives (one that occupies 1/3 of it and affects the other 2/3) that isn't talked about enough. It is not meant to substitute a trip to the doctor or the advice of a specialist. It's good to talk; it is not good to avoid consulting someone who's profession it is to help you with this kind of stuff.

If you are in any way concerned about your sleep health, don't wait for an answer on here, and don't necessarily rely on them. See a sleep specialist in your area as soon as possible.

More Questions:

Ask | Answer

The Stanford Sleep Book

Stanford Sleep Book Picture

Dr. Dement's pioneering textbook has been the core text for Sleep and Dreams since 1980, but it has just recently been made available to the wider public for the first time.

In it you'll find a more detailed account of the most important things you need to know about sleep, alertness, dreams, and sleep disorders. Studies, statistics, plus plenty of Dr. Dement's classic anecdotes painting the history of sleep medicine.

Preface | Intro | Contents | Get A Copy

More Sleep Resources

The Zeo

A revolution in personal sleep tracking, the Zeo is a wireless headband that transmits your brainwaves in realtime to a dock (pictured here) or your smartphone. The result? You can wake up and see exactly what stages of sleep you were in during the night! Unprecedented personalized sleep knowledge.

Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide

Sleep Paralysis Treatment Book

Ever woken up paralyzed? A surprising number of us have, believe it or not. But few know the actual causes of this phenomenon, and fewer still how to exert control over it. Dream researcher and sleep paralysis expert Ryan Hurd shares breakthrough insights into how to do just that.

Important Disclaimer

Please Note:

The information found on this page and throughout this site is intended for general information purposes only. While it may prove useful and empowering, it is NOT intended as a substitute for the expertise and judgments of healthcare practitioners.

For more info, see our
Terms of Use.