27 Meanings When You Dream About Elevators

Falling elevators (sometimes called lifts in Europe and Commonwealth countries) are the stuff of nightmares and horror movies. But what does it mean when you dream about elevators? Lifts, stairs, and escalators can represent rising or crashing and burning.

This all depends on the context, but unlike old-world imagery that involves animals, natural features, or celestial bodies, this dream concept is centered on technology and modern living. So let’s look into the significance of this contemporary dream symbolism as it applies to you.

What Does It Mean When You Dream About Elevators?

1. Luck and Numbers

Numerology is an intriguing discipline in the spiritual space. But even if you’re not good with numbers, you might know which ones are lucky or unlucky for you. So if you dream of being in an elevator, look at the numbers as they zoom by and assess your feelings about each one.

If the ride stops on your (un)lucky number, it’s a preview of upcoming events – good or bad. Usually, the elevator doors will open in the dream but you may not see what’s on the other side. But a lucky floor number is a good sign while an unlucky floor number is a no-bones day.

2. Undecided Mindset

What does it mean when you dream about elevators that won’t stop? Your typical elevator experience has you standing in the chamber and listening as each floor dings by. But what if there’s no voice announcing floor numbers? Or what if the floor numbers keep blinking?

The message here is you don’t know which floor you want to be on. So the dream is telling you you’re conflicted about something. It’s nudging you to make a decision or you’ll be stuck in limbo forever. This dream is an indicator since you might not even know you’re confused!

3. Big Picture Thinking

Your typical elevator goes down or up. So what does it mean when you dream about elevators moving sideways? Think of this like a lateral promotion. You’re busier so it feels like progress, but it’s not. Elevators sliding sideways in your dream means you’re allowing yourself to get bogged down by minor activities and interactions. Focus on the big picture!

4. Hurry Up!

You might have a dream about an elevator that’s dragging along. It doesn’t have any issues – the ride is smooth and stable. It’s just … slow! This could be a sign that you’re holding yourself back in some area of your life, and your hesitance is impeding progress and growth.

Maybe you need to stop the endless research and pick a course, house, or job – you’re probably paralyzed by analysis! You’re in the lift and it’s working, so you already know where you want to be. But while caution can be advisable, this dream tells you to speed things up!

5. Slow Down

There are few dreams where context matters as much as elevator dreams. For example, which direction is the lift going in, and how fast is it moving? You may be in an express elevator, in which case you want it to zoom along. But this is a dream where you feel uneasy.

The elevator isn’t buzzing by – it’s hurtling at a pace that’s alarming to you. This dream is a sign that you need to pace yourself. Haste makes waste, and you’re probably rushing into a decision or situation that will end badly. When you wake up, pause, breathe and re-assess.

6. Narrow Things Down

Commercial lifts in hotels or hospitals can be used to move heavy objects and supplies. But if you’re dreaming about yourself squashed in the lift and surrounded by furniture and clutter, it means you feel overwhelmed. Maybe you have too many tiny tasks so it feels like nothing is getting done. Or everyone is shouting unwanted advice at you and impeding your progress.

7. Seek Solutions

When people get stuck in elevators, they often panic. Public advice says you should call for help then wait for rescue. But real life isn’t like the dream world, so fish around your elevator dream to see the signs your spirit guides are sending. For starters, are you alone in there?

Can you hear voices outside? Is the power on? Are you between floors? Your dream means you’re in a dilemma. If you’re alone in the dream, dig deep – you have the skills to fix your mess. If there are people around in the dream, ask the people in your waking world for help.

8. Emotional Conflict

In some ways, dreaming about elevators seems like a mid-point between flying and falling dreams. Falling implies fear, anxiety, lack of purpose, or discontent. Flying suggests adventure and risk-taking. So what does it mean when you dream about elevators stalling?

If you were in a moving elevator that froze, think about your feelings before the lift jammed. Where you excited and buoyed or nervous to reach your destined floor? When the elevator gets stuck, it’s a sign your inner senses are in a mess. Do some emotionally exploratory work.

9. Lucky in Love

You might dream about elevator doors constantly opening and closing. This is similar to dreaming about revolving doors. It means endless opportunities are coming your way, whether they’re hot dates, potential partners, or promising job offers. Check your feelings in the dream. Are you cheerfully enjoying the bounty or terrified you might pick the wrong one?

10. Raising or Lowering your Level

The job of an elevator is to take you to a higher or lower floor. So if you dream about being in a moving left, check whether it’s rising or going down. This suggests a shift in your level. That might be emotional (new love or break up) or financial (a new job or getting fired).

This could be a spiritual movement too, meaning you’re rising to a higher spiritual plane or falling from grace due to bad habits and unwise company. In the dream, check whether the lift is headed to the penthouse or the basement and how far you are. This hints at the timing.

11. Detours and Delays

You can tell a lot about a person by their elevator etiquette. Are you hyper chatty or do you immediately sink into their phones? Do you shove their way in and out or politely let others pass? Do you hold the door open for others or jam the button shut as soon as you get in?

Either way, in the dream, you probably pressed a button to show the floor you wanted. If the lift then stops on the wrong floor (and nobody gets in or out), it may indicate a delay or a detour in your current plans. Expect something to interfere with your prospects, and soon!

12. Inner Preservation

Maybe you’re the kind of person who always holds doors open for people, whether it’s an elevator or the grocery store. So what does it mean when you dream about elevators but the door closes behind you? It may mean your spirit guides are helping you curb your people-pleasing tendencies. They’re protecting you from the demanding energy of those around you.

13. Doubt and Indecision

Let’s take a variation of the dream above. What does it mean when you dream about elevators but you get off on the wrong floor? In this scenario, you knew what floor you wanted and chose it, but when the door opened and you got out, you’re in the wrong place.

Think about surrounding factors in the dream. Did the lift have other people? This might mean you’re letting diversions distract you from your goal. Were you alone but still ended up lost in the building? This could mean you’re making the wrong choice. You need to retract!

14. Reverse Your Direction

We’re going to look at two dream variations here that send the same signal. Maybe you’re in a lift and it wobbles before it stops. The lights might flicker then go off. In another dream, you want to go up or down, but the elevator that appears is going in the opposite direction.

Both these dreams signify uncertainty. You’re clear on the path you’d like to take, but your higher powers disagree. That’s why they’re stalling the elevator and giving you lifts that are going the wrong way. They want you to wait and be patient until they send you the right ride.

15. Impostor Syndrome

You might dream that in your best business suit (or maybe a wedding dress) and you’re zooming up an express elevator. When you get to the top and step out of the lift, the hall or boardroom is empty! This could mean you’re suffering from impostor syndrome. You believe you’ve succeeded too fast (in love, finances, or career) and that they’ll find out you’re a fraud.

16. Loss of Control

Dreams about crashing or crashed elevators are part of a larger category (falling dreams). They imply anxiety, worry, and a loss of control. Try to remember as many contextual details as you can. Were there others in the lift? Were you (and they) screaming or scared numb?

Did the elevator hit the bottom or did you wake up before it smashed? Did you see the aftermath of the accident? Were you inside the lift as it fell or did you watch from outside? This dream is about a moment of crisis in your life and hints at how you should respond.

17. Fire Alarms

When you dream about an elevator that’s stuck, the higher powers are exposing areas of your life that seem static or stagnant, and that you’re uncomfortable with. The goal of the dream isn’t to show your immobility – you already know about that. It’s to help you seek the source.

Think about the lift. Were you alone when it stopped, and what were you doing? Checking your phone? Humming to the muzak? Being alone in a stalled elevator may indicate isolation and loneliness, so reach out! But if the lift is full, others may be contributing to your inertia.

18. Past Ghosts

Elevators were invented in 1852 and first carried passengers in 1870. So if you’re dreaming about old, outdated lifts, that dream interpretation is a blast from the past. You have unresolved issues and relationships that are stopping you from moving forward. And some of these stubborn past loves might be with you in that lift, so call them up and hash things out!

19. Frustration or Freedom

Still in that stuck lift, what are your feelings about being in a blocked metal box? Do you feel trapped and desperate? This means something in your waking life is frustrating you, so you need to figure it out. If the people around you are adding to your anxiety, they’re the issue!

This could mean your friends and colleagues and dragging you down and holding back your potential. But if you’re locked inside a dream elevator but you feel calm and confident that some hot firefighter will come rescue you, then it means this trying time will pass. It’s fixed!

20. Urgency

This interpretation of an elevator dream is pretty straightforward. You dream that you’re in a lobby or hallway and you’re anxiously waiting for a lift that isn’t coming. The dream is generally a direct and literal reference to your everyday life, so look around your calendar.

A late lift dream expresses anxiety about a deadline or unease about a concrete future event. It’s the same as a dream about missing the bus, being late to an interview, or not catching your connecting flight. They symbolize regret, so check to see what you can change – quick!

21. Momentary Purpose

Elevators are always going somewhere. Unless they’re broken or stuck. So recurring dreams about elevators show you where your heart is. You might notice the elevator in your ream is always going to or from a hotel room, office, or apartment. Meaning deep down, the place you most want to be in (or get away from) is your house, your workplace, or a hotel vacation.

22. Excess Pressure

What does it mean when you dream about elevators you can’t access? Maybe you were too far away and someone closed the door, or the lift was too full for you to get in. This implies you’re under a lot of pressure and you need to reduce your burden before it crushes you.

But that’s only if you felt anxious about missing the elevator. But what did you do in the dream? Did you turn and rush to the stairs or the fire escape? Your spirit guides may be advising you that you’re on the wrong track so you need to find alternatives to this path.

23. Bad Timing

Here’s another extreme dream. You’re in the lift. It stops on the right floor. But as you start to get out, you can’t. Maybe too many people are forcing their way in and there’s a logjam at the door. Or maybe some invisible force has paralyzed so you can’t physically leave the lift.

In both these cases, your guardian angels are fighting you. They know the course you’re currently taking is wring for you, and by freezing you inside a dream lift, they’re saying ‘Don’t do it!’ In the dream, you probably stayed in the lift. Your guides will show you the next steps.

24. Office Politics or Relationship Drama

The lift in your dream might be an office lift or an apartment lift. If it seems to be working fine and suddenly drops but doesn’t stop, you’re invested in your job or relationship. But your partner, co-workers, or boss are doing their best to stifle your progress. It might be petty office politics or an insecure lover that thinks you’ll leave them if you reach your goals.

25. Discomfort or Despair

In the Big Bang Theory, the broken elevator is an important ploy device. In the dream world, a broken lift can suggest unseen damage in your life. If the lift is broken, you can’t move. You can’t go down and leave the office or buy breakfast. Or up to the comfort of your apartment.

This could be a sign of creeping depression and a sense of hopelessness. It might also show your discomfort with your current circumstances. A broken elevator on the first floor might reveal you hate your job, your office, or your family since you have no way to get up to them.

26. Ask for Assistance

In the dream interpretation space, stairs, ladders, escalators, and elevators are often classed together. They all deal with shifting levels, whether that’s up or down. So what does it mean when you dream about elevators as opposed to the other items? It’s about asking for help.

While all these four can get you where you need to be, stairs and ladders require individual effort. But escalators and elevators are externally powered. They use electricity and might have an employee to control them. So this dream reminds you not to go it alone. Seek help.

27. Resilience

Many elevator dreams stop before they bottom out. You wake up just before the crash. So what does it mean if you witness the fallout and the elevator smashes with you inside it? Even if you die in the crash, you saw the event. It means an important phase of your life is careening to a close. You’re sad, upset, and scared. But it’s not the end. Life still goes on.

What was your last elevator dream? Was it good or bad? Tell us all about it in the comments!

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