What It Really Means When You Dream About Stairs

Stairs aren't something you'd think would commonly appear in dreams, but they actually have a "strong, symbolic importance" according to PsycholoGenie. A simple staircase can hold the meaning to the intricacies of your life without you knowing. As with many dreams, the meaning is subjective and solely attributed to what you're dealing with in life. But in general, stairs "portray transition" and can lead the mind "to a different or higher world" whether spiritually, emotionally, physically, or mentally.

Dreaming about stairs can be related pretty closely "to change and growth in an individuals life," as PsycholoGenie writes, seeing as you'll either be moving up or down them. And it all depends on the location of the staircase, whether it's straight or winding, and if you're moving up or down at a frantic or calm pace. Granted, there are a lot of variables to think about. But there are a select few circumstances that carry the most meaning.

According to Dreaming and Sleeping, climbing up a set of stairs is "always a good omen" in a dream. This can signify that you've decided to put effort into achieving your goals, and that you're "ready to work hard and you know that you will succeed." However, if there are too many steps, this can "symbolize many financial problems in the near future." If you happen to be running up the stairs, though, this can mean that you're not "able to handle a lot of issues in your life at the same time," according to PsycholoGenie.

Walking down the stairs can bring more negative connotations, PsycholoGenie notes, like a tendency to suppress "thoughts of the subconscious mind and failures that you may be dealing with." And if you end up falling or sliding down the stairs, this can portend to "failure, the loss of social position and of your wealth, [and] also illness," according to Aunty Flo. Rolling down the stairs is another matter entirely, which can foretell "a more difficult period ahead in regard to matters of the heart."

And as for the type of staircase you're dreaming about, spiral or winding stairs can "be symbolic of rebirth and the significant journey to self-discovery," per PsycholoGenie. And if they're in a public or random place, this can relate to "behaviour and interactions with the outer world."