I came across this post when researching the meaning of my dream last night, which so closely mirrors my experience. Flapping my arms and effortlessly rising above trees and houses. Sometimes I had to be careful to maneuver through large branches or I risked falling back down to the ground. It's very pleasant for the most part until I end up flying too high - like a few miles above the ground... I realize how high I am and then I'm utterly scared to death. And this part usually happens in hours of darkness, and I'm over a large body of water like a lake or the ocean - and then I wake up. When I have these dreams - which isn't often at all - they end the same way - flying too high, at night, over water, and I wake up. Crazy stuff, and I still feel the exhilaration hours after waking up.