Man if I had a dime for every time I've heard THIS one... and not always in a flattering tone, at that.
I seem to remember reading an interview with Stapp where he stated that the song "Higher" was about escaping reality through his dreams, or something of that nature. That being said, it's still a song like any other, and therefore completely open to personal interpretation.
I always saw it as an escape song myself... but that's because I needed one.