Fans come with a forward and a reverse setting. Standing under the fan, you will feel a breeze. Now, when you stand under the fan, you won't feel a breeze.
Hot air rises and a ceiling fan, running in reverse, gently mixes the air.
So far, what I've said holds true for rooms with standard 8-foot ceilings. Fan companies recommend this procedure. Cool air sinks to the floor, which causes the lower levels to be cooler and the upper levels hotter. In the winter, they run the fan in the blowing-down direction to move warm air into the lower levels of the house where they spend their time during the day. They feel no draft downstairs because they are too far away from the fan.