I've been having this weird sleep thing going on since I was in high school (I'm now 30). It usually occurs when I take a short nap. Sometimes it will happen once a month or as frequent as 4 times a week.
In my "sleep" I'm really consious that its a dream. There will be a huge "rush" in my head (the rush sound you get in your head when you yawn).
In this dream it is always the same: I'm aware that I'm lying in my bed, and some force will start slowly dragging me across the bed. Sometimes I feel my body slide off the bed and along the floor (maybe up a wall!). Its really freaky because my body actually tingles and that "yawning" rush in my head becomes very strong. I'm aware that its a dream but the movement feels so real, that I expect to wake up to find myself in a different part of my room. I wake up to find myself in the same position though.
I'm wondering if this is something like a sleep apnea or a sleep disorder thing where your mind wakes up while your body is still paralyzed. However, my body doesn't feel like its paralyzed. It feels like its moving (even though it isn't).
Just always feels like a freaky Exorcist kind of thing. Is this worth visiting a sleep clinic? Can it be something extra freaky (like a OB experience)?
I might also add that during these episodes, I'll get dizzy. I feel the room spinning. You definatly need to see a doctor.
You could have some sort of neurological or chemical disorder.
It might be as simple as an inner ear problem and simply taken care of.
Also, before going to bed tell yourself that you no longer want to dream that dream. Power of suggestion is strong and does amazing things to our brains.
Please see the doctor
It could be hypnogogia, or sleep paralysis. Often times during episodes of sleep paralysis people feel like they are moving or floating. They can often times hear and see things that are not actually there. It is freaky, but there is no actual movement with your body, it's all in your head. Try waking your self up at the point of this happening. Get checked 4 sleep apnea and / or high BP. Could also be a mixed dream and OBE. I have heard the rushing noise just before having a fully lucid OBE when I was a teenager. I have also heard it upon waking up from a strange dream / nightmare. My BP was 200 / 120. It turned out to have been caused by a food allergy.
No. You do NOT need to see a doctor. You are NOT being possessed. If you had not of even seen that movie, you would believe that there is nothing wrong with you. go see a sleep counselor I have been clinically diagnosed with sleep apnea and I used to have those type dreams. I have dreamt of being strangled, held by invisible force, drowning, etc. And the paralyzation is one I had and it really freaked me out too! Your body is trying to wake itself up and can't, but on a psuedo concious level you are being made aware of it too. It is kinda like when your arm goes to sleep and you are aware but it is numb too. Well think of it happening from the neck up. I am by no means saying you have sleep apnea, but I would get at least a sleep study done. Do you ever wake up gasping? Do you snore? Feel shitty after long periods of sleep, when you think you should feel better? Only to sleep for two hours and it feel like you got the really good 8 hour sleep?
The mentioned hypnagogic phantasmagoria sounds very reasonable too and could have been caused for me by my apnea. Try to narrow down what causes it if it isn't apnea; I just suggested it b/c that is what contributed to mine. caio and good luck. If there were physical markings, like scratches or cuts after you woke up I would be more inclined to think something super natural was going on.
Dreaming and symbolism within dreams is something I've studied for years. The things you described are pretty common things to experience. Some people are more aware of their dreams than others. Actually most people simply tune out their dreams and remember very little once they wake up. But a small percentage are more aware of their dreams and indeed people can train themselves (sometimes unwittingly) to become more aware of their dreams.
But the dizziness, spinning, probably feelings of falling as well are all very common things to experience just before, during or after sleep. An interesting thing to note is that people are more aware of their dreams during the early morning. You might try to alter your sleep patters to see if that has any affect.
Reasons you might be having these dreams include having poor quality sleep, not sleeping enough, sleeping too much, or underlying psychological issues. Stress (especially anxiety, depression and fear) will manifest through dreams. And actually reoccuring dreams that involve feeling powerless or under the control of something else and so forth all hint at underlying anxiety/depression issues. And I don't mean you're a nut or that you need a pill to make you better, just perhaps these dreams occur more frequently when you are under pressure or are feeling extra stress in your life.
It is possible you could be suffering from some kind of parasomnia, and it could be due to physical, not psychological problems. But this is unlikely if all you are doing is having the dreams. Othewise if you're not also sleep walking, talking or doing other things, or if you stop breathing and wake up gasping for air or suffer from other sypmtoms of a parasomnias then you are probably ok.
If you were to see a professional, see a psychologist not a medical doctor first. The reasoning is that if these dreams are due to mental factors then a psychologist will be able to help you with those specifically. If you see a doctor all they can do is test your blood and perscribe you pills. And you don't want those, not unless a psychologist agrees that that would be the 'best' option. If you do see a professional and you try different things and these dreams are still bothering you or they get worse then you will probably have to get a in MRI or CAT scan to look for anything unusual in the brain.
Lastly just keep a dream journal and each morning or when ever you wake up, just write a few things down that you dream of. This will increase your overall awareness of your dreams and it may add more pieces to the puzzle to give you a clearer picture of whats going on. And without any physical markings or additional paranormal events I don't think these dreams are anything extraordinary. Of course if you want symbolism intrepreted you can always ask the folks in the dreaming section of this site. Another useful site I visit sometimes is Dreammoods.com It just sounds like hypnagogic phantasmagoria to me. And yes, I'm using unnecessarily big words (I just like the term) but you were right in your assumptions, what you're experiencing is most likely connected to the phenomenon of sleep paralysis, or related hypnagogic phenomena. That is, hypnagogia, referring to the transition between wakefulness and sleep.
What you're describing sounds to me exactly like a Wake-Induced Lucid Dream (WILD), when a person transitions from a wakeful state to a state of dreaming without losing consciousness. If this usually happens during naps, it makes sense, because lucid dreaming is easier and more frequent when you take a nap, or when you aren't incredibly tired upon going to sleep.
What you're describing, a sort of moving sensation while not actually moving. Some people describe the transition itself as feeling as though they were moving literally through their bed, into a dream-state. Now, what you're describing is a bit different, but it's not much of a stretch. Also, auditory hallucination (which could account for the "yawning" sound in your head) is very commonly associated with this sort of thing (although I've never heard that specific sound described).
What I think we can be most certain about is that you're definitely describing a lucid dream. If you're dreaming, and you know you're dreaming as you're dreaming, there's no doubt about the fact that it's a lucid dream.
As far as what you can do about it, I think you should consider yourself very lucky. Keep in mind, lucid dreaming is something that is very much sought after by some people, and while some people employ the use of mnemonic techniques, chemical aids, dream-recall improvement methods, staggered sleeping patterns, and all sorts of other strategies, very few are able to achieve lucid dreams with any regularity. You, on the other hand, are able to experience such a thing anywhere from once a month to four times a week without even trying! You don't know how lucky you are...
So I say take advantage of it. It's a perfectly natural phenomenon, well documented in the sciences, albeit not very well understood, and while there are a few anomalies that I haven't commonly heard associated with hypnagogia or lucid dreaming, and there may be a small chance that it's a sort of neurological disorder, I doubt it's anything too serious.
So I encourage you to take advantage of the situation. Keep in mind, if you're aware you're dreaming as you dream, it becomes easier to exercise control in a situation where you would normally have none. I mean, it's not necessarily easy, but try it out, will yourself to do something, attempt to take charge of the dream. It might not be that hard for you.
Either way, best of luck to you. I wish you well, and if you do pursue this path, let me know how it goes. I'm interested... Hi,
I've had the exact same thing for years. You're the first person to describe it so closely. I've done a bit of research a few years ago to work out what on earth was happening. All it really is is 'night terrors.' It's what happens when your brain drops into a deep level sleep too quickly. Your body can't move but you remain lucid and conscious. The floating thing is a common feature. When you see a feather float to earth and it kind of tilts from side to side in slow motion. Is that how you feel when this happens? Sometimes I feel great fear and I fight it with everything I have. I wake up with an incredible heart rate and soaking wet with sweat.
I've narrowed it down to being caused by a lack of settled sleep. If I've been working or partying too hard for too long and without good sleep it happens. I don't enjoy it but I now know when it's going to happen to me. I've made changes to my habits to manage it and it's down to maybe once/twice a month.
Feel free to email me if you want to. I'm just impressed that you describe the same thing. Be assured that it isn't a 'mental health' or 'demonic' issue lol. Some YA! members answer every question with one of those two answers. If I don't know an answer I don't go and make up some bull! Some of these guys are proof that 'a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.' |
