Comments on: False Awakenings and Lucid Dreaming http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/ Exploring consciousness, lucid dreams, and mind enhancement Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:48:36 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: reality shifter http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/comment-page-1/#comment-8615 reality shifter Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:40:08 +0000 http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/#comment-8615 Hi Alysson, I agree with what you wrote about not trying so hard to control your dreams. Over the years, I've gradually shifted from trying to control my dreams to instead just letting my dreaming mind control the dream while I observe and "go with the flow". I've found I learn much more that way. I recently posted <a href="http://www.realityshifter.com/2009/review-lucid-dreaming-gateway-to-the-inner-self/" rel="nofollow">a review of Robert Waggoner's new book "Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self"</a>, and in the book he does a great job of describing all the ways people can benefit from exploring their dreams that way instead of trying to control all the aspects of the dream. Hi Alysson,
I agree with what you wrote about not trying so hard to control your dreams. Over the years, I've gradually shifted from trying to control my dreams to instead just letting my dreaming mind control the dream while I observe and "go with the flow". I've found I learn much more that way. I recently posted a review of Robert Waggoner's new book "Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self", and in the book he does a great job of describing all the ways people can benefit from exploring their dreams that way instead of trying to control all the aspects of the dream.

]]> By: Alysson http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/comment-page-1/#comment-8586 Alysson Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:51:18 +0000 http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/#comment-8586 I have been keeping a dream log for a few months now. there are only 8 or so entries but i found that my dreams are more easily remembered when i am in the habit of putting them down on paper. I think i prefer to let my dream go where ever it wants to go and kind of check out my subconscious that way rather than trying to control my dream. it is much less tiring too. I have been keeping a dream log for a few months now. there are only 8 or so entries but i found that my dreams are more easily remembered when i am in the habit of putting them down on paper. I think i prefer to let my dream go where ever it wants to go and kind of check out my subconscious that way rather than trying to control my dream. it is much less tiring too.

]]> By: Michelle http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/comment-page-1/#comment-8435 Michelle Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:54:06 +0000 http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/#comment-8435 I just experienced another false awakening. I have been having these since I was in college, about twenty years. They only occur when I take a nap. I fall asleep, but am not in a deep sleep, I can hear the household sounds. Sometimes I will have a normal dream. At some point I feel like I am awake. My eyes are open, I can hear normal sounds. I sit up, but realize I never moved from my horizontal position. I then notice that certain things are not quite right. The room color may be off or I can't keep my eyes open for very long. I tend to panic. I can hear unusual sounds. Today I heard the hose running, it's not even hooked up. I heard someone in the house. Then there's someone next to me. I can feel hands, but I cannot see anyone. I am grasping someone but there is no one there. More panic. I try to call out. I find that the more I struggle and cry out, eventually I can come into reality and wake up completely. Usually the false awakening begins within a normal setting but my anxiety builds as time after time I am unable to come to consciousness. You know that something is off, but it feels so real when you swing your legs out and sit up. I have even walked around, gone down the hall, ect. only to find that I never moved a muscle. My solution is not to take naps but some days I find it impossible. I wish there was a simple exit strategy to use so that nap taking wasn't so wasteful. I usually feel anxious and more tired after a false awakening marathon. I just experienced another false awakening. I have been having these since
I was in college, about twenty years. They only occur when I take a nap.
I fall asleep, but am not in a deep sleep, I can hear the household sounds. Sometimes I will have a normal dream. At some point I feel like I am awake.
My eyes are open, I can hear normal sounds. I sit up, but realize I never moved from my horizontal position. I then notice that certain things are not quite right. The room color may be off or I can't keep my eyes open for very long. I tend to panic. I can hear unusual sounds. Today I heard the hose running, it's not even hooked up. I heard someone in the house. Then there's someone next to me. I can feel hands, but I cannot see anyone. I am grasping someone but there is no one there. More panic. I try to call out. I find that the more I struggle and cry out, eventually I can come into reality and wake up completely.
Usually the false awakening begins within a normal setting but my anxiety builds as time after time I am unable to come to consciousness. You know that something is off, but it feels so real when you swing your legs out and sit up. I have even walked around, gone down the hall, ect. only to find that
I never moved a muscle.
My solution is not to take naps but some days I find it impossible. I wish
there was a simple exit strategy to use so that nap taking wasn't so wasteful.
I usually feel anxious and more tired after a false awakening marathon.

]]> By: VLB http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/comment-page-1/#comment-8364 VLB Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:17:02 +0000 http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/#comment-8364 An interesting article. Over the last few years I seem to be having increasingly common false awakenings. Usually they happen after a nightmare (I have horrific nightmares) and I wake up in extreme distress, but also relief to finally be awake... but then elements of my original nightmare begin to creep back into my "waking" reality, or else the atmosphere turns off.. and I start to freak out - either because I think the nightmare's real, or because I realise I haven't woken up but can't do anything about it. When I do finally wake up (sometimes by trying to force myself to shout or move physically, because I have a sensation of my paralysed sleeping body at the same time as my moving sleep-body) I am terrified of going back to sleep. And sometimes unsure of whether I am actually awake at all. I have never had a positive experience with lucidity or a false awakening. Whenever I become aware of the fact that I am dreaming I try as hard as I can to wake up. Maybe I could use lucidity to work on having more positive enjoyable dreams....but lucidity itself scares me to some degree :S Food for thought <em>VLB's last blog post: <a href="http://behindthefreezer.blogspot.com/2009/01/hybrid-ink-drawings.html" rel="nofollow">Hybrid: Ink Drawings</a></em> An interesting article.

Over the last few years I seem to be having increasingly common false awakenings. Usually they happen after a nightmare (I have horrific nightmares) and I wake up in extreme distress, but also relief to finally be awake… but then elements of my original nightmare begin to creep back into my "waking" reality, or else the atmosphere turns off.. and I start to freak out – either because I think the nightmare's real, or because I realise I haven't woken up but can't do anything about it.

When I do finally wake up (sometimes by trying to force myself to shout or move physically, because I have a sensation of my paralysed sleeping body at the same time as my moving sleep-body) I am terrified of going back to sleep. And sometimes unsure of whether I am actually awake at all.

I have never had a positive experience with lucidity or a false awakening. Whenever I become aware of the fact that I am dreaming I try as hard as I can to wake up.

Maybe I could use lucidity to work on having more positive enjoyable dreams….but lucidity itself scares me to some degree :S

Food for thought

VLB's last blog post: Hybrid: Ink Drawings

]]> By: alex batez http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/comment-page-1/#comment-7654 alex batez Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:19:23 +0000 http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/#comment-7654 This Is Amazing , i have just looked at all these comments and it describes everything thats happening to me , my fear is the same as every1 else is that because my heart is beating so much when im in the dream that i might have a heart attack etc. and im only 18! im sick of websites on the web describing lucid dreaming as a amazing phenonom when actually people suffer from it , its extremly traumatic, althought im so intriged about lucid dreaming and i think its 1 in a million so i want to learn more and make the dreams positive instead of negative.. Help !!!!!!!!! British Lad This Is Amazing , i have just looked at all these comments and it describes everything thats happening to me , my fear is the same as every1 else is that because my heart is beating so much when im in the dream that i might have a heart attack etc. and im only 18! im sick of websites on the web describing lucid dreaming as a amazing phenonom when actually people suffer from it , its extremly traumatic, althought im so intriged about lucid dreaming and i think its 1 in a million so i want to learn more and make the dreams positive instead of negative.. Help !!!!!!!!! British Lad

]]> By: Desperate!!! http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/comment-page-1/#comment-7176 Desperate!!! Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:16:10 +0000 http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/#comment-7176 Everywhere i read i see that lucid dream is so fantastic...it's 2:00 a.m. as i type this i have just woken up from these nightmares i keep having! I had in total 4 nightmares THIS WEEK! 2 of them in which i had the same night! it's horrible! Let me explain... This weekend as i slept i was having a nightmare i realized i was having one (lucid) so i tried waking myself up. When i tried waking myself up I had an out of body experience which freaked me out i was in my dark room telling myself wake up come on wake up and i would then be in my body and i would dream that i was trying to wake myself up i could see the whole thing happening. During this time i feel paralyzed i cant talk can bearly move and my body feels tingly. Right before i "pull myself out of my dream" as i call it i always feel like i have dropped to the floor and i get butterflies in my stomach along with a fast beating heart. When i finally do "pull myself out" i always do a little yelp when i open my eyes im guessing from the force of trying to wake myself up. So this happened 3 times this week. But tonight was the last straw. I had a nightmare that i was trying to "pull myself out" Everytime i would wake up i knew that i wasnt awake even though i would try to go on with my life in my dream i would tell myself "No im still asleep" and when i would i would go straight back to my nightmare about having a nightmare. I "pulled myself out of it" 6 times before i actually woke. Yeah i counted thats how conscious i was! Dont forget every 6 times i went through the same horrible feeling i explained above but instead of waking up to a little yelp i went back to the begining. I'm so tired i have no idea if i go to sleep if its gonna happen again. The feeling i have when i wake up is if i had been on a roller coaster that scared the crap out of me. PLEASE I NEED HELP! I will be greatfull for anything! OH did i mention im only 17 so i have to suffer all night and be extremely sleepy at school! please im desperate! Everywhere i read i see that lucid dream is so fantastic…it's 2:00 a.m. as i type this i have just woken up from these nightmares i keep having! I had in total 4 nightmares THIS WEEK! 2 of them in which i had the same night! it's horrible! Let me explain…

This weekend as i slept i was having a nightmare i realized i was having one (lucid) so i tried waking myself up. When i tried waking myself up I had an out of body experience which freaked me out i was in my dark room telling myself wake up come on wake up and i would then be in my body and i would dream that i was trying to wake myself up i could see the whole thing happening. During this time i feel paralyzed i cant talk can bearly move and my body feels tingly. Right before i "pull myself out of my dream" as i call it i always feel like i have dropped to the floor and i get butterflies in my stomach along with a fast beating heart.

When i finally do "pull myself out" i always do a little yelp when i open my eyes im guessing from the force of trying to wake myself up. So this happened 3 times this week. But tonight was the last straw.

I had a nightmare that i was trying to "pull myself out" Everytime i would wake up i knew that i wasnt awake even though i would try to go on with my life in my dream i would tell myself "No im still asleep" and when i would i would go straight back to my nightmare about having a nightmare. I "pulled myself out of it" 6 times before i actually woke. Yeah i counted thats how conscious i was! Dont forget every 6 times i went through the same horrible feeling i explained above but instead of waking up to a little yelp i went back to the begining.

I'm so tired i have no idea if i go to sleep if its gonna happen again. The feeling i have when i wake up is if i had been on a roller coaster that scared the crap out of me. PLEASE I NEED HELP! I will be greatfull for anything! OH did i mention im only 17 so i have to suffer all night and be extremely sleepy at school! please im desperate!

]]> By: Sharon http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/comment-page-1/#comment-6025 Sharon Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:06:24 +0000 http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/#comment-6025 I have been having these lucid dreams for about 2 weeks now. Hadn't had them in about 5 or 6 years. Mine usually consist of thinking I'm awake and things are going on around me and I can't control them. This morning , this happened 4 times before I actually got fully awake. The first one was that my husband had come home from work early and I could see him at the corner of the bedroom,but only from his feet to his shoulders. Then right after that my daughter come over (new dream) and I could hear her down stairs and couldn't figure out why she wouldn't come up stairs,so I was yelling for her in my dream. I thought I was fully awake. This is crazy stuff and it scares the crap out of me. I'm afraid one of these times I actually won't wake up. After I realize time and time again I'm dreaming, I have soo much trouble getting awake. thoght I was going crazy until I seen this sight today. Sharon I have been having these lucid dreams for about 2 weeks now. Hadn't had them in about 5 or 6 years. Mine usually consist of thinking I'm awake and things are going on around me and I can't control them. This morning , this happened 4 times before I actually got fully awake. The first one was that my husband had come home from work early and I could see him at the corner of the bedroom,but only from his feet to his shoulders. Then right after that my daughter come over (new dream) and I could hear her down stairs and couldn't figure out why she wouldn't come up stairs,so I was yelling for her in my dream. I thought I was fully awake. This is crazy stuff and it scares the crap out of me. I'm afraid one of these times I actually won't wake up. After I realize time and time again I'm dreaming, I have soo much trouble getting awake. thoght I was going crazy until I seen this sight today. Sharon

]]> By: Camille http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/comment-page-1/#comment-3289 Camille Sun, 17 Aug 2008 01:24:16 +0000 http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/#comment-3289 I've been having a lot of False Awakenings lately. And truthfully, it scares me. My dreams are often of a "nightmare" kind. In a dream, everything starts out normal. I wake up, I go about my business, then in a sudden change of course, I have wind up toys attacking me. Realizing it's only a dream, I go back to bed, close my eyes, and try to change me dream. I wake up again, thinking "truly" woken up, everything's normal, the next thing I know, my books are being removed from my bookshelves by an invisible hand. I go about this around 5 times. 5 false awakenings, to 5 nightmares, I woke up into the "true reality", so scared of falling asleep again. How can I make this stop? I'm so scared I'm not gona wake up anymore.=S Please help me. I've been having a lot of False Awakenings lately. And truthfully, it scares me. My dreams are often of a "nightmare" kind. In a dream, everything starts out normal. I wake up, I go about my business, then in a sudden change of course, I have wind up toys attacking me. Realizing it's only a dream, I go back to bed, close my eyes, and try to change me dream. I wake up again, thinking "truly" woken up, everything's normal, the next thing I know, my books are being removed from my bookshelves by an invisible hand. I go about this around 5 times. 5 false awakenings, to 5 nightmares, I woke up into the "true reality", so scared of falling asleep again. How can I make this stop? I'm so scared I'm not gona wake up anymore.=S Please help me.

]]> By: sheedah http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/comment-page-1/#comment-1170 sheedah Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:37:16 +0000 http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/#comment-1170 Im really glad that I came across this site...Ive been experiencing a bunch of false awakenings lately and they have been occuring more frequently than usual, along with sleep paralysis and a few "perceived" out of body experiences. My false awakenings feel so very real...like in the latest one I had, I could actually feel sensations in my body and until i actually woke up a few seconds later, I really thought the dream was "reality" as we know it...or sometimes ill be half awake and half asleep and somehow stuck in between the two worlds...ill drift back into wakefulness but it will take me a few long moments to distingusih which world im in, dream or reality, if the two are actually distinguishable...its cool, but its been happening so often lately and its scary...it almost always happens during the day. But anyway, I was starting to think I was going crazy or that I had a touch of schizophrenia, so Im grateful to have come across this sight in my research on the phenomenon, and to have found out that Im not alone in this. Im really glad that I came across this site…Ive been experiencing a bunch of false awakenings lately and they have been occuring more frequently than usual, along with sleep paralysis and a few "perceived" out of body experiences. My false awakenings feel so very real…like in the latest one I had, I could actually feel sensations in my body and until i actually woke up a few seconds later, I really thought the dream was "reality" as we know it…or sometimes ill be half awake and half asleep and somehow stuck in between the two worlds…ill drift back into wakefulness but it will take me a few long moments to distingusih which world im in, dream or reality, if the two are actually distinguishable…its cool, but its been happening so often lately and its scary…it almost always happens during the day. But anyway, I was starting to think I was going crazy or that I had a touch of schizophrenia, so Im grateful to have come across this sight in my research on the phenomenon, and to have found out that Im not alone in this.

]]> By: reality shifter http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/comment-page-1/#comment-1102 reality shifter Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:02:08 +0000 http://www.realityshifter.com/2007/false-awakenings-and-lucid-dreaming/#comment-1102 Hi Blaise, Telling the difference between a dream and reality is easy for some people, but it's not easy for everyone. (If it was, this site probably wouldn't be so useful. :-) ) To use your example of feeling or not feeling physical pain: in order to realize you're dreaming you would need to be aware enough within your dream that whenever a painful event occurred you would be able to ask yourself whether or not you felt any pain and then consider what the lack of pain implied. Not everyone has that kind of natural awareness while dreaming, especially since the questioning part of the mind is generally turned off when we're in the dream state. As I described to Adam in an earlier comment, the part of the mind that observes our surroundings and labels them as normal versus abnormal doesn't function the same way while we're dreaming, so even though a person might not feel pain in a dream, the person might not be aware enough to realize no pain was felt or to realize the lack of pain meant he/she was dreaming. Also, some people do feel physical pain in dreams. I'm one of those people, unfortunately. After a night of rough dreams, I've even woken up with aches and pains that lingered for several hours into the day (which brings up the notion of whether the physical pain is somehow translating from my sleeping body into my dreaming mind or whether the reverse is true instead, but that's a topic for a whole other post). I'd love to not feel any physical pain in dreams. That would be wonderful! :-) ~ Kris Hi Blaise,

Telling the difference between a dream and reality is easy for some people, but it's not easy for everyone. (If it was, this site probably wouldn't be so useful. :-) )

To use your example of feeling or not feeling physical pain: in order to realize you're dreaming you would need to be aware enough within your dream that whenever a painful event occurred you would be able to ask yourself whether or not you felt any pain and then consider what the lack of pain implied. Not everyone has that kind of natural awareness while dreaming, especially since the questioning part of the mind is generally turned off when we're in the dream state. As I described to Adam in an earlier comment, the part of the mind that observes our surroundings and labels them as normal versus abnormal doesn't function the same way while we're dreaming, so even though a person might not feel pain in a dream, the person might not be aware enough to realize no pain was felt or to realize the lack of pain meant he/she was dreaming.

Also, some people do feel physical pain in dreams. I'm one of those people, unfortunately. After a night of rough dreams, I've even woken up with aches and pains that lingered for several hours into the day (which brings up the notion of whether the physical pain is somehow translating from my sleeping body into my dreaming mind or whether the reverse is true instead, but that's a topic for a whole other post). I'd love to not feel any physical pain in dreams. That would be wonderful! :-)

~ Kris

]]>