I Had a False Awakening?

A couple nights ago I had a sort of nightmare.

I dreamed I was in a house that had a color palette all in blacks, dark grays and nuclear greens. I don't recall all of the first part except that for some reason, there were some zombies in the house that ended up chasing me. They were making sort of hissing noises and they seemed to have good senses of smell. I was doing a pretty good job of sneaking around and avoiding them as there were only two or three, but I knew if they caught me, I'd become one of them.

So it was really sort of the stock, standard type of being chased nightmare.

Thing was that it came down to where I knew I was rapidly running out of places to go, and I hit upon the realization that I was in a dream and I remember feeling a huge relief at that point because I knew all I had to do was simply open my eyes when things got too intense and I'd wake up.

That's the point where I felt like I had the false awakening.

I say that because I proceeded to mess around and play dodge the zombie for a while longer because I felt pretty sure I was out of there anytime I wanted.

Then I got cornered ... and my eyes wouldn't open.

I remember being backed into a corner and backing tighter and tighter in as these things came closer all the while fighting to open my eyes which wouldn't open. I remember reaching up and trying to pry my eyelids open but all I was doing was clawing at my face!

And they were almost on me when I woke up.

So I wouldn't bother with it except I wonder if that was a false awakening. It doesn't quite fit because they say people who experience it really do think they've woken up, and I was still aware I was dreaming, but I felt like I was in control and knew I could open my eyes anytime. So more of a lucid dream experience, but was I really or was that just the dream?

a reply to: ketsuko

I don't mean to make light of your situation, but your dream reminded me of Thriller (the ending).



Pretty weird/freaky dream you had. No idea what it means, and this is actually the first I've heard of a false awakening.

I never dream...

But if I did...We would party.

a reply to: ketsuko

Sounds more like you became lucid while in a dream. I've had plenty of those and plenty of false awakenings, along with some other combinations.

Breaking into lucidity is tricky enough, but I have never been able to wake myself out of a lucid nightmare. I've learned to pray my way out of it. I memorize scripture specifically for the crap that happens to me at night.

False awakenings happen when you think you've woken up, but you've really just entered another dream level that simulates reality.

There have even been times when I've woken up completely and been dragged back into paralysis and quasi-dream states against my will.

There are nightmares, and there are parasomnial nightmares. I'm convinces that most of the parasomnial stuff is demonic in nature.

a reply to: BELIEVERpriest

I have very very rarely in the past become lucid during a dream. It happened more when I was younger. And I have had an instance of a nightmare that refused to dissipate when I woke up and I was actually awake, but that was something I experienced due to a combination of medications I was on for migraine at the time. That was shortly discontinued after that incident.

There's nothing worse than waking out of a nightmare because you have some animate demon doll thing leaning over you with a knife only to realize that the demon doll thing is still leaning over with the knife in your bedroom. I was either awake or moving in my sleep because I was working up to a scream and backing over my pillow as fast as I could in the bare seconds it was still there.

You can see why I went straight to the doctor and requested a medication change!

a reply to: ketsuko

I know what you mean. I only take vitamins and supplements in the morning for the very same reason. I seem to have an extreme sensitivity to parasomnia.

a reply to: ketsuko

I had a big dream like that once, in which I was in a big house, showing friends around, and there was this ghost that kept attacking me. Ended up having a talk with it to find out what it's problem was, and asking how I could fix things. (Turned out to be me as child, furious).

But I've also had a lot of lucid dreams where I wake up, but then notice something slightly out of wack.... I start to suspect I am still sleeping, investigate, and sure enough, still dreaming! I think one time, I "woke up "three times before waking up for real!

Not being able to open your eyes usually goes hand in hand with not being able to scream, for me. That is awful! My husband says he can hear me making mewling whimpers, but I am giving it all my energy, for nothing.

Hey Ketsuko: "Life is but a dream...."

When it comes down to it, philosophically, metaphorically and in all ways, who even knows what lucidity is? Because that's kind of the crux of the question here, as in was I just dreaming, was I lucidly dreaming, and which or what is "reality?"

I certainly don't admit it often or to many, but I have experiences like this frequently. The reason I don't discuss it, though, is some might consider that a textbook DSM diagnosis of schizophrenia, or some other such thing. Then we could get into the whole notion that what some "professionals" consider as schizophrenia or psychosis, is actually being a shaman....just one example of that strange juxtaposition.

Having said all that, some believe we live in a simulated environment, anyway. Or perhaps, a simulated overlay on top of a real environment. The possibilities here are endless to consider. But if any of that is true, than it's entirely possible there is some true "reality" to what transpires when we think we are sleeping and dreaming.....

Just some suggestions at different perceptions attendant to what you experienced. If we do live in a simulated environ with a control loop system, though, it seems evident to me that those controlling that loop system would necessarily resent those of us who are able to recognize we have the power to end what's introduced, inducted, induced by just opening our eyes....thus your nightmare becoming more "real" when you found you could not open your eyes.....

Stay safe. Be aware, and know that sometimes those are oxymorons, but faith, hope and belief are real things and can cure a plethora of nightmares. At least, I like to think so....lol
tetra

a reply to: ketsuko

I had a false sleep last night and would happily trade you for for a false awakening.

Sounds like a bizarre experience, I dream a lot when I eventually do sleep, and the dreams I remember are always far to strange to feel real .

a reply to: tetra50

I'm not very worried about that since these are not at all common dreams.

It's much more common for me to have dreams I cannot forget and won't leave me alone, and even those are uncommon.