A feeling, that I am falling

Heey all,
Sometimes I just layin on my bed, and half asleep. But then I get this feeling, that I am falling, I panic, and quickly notice that im just on my bed.
But it feels real, like I am realy falling.
Can anyone explain what this is? means?\
Thanks

reply to post by TheFearless

Yes, there is an explanation, and it's fascinating.

The human family tree is full of arboreal ancestors - creatures that really lived in trees. If they fell asleep in the wrong place or at the wrong time, they'd fall out of their trees and die. So one of these ancestral species developed a reflex to keep that from happening - a sudden sense of falling that came over them as they were drowsing and snapped them awake so that they could, if necessary, move to a safer position before falling asleep and out of the tree. It worked, and those creatures survived to have offspring, evolve and - pass on the reflex.

That jerk you feel is your apelike ancestors' anti-fall reflex in action.

And before some clever-clogs points out that this is a just-so story: I know it is. What of it?



[edit on 24-11-2008 by Astyanax]

the sensation could very well be rooted in DNA 'memory'


but, i'm more inclined to say that the disorientation you feel
is rooted in the 'language' your brain is sending your intellect...

one needs to have a clear knowledge & understanding of one's
orientation in the world-&-cosmos...

otherwise, without a command of ones Total-Situational-Awareness
the person feels they are naught more than Flotsam-Jetsam in the vast universal ocean.



if that doesn't seem right,
try learning to sleep in a hammock, to train your body

reply to post by Astyanax


Whoa, that is fascinating. I have the same thing and thought it was because I had stopped breathing or something. I'm glad you chimed in! I seem to notice this happens whenever I take Benadryl or NyQuil. It's a creepy feeling.

This is a common sensation and often accompanied with an uncontrollable 'jerk' as you try to recover.

I had to research this a good few years ago after nearly breaking my ex wife's nose whilst experiencing this..............(wish I had now )

Its known as a hypnic jerk and apparently 70% of people have them.

it is caused by a confusion between the brain and muscles as you fall asleep and is of no need for concern!!!
In normal sleep the brain releases control of the muscles to allow for near still restfull sleep however sometimes and mostly when extremely tired or out of your normal sleep pattern the conscious mind is able to sense the release of muscle control which gives the sensation of falling, then the conscious kicks the brain in to force your body to compensate....usually resulting in a very sudden tho short violent jerk.

Very good answers!
Very intresting also, there is so much too learn, even of the small things.
Thank you !

I used to have something similar, not the falling asleep jerk thing, I know what that is.
But this was a little different. I would be laying on a bed and meditating and I would feel like I was being pulled down. It was a strange feeling and it scared me so I would stop meditating. I haven't experienced that in a long time. It was almost like I was getting really heavy.

Originally posted by Astyanax
reply to post by TheFearless

 

Yes, there is an explanation, and it's fascinating.

The human family tree is full of arboreal ancestors - creatures that really lived in trees. If they fell asleep in the wrong place or at the wrong time, they'd fall out of their trees and die. So one of these ancestral species developed a reflex to keep that from happening - a sudden sense of falling that came over them as they were drowsing and snapped them awake so that they could, if necessary, move to a safer position before falling asleep and out of the tree. It worked, and those creatures survived to have offspring, evolve and - pass on the reflex.

That jerk you feel is your apelike ancestors' anti-fall reflex in action.

And before some clever-clogs points out that this is a just-so story: I know it is. What of it?



[edit on 24-11-2008 by Astyanax]

Brilliant explanation.
Amazing things we have still inside us from long ago.
We have been so many things over time in our evolution.
Reptiles, amphibian like creatures, ape like creatures.
Maybe we even began as bacteria like the worm they found in that lady's head.

Maybe we even began as bacteria like the worm they found in that lady's head.

Where can I find more information about this?
Never heard of it, im intrested.

reply to post by TheFearless

We started out as little twists of RNA, probably. We can't trace our ancestry that far back, but yes, we can go as far back as the first prokaryotic cells: bacteria and archaea.

The best book I can recommend on the topic is The Ancestor's Tale by Richard Dawkins. He begins with modern humans and traces our ancestry back down the evolutionary tree till it stops at bacteria. It's written in simple language and full of fascinating stuff about animals, evolution and life.

Books are expensive, I know. If you're looking for a simple Web resource, here's a good and trustworthy one maintained by UCLA Berkely.

Originally posted by must be a way
This is a common sensation and often accompanied with an uncontrollable 'jerk' as you try to recover.

I had to research this a good few years ago after nearly breaking my ex wife's nose whilst experiencing this..............(wish I had now

)

Its known as a hypnic jerk and apparently 70% of people have them.

it is caused by a confusion between the brain and muscles as you fall asleep and is of no need for concern!!!
In normal sleep the brain releases control of the muscles to allow for near still restfull sleep however sometimes and mostly when extremely tired or out of your normal sleep pattern the conscious mind is able to sense the release of muscle control which gives the sensation of falling, then the conscious kicks the brain in to force your body to compensate....usually resulting in a very sudden tho short violent jerk.

Nice explanation.

This is a little off topic, but kind of funny. About a month ago, I had a dream of a cockroach crawling on my head(I'm terrified of cockroaches for some reason), and in my dream, I was knocking it off with my hands. I was then awoken to me sitting up, while repeatedly hitting myself in the back of the head where I assumed the cockroach was in my dream. I was startled at first, but after I turned the lights on, with no cockroach in sight, I couldn't help but laugh at myself. Now THAT was an eerie sensation.

Travis, that also is a great example. Intresting, how our mind and everything is connected, we learn so much, and we can learn so much more.