I need your help as everyone else I've talked to says it's just odd dreams or nightmares and such.
Here's the thing:
When I have what I'm certain are lucid dreams, I participate fully in conversations with people I know and who could easily be in the room with me, and I am in the same place I fell asleep, whether I realize I'm sleeping or not. But unless I pay very close attention and notice one minute detail that's completely out of place, like a dog dish under the little table where we keep the dishes or suddenly having a very slightly different microwave than normal, I can't tell the difference between the dreams and reality, not even realizing I was ever asleep half the time which is extremely embarrassing for me when I recount a conversation with someone that never happened... only to find that I dreamt the whole thing.
As for astral projection... is it possible to have done it and not even realize it? I've had many nights, increasingly over the past few weeks, where I get out of bed--rarely glancing behind me so that I don't know if it's another lucid dream or astral projection or sleep walking or what--and something... absolutely horrifying will happen... something I can't see usually grabs me and and tries to drag me under my bed and I clutch at my bed and keep screaming but don't understand why no one wakes up or hears me. Finally I'll wake up and find I can't breathe and my arms and legs are very sore... as if I really were fighting something off, and after several minutes I can finally move again at which point I immediately turn on all the lights and curl up on my bed to watch a happy movie, much to the chagrin of my roommate. The only reason I ask if it's possibly astral projection is that the last two times... I saw myself lying perfectly still in my bed while screaming and trying to get back in. I know you said the noises and shadows aren't there to harm people, but perhaps there is something else that sneaks in somehow that we are unaware of.
I don't know... maybe it's night terrors, but I was browsing the web for information for a story I've been working on involving ghosts and I stumbled upon your page and found the bit about astral projection... I've had sleep paralysis for as long as I can remember but never knew what it was until now. I just thought I was a ridiculously heavy sleeper or something. No matter how long I've slept though, nights that I now think may have been astral projections, I'm not rested. I'm tired and scared and I fear sleep now more than ever. I 'slept' for 22 hours straight on two separate occasions going in and out of sleep but unable to move even when I'm fully aware of what's going on around me, hearing people say things and being aware that they're trying to wake me up but I can't do anything but lay there. It's not depression. I'm not sleeping because I'm depressed. Up until these issues began arising more frequently, I was very happy. But now I fear sleep, I'm always tired because I avoid it as much as possible, and when I do finally go to sleep I simply cannot wake up no matter what anyone does with the exception of a mild blow to the head, and am forced to endure hours and hours of horrifying experiences.
I've gone to physicians, counselors, and searched the internet endlessly for some kind of explanation with no results. I know this must all sound very odd to you but I don't know what else to do. If there is any way you can help me to stop the lucid dreams and projections--if that is, indeed what they are-- or to at least control it or figure out what's making it such a negative experience, I would be so incredibly grateful. Thank you for your time and putting up with my what I'm sure you consider to be craziness.
Sincerely,
Samantha
Hi Samantha,
Trust me, I don't think you're crazy at all. Lucid dreams are when you know you're dreaming and can take complete control of your dream. Next time you realize you're dreaming try to change something, like a magician. Once you realize you're in control it makes it more enjoyable. But that's for lucid dreams. It sounds like you're suffering from some extreme cases of false awakening, which is usually what it's called. Any chance you've been taking some new medication? I was taking Champix to quit smoking during the summer and for about a month I thought I was going crazy because of those false awakenings. I know exactly what you mean about talking to someone about their conversation only to realize it didn't happen. I usually get the occasional episode at other times, but for a month straight was too much to handle. I've seen others say to constantly ask yourself if you're awake or asleep all day long. Like every half an hour take a look around to verify that you're awake and everything is real. Eventually it will become more of a habit and you'll begin thinking that way in your dreams so that you more quickly realize you're still asleep. Hopefully that's a suggestion that can help. As for the astral projections, I would think that you still have a fear of the unknown. If you were afraid of monsters under the bed as a child (like myself) you might be subconciously thinking that while you're in the ghost world, those ghosts are waiting to grab you from the bed. Moving in the astral plane is as simple as imagining yourself moving to another place. A simple thought about what's under the bed is enough to suck you under. Start slowly by relaxing and laying on your bed. Learn to enjoy the sleep paralysis and the rest will feel natural. And always remember that nothing can or will hurt you.
I hope this helps. Let me know how it goes.
Best wishes,
Doug
Dreams & OBE's Letter 1 - How do you project from sleep paralysis?
Learn to Astral Travel - More Techniques on Astral Projection
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