Thread: I have a rather unusual problem i think ><

This doesn't look like a problem, just it looks different.

its just hard to keep a grasp on reality, theres some days i question what if this is a dream and the dream is reality.

I have had dreams where I have taken up exactly where I left off, but never for four years. More like a few nights at most.

That sense that the dream reality is a consistent, real "place" that you visit while dreaming - I have that sense, too, but it doesn't cause me any trouble to switch between those realities (mainly because the dream reality is so different from "normal" waking reality that I'm rarely confused, and if I were, doing a reality check would straighten things out for me).

So I think what you are describing is normal but you are experiencing it to an unsual degree. And if you are worried about knowing when you are in normal waking reality, then its a bit of a concern.

It could be that your brain is simply gifted in dream awareness. But I wonder if its possible your unconscious is trying to work something out in the dream state. Have you had any traumas around 11-12 that could possibly be affecting your dreams? Do you sometimes hear voices that other people don't hear, as you are falling asleep or when waking up or at other times? How are you doing in school - any changes in your grades? Do you have friends you hang out with on a regular basis?

The reality is scary, i actually spent time just seeing if i could find differences from reality, running tests etc, didnt have any trauma, I dont have any of the same friends since i graduated almost a year ago from high school (jumped 2nd to 6th grade thanks to a montessori style education), Do not hear voices that arent there at any time, but i sleep with a fair amount of white noise generation via fans now since i find it actually helps me fall asleep quicker without so much of the waiting to fall asleep(started using about 15 months ago). School and grades dont appear to affect it seeing as im out now lol.

Even odder is, i cant wake up via fear or pain, i set myself aflame in my dream one night, just because i didnt wanna be there, i was sick of it and i figured if i thought i was in pain my body would wake me up, it hurt. soooo bad, and i didnt wake up i ended up putting out the flames, and when i woke up finally, i could still feel the pain slightly though there were no burns.

Originally Posted by SkylightMT

But I wonder if its possible your unconscious is trying to work something out in the dream state. Have you had any traumas around 11-12 that could possibly be affecting your dreams?

I hope that you mean subconscious.

Also. I know one thing to solve your problem! Learn lucid dreaming. You will be more aware and will be able to change your dream up.

Luck-eee!

Just start doing reality checks, keeping your DJ, and learning to Dream control. A started off at about this level,too. If you don't like getting Dreams confused with reality, you can change them with dream control. Make them so insane you'll never confuse them with reality. Believe me, I've seen your kind before. This is a gift, not a curse. Just read around with all the people who can't even seem to recall more than one image. There are a thousand people who would die to be you.

I've tried learning it lol, i have full control of my body, i have full dexterity, full range of moment, full hand eye coordination and balance, i can just sit in one place and do absolutely nothing until i fall asleep and wake up here, stuff still happens elsewhere in my dream even if i dont do anything, but no matter how much i try and focus i cant seem to control anything but myself.

really just trying to make sure that for one, im not crazy LOL, and two if there are other people dealing with this, cause google didnt do me any good for once.

Can't think of any way to deal with this other than go lucid, destroy the dream world with a nuclear explosion, and hope that your future dreams become a little more random.

-rubs eyes- i learned about lucid dreaming about 2 years ago from a friend who had tried it, i have been attempting it ever since i heard basically just for the fact i could alter it enough it wouldnt be the same as reality, i have tried, every night to gain control, except for nights where i run tests with new information i've found. It just never happens, i mean, literally it feels like im awake, but i just never manage to gain any control beyond that.

If you can still become lucid, maybe you could talk to dream characters about specific things, ask questions, or search for a dream guide. Maybe even ask a DC to nuke the dream himself? O_o

Tried that too, i told myself out loud that i was dreaming and i had full control, i ended up getting slapped by some girl who told me i was acting insane, and i've tried talking with people, their just like people. . i havent even met anywhere close to all the people there is in my dreams, a single town alone has between 50 to a couple hundred and some of the larger ones seem to be closer to a thousand. the sheer size and consistancy is whats making it so weird, i mean, on a single continent it might take me several days to go coast to coast and when i go back if i go the same route things havent changed, theres not new features or landscape in the distance, I tried keeping a dream journel as i said earlier, my friend thought i was writing a fantasy novel when i finally worked up the courage to show her. literally i've tried every test i could imagine, its consistant, its my own mind but the knowledge the people in it have is accurate to the world that is presented, i try talking about modern things i get a dumb stare.

Other random thoughts that came to mind:
1. Go to NASA and steal a rocket.
2. Dig a really deep hole and see if anything interesting happens.
3. Ignore and deny the existence of everything in the dream world, which will cause everything to disapear.
4. Dream suicide. (Only if you are 200% sure you're dreaming. Otherwise it would be very sad.)
5. Visit a psychiatrist in your dream. I'm sure it would work a little differently if you told him you're dreaming.

No Nasa (as far as i know), tried dream suicide, extremely painful and doesnt wake me up, i dont have like limitless energy, literally amount of strength i have is equal to reality and i dont think i could keep a hole from caving in(or i could study excavation or something but i dont see the point), no psychiatrists as far as i can tell, and, ignoring doesnt do anything, wind still blows and the sun shines, first year i tried that for a period of a month or so.
Anyways, i can start up a dream journel here like was suggested but like. . what good will it do? not to mention the amount of content i can actually remember from each dream is rather large.

Wow. I had a similar experience. Many years ago... possibly around the ages 5-10. I didn't always go back to the same place, but certainly went there often. I can see it in my head again, just from talking about it. There was a hole in this concrete wall... and a walkway with trees to the left. And a village with the toy store next to the post office... or something.
I can't imagine what it must be like to be 'stuck' with only one dream. As dakotahnok said, learning to lucid dream could be your escape.

I don't think you're crazy, Alysia. For one- crazy people don't think about going crazy or question like you do. It's probably a good idea that you did talk to your psychiatrist about it (even if they sound like an uneducated moron. Sleeping pills? Really?)
The definition of schizophrenia is basically losing touch with reality. But when you think about it, anybody who has ever had a non lucid dream (most people) would arguably be showing symptoms. This is, of course, completely absurd.

:c spent 2 years learning and trying to lucid dream, psychiatrist first had me go to a sleep lab and have a EEG before just giving me sleeping pills. overall no help though.
Im honestly not sure what normal dreams are like anymore, like idk the size of most of them, so i cant really compare. and thank you for saying im not crazy :c was having serious doubts considering the part where google turned up no related cases.

Yeah, I'm not exactly sure what a hole would do either, but I was kind of hoping for an earthquake or volcanic eruption lol. If me or someone else really really wanted to solve your problems, a dream journal could give us a better idea of how your mind works with dreams. More random ideas just because I feel like typing:
1. Learn the art of meditation and use it in the dream world. Just guessing that it would clear the mind and have some effect on the dream.
2. Try a WILD and control the hypnotic imagery in the early stages. Although you can't controll your dream, maybe you could control it before it becomes a dream.
3. Day dream more often about having super powers or day dream of lucid dreaming. I'm working on an idea that day dreaming can sharpen dream controll skills and make illogical things seem more logical in the dream world. Worth a shot imo.
4. Make the most out of it and do all the things you wish you could get away with in the real world. Sure in the real world it's impossible to shoot lightning from your fingertips, but it's not impossible to steal a car and go on a rampage! In the real world you would be harming other people and go to jail, but in your dreams (at least I hope) you don't need to worry about it.
5. Do something long enough for it to take part in your dreams and break the dream chain. Play something like Call of Duty for 12 hours straight and see what happens.

Might have to go to bed soon. Eyes feel like they're going to implode.

I have heard of people who dream like this before (on this site I believe), but unfortunately I do not remember in the slightest who mentioned it (or if it was even on this site). Do standard reality checks work in your dreams? If you plug your nose can you still breathe? Can you force a finger through your hand? Can you jump a bit higher than in real life? If you can do any of these little things, then I would say that this is just a matter of practice and improvement of dream control.

After such a long time of having no control beyond your own body, and with such incredibly realistic dreams, I can only imagine how difficult it must be to truly believe that you have control. Maybe if you could just focus on the small things, like breathing under water or through plugged nose, you could eventually expand your control to more significant aspects of your dream.

Good luck. This seems like a highly unique "problem", but if you learn to use dream control effectively it sounds as if you would be a master of lucid dreaming.

if i plug my nose and refuse to breath i end up nearly passing out before reflexily breathing, i dont really have a concrete way of measuring so idk if i jump higher, my muscles exhaust at the same rate, and no i cant force a finger through my hand. and staying up longer doesnt do anything Oo i've stayed up for like 2 and half days, i sleep alittle longer but dream doesnt appear to be affected. anyways thanks and i guess maybe i'll start a dream journal tomorrow when i wake up.

Are you an anxious person? If you are it's probably an anxiety disorder which turned into a sleeping disorder, it's pretty common. If you can't deal with the dreams all together try cognitive behavioral therapy there are many simple solutions and exercises that can help you get over it.
Another solution would be to smoke pot, takes away your dreams altogether if you smoke directly before bed.

Edit: One more thing do you wake up a lot during the night or is it one fluid dream? If you wake up frequently you could be switching between SP and reality, happened to me for 2 years always had dreams of spiders and dead bodies and stuff. Those were always in the same place also.

nope o-o rather laid back, used to get anxious but i found all it did was make things harder lol.

Originally Posted by Alysia

its just hard to keep a grasp on reality, theres some days i question what if this is a dream and the dream is reality.

Can you read books in the dream or browse the internet and do they contain precise information that is persistent? If they are then I can understand, but otherwise there should be no question about it.

I am not familiar with this, but it sounds interesting. Though I can see why it would be frustrating.

If you were to do something, like build something, would it still be there how you left it when you enter the dream again? Or does the dream world reset itself?

I think working on small control things sounds like a good idea. You could treat it like learning magic, or telekinesis. Even if it's difficult, it should be possible to learn in the dream.

I have built things before and yes, I do lose like 8-12 hours in the dream time when im technically actually awake in reality and asleep there it doesnt reset, as far as i can tell, its just like when you wake up here, if you kill someone, their dead, if you break a branch it stays broken.

Originally Posted by Alysia

its just hard to keep a grasp on reality, theres some days i question what if this is a dream and the dream is reality.

What are some typical examples of times you have had a hard time keeping a grasp on reality? Maybe if there's a pattern there it will help in understanding what is happening.

Also, sounds like it is time to shop for a different therapist.