Thread: Does this happen to anyone else/What is it?

I will not comment on the humorous coincidence that is our usernames.

I have found that this happens to me too, PRECISELY what you described with the punching. Less so with the running, in fact I often find I can run very fast in my dreams. But yeah, the magnetic-like repulsive force on my fist is also present. The only way I can begin to theorise why is that perhaps the subconscious knows that punching other people is wrong and thus doesn't let us do it, or maybe it avoids the action because the dreamer has never punched someone in the face in real life - I don't know about yourself, but I haven't ever hit anyone square in the face, so that might be why
If someone could shed some light on this I would appreciate it too

mm, well something similar that i always experience is the shifting of gravity. one moment everything is normal and the next i'm pushed against the ground or wall. Mostly trying to escape it by ridiculously jumping around. this is also one of the tells i have that makes me lucid.
Ive also got the "not being able to run' thing but i blame the gravity effect i experience.

Being lucid helps counter this effect cause i'll just pretend i'm sort of weightless

Yes, everyone experiences similar dreams.

They're symbolic.

Originally Posted by Mystycal

because the dreamer has never punched someone in the face in real life - I don't know about yourself, but I haven't ever hit anyone square in the face, so that might be why

I have a couple of years ago. Nothing major though. But I have had dreams where I've slapped someone and it has been fine. Don't take this as me being a violent person. XD

Originally Posted by JasKrab

Ive also got the "not being able to run' thing but i blame the gravity effect i experience.

Being lucid helps counter this effect cause i'll just pretend i'm sort of weightless

Sometimes with the running thing it feels kinda like I'm being held in the air by my waist and that my feet can't really hit the floor enough to run. It sounds as if it would be quite funny but it's rather annoying. -.-

Originally Posted by Blackfox

Yes, everyone experiences similar dreams.

They're symbolic.

Symbolic of what?

Yes I know the feeling and it's really wierd. I have great dream control and all but some little things like this manage to elude me. Sometimes when I try hit someone with a flying kick or punch I go straight into it with all my force and then as I reach the desired target it's like I have no force at all and then hit them from like 10cm away without even making any contact and yet they still reply as if I've hit them. I really can't imagine what these little quirks are caused by.

Yeah it's so strange. This is the only annoying thing I can find about dreams. When you try to do something so much but it doesn't work XD

I have experienced a similar phenomenon before with the punching scenario. I had a dream a few years ago that this guy in my class was really pissing me off so I was trying to hit him with all my strength but no matter how hard I tried to move my arm, I could not gather any strength for when the fist connected. He also tried punching me back and found himself confronted by the same problem. It was strange and frustrating.

Could it be because you'r not (i'm assuming) experienced enough in punching that you'r mind doesn't really know how to cope with it? And instead does something familiar like in the movies?

I've experienced similar things to most of the above. I frequently find it almost impossible to walk, like I'm immersed in thick molasses or something, or as if my legs are just too weak. Then I usually end up on all 4s sort of crawling, but often my legs just float up in the air behind me like they're useless, so it's like doing the wheelbarrow, but without anybody holding my legs. And I'm sort of gripping the ground with my hands and pulling myself along with difficulty, as if I'm climbing a cliff horizontally. I guess that's like the gravity problems JesKrab mentioned - never thought of it that way. I always thought maybe I was getting some kind of signals from my actual physical body, like maybe I was trying to actually move my legs but they didn't want to move well because of the covers or because of REM atonia (sleep paralysis while you're dreaming). There could also be an element of feeling that my actual body is horizontal, confusing the fact that in the dream I'm upright and trying to walk..

Come to think of it - just offhand I can't think of any dreams where I've made actual physical contact with DCs. It seems like my efforts toward violence or sex withthem are always frustrated somehow - no wait, I can think of some dreams where I've punched or otherwise fought someone, and a few isolated moments of sexual contact... ok, I'm starting to rememeber a few with contact of some sort. It seems like it always feels wierd though, like not the way it would irl. Is that common, or am I just a freak?

Originally Posted by Darkmatters

I usually end up on all 4s sort of crawling, but often my legs just float up in the air behind me like they're useless, so it's like doing the wheelbarrow

I used to do that often! but in my case it also made me really fast and i like to run around like that.

Yeah, I've done it really fast before too come ot think of it - but sometimes it's a struggle. Weird. I've used so many weird ways of getting around in dreams - I remember one where I just stood there in the street and held my arms in front of me like I was holding onto an invisible towrope for waterskiing, and I was able to slide forward really super fast and turn wherever I wanted - I was passing cars on the street all over the place!

Yes, these kinds of dreams are normal. It's a feeling of powerless which represents real life fears or frustrations I think.

That would make sense if I had some real life fear. But I don't so :/

I suppose the powerless feeling is quite a good dream sign though.

Originally Posted by JasKrab

Could it be because you'r not (i'm assuming) experienced enough in punching that you'r mind doesn't really know how to cope with it? And instead does something familiar like in the movies?

Couldn't be that in my case. I've been in several fights throughout my time so I've experienced both punching someone and being punched.

However, the suggestion about it being linked to a feeling of powerlessness seems to make sense, though I don't know how it would have applied to me at that time.