Dreaming while semi-awake?

[Amoeba]

I usually have amazing dream recall but something about joining this site has reduced my dream recall to absolute 0. Except for last night! Yay! I don't actually remember what happened. It was something to do with me drawing, and I was in the old flat I used to live in years ago as a kid. There was a TV too. That's all I remember. I had some semi-awake dreams too... I had been watching a video about Buddhist monks living in solitude before bed. When I woke up during the night I was cold and dehydrated, but sweating at the same time. So I got up for some water and to do the toilet and dry the sweat off with a towel, got an extra quilt and went back to bed. Found myself completely unable to get back to sleep, and I was feeling like I had a hangover (I don't do drugs or alcohol). Headache included. I still feel pretty rough as I type this. Anyway, as I tried to fall back asleep I started dreaming, but I was most positively still awake. I could exit the dream any time by opening my eyes, but when I closed them again the sounds and images started coming back - like a daydream except it runs on autopilot like a non-lucid dream. It was just the monks standing around... talking. To each other, to me, to the narrator. Some of what they were saying was pretty intense stuff but I don't remember a word, though I remember understanding at the time and even arguing my disagreements - when I opened my eyes I completely forgot what had been said, like I 'woke up' but I had never actually been fully asleep. Also, just what's interesting, they were speaking in Chinese and I understood what they were saying, like my dream had an internal translator. I spoke English and they understood me. But it was like language was irrelevant, I only remember that fact after I woke up - didn't even notice in the dream. Is this normal for others? It's certainly quite normal for me I have it nearly every time I can't fall asleep (usually involving having an argument with someone or two other people having an argument/intense discussion). It's just I haven't had any trouble sleeping in so long, last night was the first in months.

[Darkmatters]

Whoah... is it normal for you to wake up cold but sweating? Sounds like you might be getting sick? If so, that could be what caused the waking dreams. I was having something similar yesterday when I was supposed to get up and go to work... but in my case it was because I've been a bit sleep deprived lately. For the last 4 days I've only been getting about 4 hours a day. So today, even with my stereo playing, I drifted into a dream several times without actually falling asleep... or else I fell very lightly asleep and woke up immediately with dream imagery forming. This happened a few times... it was actually kind of cool... but I wouldn't care to be so sleep deprived if I can help it. Heh... I get to sleep all day tomorrow, and Im looking forward to some serious REM rebound!

[Amoeba]

I think I am getting a touch of a cold or something, I wasn't feeling right at all yesterday, and today too. Not too bad overall though. You're possibly right, maybe a combo of fever (I felt cold but was most certainly toasting under 3 covers) and being unable to sleep. So, you may be on to something with sleep deprivation. Hmm, are you going to be posting your results anywhere if anything interesting happens when you do finally get some kip?

[Darkmatters]

Check my DJ tomorrow (though I might not post till late, like about this time tomorrow). And one thing that might be nice for you if you are getting sick (not that I wish that on you!)... apparently people tend to get a lot of LD's when they're sick.

[Amoeba]

I do notice I dream more when I am sick. Unfortunately last night did not lucid dream, nor did I get the semi-awake dreams - but I did remember another regular dream, this time a little more info.

[Taromon777]

I sometimes drift in an out of "dreams" when I'm lying awake in bed, although they're not normally very detailed. I had one where I was looking at a lake and the phrase "passing the lake" came into my head, or sometimes I'll just make random conversation which doesn't make a lot of sense. Can be quite fun actually!