Questioning reality.

Ever since I started lucid dreaming I've been having little 'episodes' of knowing I'm in reality, but nothing feels REAL. Today it was really really bad, as I could barely tell I was actually in reality. My mind says yes, you are not in a dream but I get really dizzy and everything looks like it's fake. Usually when I have one of these episodes, I perform a reality check, and the reality check works how it is supposed to and I can't breathe through my nose but it feels... different. I believe if this continues I may not be able to discern between reality and dream... Does anyone else get this and are there any tips on grounding myself to stop these episodes?

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Originally Posted by dizzyuluru

I believe if this continues I may not be able to discern between reality and dream... Does anyone else get this and are there any tips on grounding myself to stop these episodes?

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I know what you are talking about. in most of my dreams I see that the events around are far from ordinary. But some force doesn't allow me to challenge the stuff that's going on. I would call this force "a Censor" or a "Common Sence Keeper". I wish I could dissable him!

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Originally Posted by shyspook

I know what you are talking about. in most of my dreams I see that the events around are far from ordinary. But some force doesn't allow me to challenge the stuff that's going on. I would call this force "a Censor" or a "Common Sence Keeper". I wish I could dissable him!

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This also happens in my dream, but real life doesn't feel like it's real. It feels like a dream, even though I know it's reality.

To question reality during the dream, you have to have more interest in questioning reality than in what is happening during the dream. So being interested in questioning reality during the day is a good start no matter what conclusion you come to.

When you do a reality check during a dream and it fails, as long as you have enough attention to notice the reality check failed, enough memory to remember that a failed reality check means you're dreaming, and enough expectation for a failed reality check to mean you're dreaming (to trust the conclusion you come to), the reality check will work.

Ok, I don't think I was being clear enough in my previous posts. I know when I'm awake as I do regular reality checks, but when I am awake everything feels very off as if I were dreaming even though I know I'm awake and it is reality. I was hoping someone had ways to stop this from happening so frequently as it happened for hours on end today, and every single day I feel very off. I also randomly get dizzy and may slightly differ in personality. Come to think of it, I should go to the doctor's but my main problem is waking life feeling off.

Google the terms depersonalization and derealization, it sounds like you're suffering from one or both of those. Lot's of things can cause this. Caffeine can be a big contributor, obviously other types of drug abuse can (to include smoking weed), traumatic experiences, mental illnesses/disorders/syndromes, and abnormal levels of stress hormones in the bloodstream are all contributors too. It sounds more like you need to think about what exactly separates a dream from reality too.

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Originally Posted by dizzyuluru

Ever since I started lucid dreaming I've been having little 'episodes' of knowing I'm in reality, but nothing feels REAL. Today it was really really bad, as I could barely tell I was actually in reality. My mind says yes, you are not in a dream but I get really dizzy and everything looks like it's fake. Usually when I have one of these episodes, I perform a reality check, and the reality check works how it is supposed to and I can't breathe through my nose but it feels... different. I believe if this continues I may not be able to discern between reality and dream... Does anyone else get this and are there any tips on grounding myself to stop these episodes?

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I think the solution is to quickly see a psychiatrist/psychologist or a doctor, because it can be dangerous for you or for others(you could jump out a window without knowing if it’s reality).

I'm with Snoop & Rockefeller on this, Dizzyuluru, and you might need to seek some help.

There is chance that, as you are learning to LD and getting very good at remembering your dreams, a certain veil of confusion can occur, on occasion and very briefly, where you get tripped up on things like which are memories of reality and which are memories of dreams (I still get that, BTW), and you might even, occasionally, have to stop during waking-life and say, "Hey wait a minute, this is real," just as you would say the opposite during a dream. The solution to this problem is simply to work through it, because you will eventually adjust cognitively to your new life where each day includes several more hours' worth of experience, thanks to your remembered dreams.

However, what you describe seems much different, and may not even be related to your dreams or your focus on them; it could be physical. It can't hurt to get yourself checked out.

The other thing to ask is, are you getting enough sleep?

The only time I have had something a bit like you describe was when I had pneumonia, and I couldn't sleep properly for several days. I was obviously sleep deprived but I started having hallucinations and things all felt unreal and I was very spaced out.

If you have been over-doing the LD attempts, like WBTB leading to insomnia, it could be that you are sleep deprived?

As the others have said, get yourself checked out, and in particular, don't drive or operate machinery etc. until you are sorted.

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Originally Posted by snoop

Google the terms depersonalization and derealization, it sounds like you're suffering from one or both of those. Lot's of things can cause this. Caffeine can be a big contributor, obviously other types of drug abuse can (to include smoking weed), traumatic experiences, mental illnesses/disorders/syndromes, and abnormal levels of stress hormones in the bloodstream are all contributors too. It sounds more like you need to think about what exactly separates a dream from reality too.

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I don't do drugs, no traumatic experiences, or more stress than usual lately. This has happened all my life but very very briefly, only since I've started lucid dreaming has it gotten longer and longer. As for mental illnesses, I don't believe I have any but I can't be too sure.

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Originally Posted by Sageous

I'm with Snoop & Rockefeller on this, Dizzyuluru, and you might need to seek some help.

There is chance that, as you are learning to LD and getting very good at remembering your dreams, a certain veil of confusion can occur, on occasion and very briefly, where you get tripped up on things like which are memories of reality and which are memories of dreams (I still get that, BTW), and you might even, occasionally, have to stop during waking-life and say, "Hey wait a minute, this is real," just as you would say the opposite during a dream. The solution to this problem is simply to work through it, because you will eventually adjust cognitively to your new life where each day includes several more hours' worth of experience, thanks to your remembered dreams.

However, what you describe seems much different, and may not even be related to your dreams or your focus on them; it could be physical. It can't hurt to get yourself checked out.

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I don't have any false memories, it's just in the moment that this is happening. As I said previous to this, I have had this all my life but in very short episodes (3 or 4 seconds) where I become disoriented and sometimes forget what I was doing, but only recently when I started looking into lucid dreaming and lucid dreaming has it started to become minutes or hours of this, and I fear it may only get worse.

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I don't have any false memories, it's just in the moment that this is happening. As I said previous to this, I have had this all my life but in very short episodes (3 or 4 seconds) where I become disoriented and sometimes forget what I was doing, but only recently when I started looking into lucid dreaming and lucid dreaming has it started to become minutes or hours of this, and I fear it may only get worse.

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Do you remember where you put your attention at when you go into this "sleep mode"? Do you lose yourself in certain thoughts maybe?

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Originally Posted by Goldenspark

The other thing to ask is, are you getting enough sleep?

The only time I have had something a bit like you describe was when I had pneumonia, and I couldn't sleep properly for several days. I was obviously sleep deprived but I started having hallucinations and things all felt unreal and I was very spaced out.

If you have been over-doing the LD attempts, like WBTB leading to insomnia, it could be that you are sleep deprived?

As the others have said, get yourself checked out, and in particular, don't drive or operate machinery etc. until you are sorted.

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I usually get 5-8 hours of sleep every night, and haven't stayed up very long when my alarm does wake me up at 4:30 AM for WBTB and writing down dreams. I have never suffered from insomnia before, or even had sleep paralysis as far as I can remember. I am going to get myself checked out for any disorders I may have, though.

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Originally Posted by DreamyBear

Do you remember where you put your attention at when you go into this "sleep mode"? Do you lose yourself in certain thoughts maybe?

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I usually just try to convince myself completely that it is real life, and not to do anything that I would regret, but on very odd occasions I think of my father, who died 3 years ago.

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I usually just try to convince myself completely that it is real life, and not to do anything that I would regret, but on very odd occasions I think of my father, who died 3 years ago.

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Alright, I think that not doing anything that you would regret sounds like a very healty ground rule that you set for youself. Im sorry to hear that.. It might be a healing process that are stil going on for you I guess. How do you feel of this overall situation then? Does this real not real situation interupt with how you want to live your life?

Im sorry if Im asking to much of you, I want to make you observant of that I would not mind if you ignore any questions of mine, if that would happen to be the case.

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Originally Posted by dizzyuluru

This also happens in my dream, but real life doesn't feel like it's real. It feels like a dream, even though I know it's reality.

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when I was at your age i suffered with sleep walking mixed with sleep paralysis and with "flying out of the window of 7th floor"in LDs. So I had plenty of opportunitis to fall out of the window in reality. But as you can see I'm still alive. So don't be afraid - your "common sence keeper" is on your gard

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Originally Posted by DreamyBear

Alright, I think that not doing anything that you would regret sounds like a very healty ground rule that you set for youself. Im sorry to hear that.. It might be a healing process that are stil going on for you I guess. How do you feel of this overall situation then? Does this real not real situation interupt with how you want to live your life?

Im sorry if Im asking to much of you, I want to make you observant of that I would not mind if you ignore any questions of mine, if that would happen to be the case.

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This overall situation is most likely fixable, so I think I'll be fine, and the episodes don't affect me to a point where I can't function properly so I do not think it will interrupt too much unless it worsens to a point where I can't determine when I'm awake or not.

Friends of mine diagnosed with depressive disorders have described sensations such as these. To reiterate what our colleagues have said, make sure and get checked out.

On a more personal note, I think I recognize that odd feeling, it comes over me every once in a while 5-20 minutes at a time or even an hour or so if I'm home alone with not a lot to distract me. Though, I don't believe I will be any help in giving advice on how to dispel these feelings as I don't resist them, though I admit they are unpleasant.

I take it as a chance to tap into an unusual perspective. In this state of mind it's easier to conceptualize ideas that are beyond reach otherwise. Why do people reject one another? What is the point of continuing to live your life the same way you've been doing it all along? What do you REALLY want right now and what is standing in the way? Where is the human race headed and what do you have to offer to make its destination better? Why do you do things that you regret and how to you keep from doing the same stupid thing again? If something is not right, this depressing but truthful feeling of disconnection can be the cure, if you use it mindfully.

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Originally Posted by dizzyuluru

I don't do drugs, no traumatic experiences, or more stress than usual lately. This has happened all my life but very very briefly, only since I've started lucid dreaming has it gotten longer and longer. As for mental illnesses, I don't believe I have any but I can't be too sure.

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Well, to be fair, it isn't always easy to tell if you're taking in a drug, it could even be defined as a supplement where you live. For instance, you may drink a soft drink that has caffeine in it that you are unaware of. As far as stress hormones go, I didn't mean to imply that it only happens if you've experienced a lot of stress lately. It can definitely make a difference, but you could have some abnormality causing greater amounts of stress hormones to build up. Based off the limited information you've given us, it sounds more psychological than (neuro)biological, but definitely mention this to a doctor of yours to get it checked out.

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Originally Posted by RebelSeven

Friends of mine diagnosed with depressive disorders have described sensations such as these. To reiterate what our colleagues have said, make sure and get checked out.

On a more personal note, I think I recognize that odd feeling, it comes over me every once in a while 5-20 minutes at a time or even an hour or so if I'm home alone with not a lot to distract me. Though, I don't believe I will be any help in giving advice on how to dispel these feelings as I don't resist them, though I admit they are unpleasant.

I take it as a chance to tap into an unusual perspective. In this state of mind it's easier to conceptualize ideas that are beyond reach otherwise. Why do people reject one another? What is the point of continuing to live your life the same way you've been doing it all along? What do you REALLY want right now and what is standing in the way? Where is the human race headed and what do you have to offer to make its destination better? Why do you do things that you regret and how to you keep from doing the same stupid thing again? If something is not right, this depressing but truthful feeling of disconnection can be the cure, if you use it mindfully.

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It's hard to put the feeling into words, but I think you know what I'm talking about because you explained it better than I could. As to asking those questions, I've never actually thought about doing that but will in the future to get answers for questions that I may not be able to answer regularly. Thanks for the reply.

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Originally Posted by snoop

Well, to be fair, it isn't always easy to tell if you're taking in a drug, it could even be defined as a supplement where you live. For instance, you may drink a soft drink that has caffeine in it that you are unaware of. As far as stress hormones go, I didn't mean to imply that it only happens if you've experienced a lot of stress lately. It can definitely make a difference, but you could have some abnormality causing greater amounts of stress hormones to build up. Based off the limited information you've given us, it sounds more psychological than (neuro)biological, but definitely mention this to a doctor of yours to get it checked out.

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I understand now, and as I have little to no knowledge of stress hormones it is completely possible for a buildup to have happened. As for the drugs, it is also possible for that to have affected because I do have a lot of caffeine in my diet. As for it being psychological, it probably is and I will get it checked out as soon as I can.

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Originally Posted by shyspook

when I was at your age i suffered with sleep walking mixed with sleep paralysis and with "flying out of the window of 7th floor"in LDs. So I had plenty of opportunitis to fall out of the window in reality. But as you can see I'm still alive. So don't be afraid - your "common sence keeper" is on your gard

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Thank you! :)