Physical pain in dreams

I frequently experience physical pain in normal dreams, and more rarely in lucid dreams. The pain is often related to what happens in the dream of course, like feeling "a sting" if I've gotten my leg bit off by a tiger. In Africa. (Haha, sorry, I'll stay serious.) In cases like this the pain is sort of dull and vague, but still enough to bother me.

However, occasionally I experience more intense physical pain, sometimes the equalent of getting a punch in the face or slamming your toe against something hard. When this happens, the pain often comes from my mouth, feeling like some extra teeth are trying to grow in between the old ones, really fast. But other things have also triggered intense pain, like when I once dreamed I got a needle jammed into my throat. (Even though I luckily have never experienced this in waking life, I do believe it was pretty similar to what it would feel like.) If the pain is sudden and sharp(like the needle incident) I usually wake up, but more often the pain is more "dull" and "throbbing", but still intense, and then it can go on for minutes.

I am 22 years old, healthy (as far as I know), and this have never happened to me while awake. I never have nightmares, so the pain does not seem to be much linked to my emotional state in the dream either. Nor do I particulary fear physical pain. I also belive I have a relatively high pain-threshold. (At least in waking life.)

Any thoughts on the subject?

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I am 22 years old, healthy (as far as I know), and this have never happened to me while awake. I never have nightmares, so the pain does not seem to be much linked to my emotional state in the dream either. Nor do I particulary fear physical pain. I also belive I have a relatively high pain-threshold. (At least in waking life.) [/b]

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So you never dream about anything that can be related to the pain?

Then there's probably an evil lepricon under your bed, waiting for you to fall asleep. And when you're sleeping, he comes out to perform torture on your body!
Be sure to check under your bed before you go to sleep next time.

i also experience pain in dreams in a similar way. it doesn't happen that often, but usually if something painful has just happened to me and i wake up, i can still feel it for a few minutes afterwards--it's a pretty strange sensation. a lot of people are under the impression that it's not possible to feel pain in dreams, but boy are they wrong.

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Originally posted by King and God
So you never dream about anything that can be related to the pain?

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I'm not sure I understand the question here. But like I said, I sometimes dream that something painful happens, and then feel the pain, (logically enough), but not always. What I meant is that the intense pyhsical pain does not seem to be connected with me being emotionally upset. (As if I had a nightmare.)

Btw; I checked, and I don't have a leprechaun under my bed. I did have some vicious-looking dustmonsters under there though.

Mongreloctopus: I'm glad I am not alone on this!

Welcome :D

I've felt pain plenty of times in dreams, sometimes the pain is caused by something I see in the dream sometimes it isn't. Usually when I feel pain for no apparent reason I wake up with a cramp.

From my experiences fear creates the pain. So if I'm not afraid of the pain, then I don't feel it. Maybe you're afraid of the pain itself, thus causing yourself to feel it.

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Originally posted by King and God
From my experiences fear creates the pain. So if I'm not afraid of the pain, then I don't feel it. Maybe you're afraid of the pain itself, thus causing yourself to feel it.

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nah, i don't think this is true. usually when i feel pain i am conscious of the pain, and it feels real, but it is only a sort of recognition of the sensation, instead of being overwhelmed by it. for example, the other night i dreamt i was punched in the face--it was painful, but i immediately reacted to what was happening, instead of being distracted by the sensation of pain, and it was nothing more than another characteristic of that particular dream. i was more upset by the fact that i had been sucker punched, than by the feeling of my nose being broken.

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Originally posted by King and God
From my experiences fear creates the pain. So if I'm not afraid of the pain, then I don't feel it. Maybe you're afraid of the pain itself, thus causing yourself to feel it.

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Although I fully understand your way of thinking, I have to agree with mongreloctopus that I do not think this is true. As I have tried to say, I do not fear physical pain, in fact I believe I have a more relaxed relationship to pain than most people. Although one could argue that I have subconsciously supressed the fear, without knowing of it. ....Hmmmm.....Strange this is.....

I might add that I don't consider this being a problem, since it (luckily) don't happen that often. But I do think it is an intresting phenomenon, as it seems that most people don't experience this.