Thread: hi

welcome to DV! Usually dreams happen to be manifested from our sub-conscience, so it may be something that is lingering on your mind (in the case of the nightmares). As for the paralysis don't worry, yes you were awake, but it's called SP or Sleep Paralysis It happens to a lot of people, it's nothing to fear or worry, but if you want to learn more about Sleep paralysis feel free to ask questions and browse the threads DV has to offer. good luck!

Hello and welcome to Dreamviews, dawny.

Originally Posted by dawny

im new to the site and also new to learning about lucid dreams!
last night i had what i thought was just another nightmare where i can actually wake myself up,
these nightmares were really starting to scare me as its like i can really feel whats happening to me, it never happens in good dreams only nightmares and only in afternoon naps or "the time of the month"
iv been reading up about it but dont really understand whats going on can someone please explain why i can wake myself up out of my dreams and why im lay in my bed in the same position yet cant move my body!! am i actually asleep or really awake??? im confused and a little scared.... im 30 years old and been having these type dreams for about 12 years

As Nufeather1 said, this is sleep paralysis, or SP as it is more commonly known as on here. It's nothing to be afraid over. It happens every single night that you sleep, whether you're aware of it or not. During sleep paralysis, your body has fallen asleep but your mind is awake.

As for the nightmares, I suggest you start reading into lucid dreaming. If you're able to attain lucidity during a nightmare then you're effectively able to stop them, as you can conquer whatever's going on in the nightmare. Say you're getting chased by a wolf. You can summon a huge three headed dragon to burn it to a crisp. You can find a fantastic tutorial in my signature if you click on the purple link.

Feel free to private message me if you have any more questions. Good luck!

When you dream, everything that is happening is very real to your mind. Every time you move your arm your brain is actually sending signals to move your arm. Sleep paralysis prevents you from acting out every one of your dreams by paralyzing your body. It's very important. If it did not occur you would be running around punching things and humping things or whatever it is you do in your dreams.

The fact that you can feel what is happening to you in these dreams, or that they feel very real is not surprising. I know for a fact that some dreams can look and feel PERFECTLY real. I know this because I take mental notes in my dreams. I examine the grass under my feet, and I say out loud "The grass looks completely realistic, and I can see thousands of blades of grass." I run my hands across them and say, "I can feel every individual blade of grass on the palm of my hand." Once I looked very closely at some wood grain and said out loud, "The wood grain on the table does not look right. It is too uniform."
This way I know it is accurate. When I wake up I may not be able to remember exactly what things looked like in my dream, but I can remember the things that I said in the dream. The few times I could remember exactly what things looked like, my mental notes were accurate.
Dreams CAN seem ABSOLUTELY real. The common idea that you cannot feel pain in your dreams is not correct. The idea that you cannot read or do math in your dreams is not correct. I have done these things, while exploring my dreams. I have seen in 360 degrees. I have even done drugs that do not exist, and experienced the highs from them. Some of them were intense highs that nobody else has ever felt, and I will never feel again.
So, dreams can look and feel 100% as real as the waking world. I know this to be fact, because I have studied them.