I fell asleep last night on my back, which rarely happens, and I had the most terrifying/enlightening experience of my life; to date.

*a little background so this makes more sense to readers*

I have at many times during sleep in the past awakened (in my mind anyway) and not been able to open my eyes but have sort of been able to make sounds or sometimes even words and been TOTALLY AWARE of what was going on. To the point where if there were a fire and I was alone that I would probably burn alive and not be able to move at all.
I've had an overnight stay at the hospital and been on an EKG and told that I had apnea and that my heart was also slightly irregular during certain levels of sleep; SOMETHING YOU WOULD THINK I would have followed up on, but if you knew me, you would know that this was something that would have been of little importance to me at that point in my life :p

Getting back on track : The life-changing incident I mentioned above involved me sort of realizing I was in a dream and the rest of this is going to seem silly to a lot of people. Especially if you haven't experienced anything like it. I believe my chances of being wrong are highest here.

I had a dream that my two friends and I were playing ping pong at some bar I had never been to before, which is weird to begin with. I remember only walking to the front door and trying to explain to a friend why I was leaving, but not being able to because I was intoxicated. I then realized that neither of the friends I was with go out anymore and I couldn't be drinking with them and that I was having a dream. At that EXACT MOMENT I heard a roar like thunder and something that sounded like rain. I regained consciousness and said something unintelligible and focused on trying to open my eyes, being that I was scared s***less. I finally came to and opened my eyes and rolled over and woke my girlfriend up. I asked her if it was raining outside and she asked why I kept asking that..... I had just woken up, so I was obviously talking to her in my sleep. Like a legit conversation that I don't remember. My mind was reeling at this point and I somehow managed to make the correlation between the thunder and rain and my air conditioner making both of those types of sounds and managed to regain some sanity; albeit not much.

I realize that with it being cold, there is a higher chance of having any sort of dream (I don't know why, but I know alot of odd-subject, jeapordyesque information) and being in an unfamiliar situation also having that effect. And maybe that had a lot to do with it. What really bothers me is the fact that I realized that I was in a dream and my mind immediately kicked me out of it. I feel like I was about to have some sort of epiphany that I wasn't ready for or something.

Any thoughts, feedback?