Last night I had a very complex, very frightening dream. In the dream, I woke up in my bed during the course of the night, but soon realized when I tried to get up that I was still asleep. I suppose this might have been something akin to sleep paralysis. In any event, I was rather frightened by the fact that I couldn't move and struggled to wake myself up.

Then the dream started getting weird.

After some struggle, I believed I had finally woken up from sleep paralysis, when in reality I was still dreaming. I was in my bed, but when I would try to get out of bed, I realized I was asleep.

After more struggle I thought I was awake and I tried to call to someone in the next room, but they couldn't hear me. I got out of bed and started walking, or crawling, toward the hall, but I couldn't move. I realized I was asleep again, and at that point of the dream I "reappeared" in bed.

This dream continued through several "levels", or stages. Each time I was in bed, thinking I had woken up, and each time I realized I was still asleep. I was desperate to wake myself up, but each time I thought I had I found out I was still dreaming.

I had to break through at least nine or so levels before I actually woke up around 3:00 or 4:00 AM. The entire time I felt extremely oppressed by some unknown force.

Each time I realized I was asleep in the dream, I was "summoned" back to my bed, and thought I had actually woken up, when infact I was still dreaming. I hope this makes sense.

Any help?