Hello, Im a first time poster but a long time explorer of dreams and lucid dreams. I've been experiencing a problem for a few years so I wanted to join and ask if anyone has experienced a similiar thing or can offer solutions.

So... in an over-simplified explanation, I often get stuck inside dreams.


Today was the first time this happened in a long time, but It has happened numerous times before and its therefore recurring in nature.

I false awakened in my bed and everything felt kind of dark (visually) and there was an anxious atmosphere so the first thing I did was check my hands. (Thats my way of distinguishing dreams/real life) My fingers were wavy so I knew I was inside a dream, I tried to wake up but couldnt. The dream keeps repeating from here. I keep waking up in my bed, tens of times. Immediatly realizing to check my hands and theyre always wavy. Sometimes theres an "evil presence" that is typical to sleep paralysis experiences and sometimes its just an anxious atmosphere.

Im very anxious to wake up for real and I feel locked inside the dream and not being able to escape. This feels like its going on for hours.

At this point someone might say congratulations, now you can start fulfilling your wildest dreams since youre in a dream and not waking up even If youre trying to!

But no... Any thoughts of having fun,
relaxing or experiencing fun lucid dream things (which I have done during intentional lucid dreaming) are out the window and Its impossible for me to recall advice from waking life like "try to relax" etc.

It feels like I have to try and wake up or something bad is going to happen. Its 100% impossible for me to try and relax. Its pure and raw panic and struggle to try and wake up. Ive even managed to open my eyes, but the dream keeps going and the real life images just mix in with the dream environment.

Its absolutely terrifying and its affecting my waking life. Ive had this happen to me the first time I was 10, then It went away for years and began again when I started to do Lucid dreaming stuff.
Its honestly traumatizing to me.

Any opinions, questions or anything else will be appreciated!