Help - Really Scared .. !

Hi - my name is Jessica I'm 22 years old and have had 5 'lucid dreams' now which i never asked for... (if thats what they are)

My first dream was 6 years ago when i was 17 - i was sleeping in a very dark room which somewhat scared me. One night lying while i was dozing flat on my back i couldn't move, i tried moving my arms and legs but i was frozen in place. It felt like i had a huge force pushing me down and i was terrified. I was using all my mental power to try and move - then i realised i was dreaming - only i was in the same place (in bed) and aware of myself and the room around me. Then something more frightening happened - what i can only describe as "bats" - even though it was too dark to see, seemed to be swooping down and flying at me. I could hear wings and FEEL wind! I willed myself to wake up. That was six years ago - my other 4 dreams have happened only this last month...

The first dream didn't really scare me... i was somewhat amazed at what was happening, and i certainly wasn't trying to make anything happen. I was sleeping at my partners place and it was very quiet. If you can imagine the sound of complete silence - almost like a faint ringing - started getting louder and louder in my ears, then i realised, I was dreaming again - but i was in my bed and couldn't move again and aware of the room around me. I wasn't scared and managed to wake myself up. That same night - i guess within the next 15-30 minutes i 'fell' back into the aware dream state again. This time, when i woke myself up... I saw something floating in front of me... which i can only describe as a ghost-like shape. For some reason i wasn't scared this time. Closed my eyes and hugged my partner for support. It may sound crazy, but i know there was something there :(

The same dream happened a couple of weeks later... then finally.. last night!
Last night's one (besides my very first one) was my most scary one, and i can't get it out of my head! ... Same thing happened, i was at my house this time in my old bed again sleeping beside my partner, lying flat on my back...
I heard the ringing sound getting louder and louder and i knew i was falling into my dreams. I was interested so I let it happen. I've been trying to train myself not to be scared of it but when i realised i was "paralyzed" i desperately wanted to wake up again. There was a HUGE force pushing me down - i summonded all the will power i could and managed to use my foot to hit my partner and try get him to wake me up. I got more and more scared and tried to scream (i was even aware that it may wake my neighbours - hows that for considerate nightmares!) - but as i began to scream there was no noise - just a raspy sound like i had lost my voice - i was completely out of controll of my body. Then my partner started shaking me saying wake up etc.

I woke up... i was frozen in place - my partner was still asleep and i guess i had 'dreamed' that part... but the ghostly shape was there... i was wide-eyed... i was terrified and every hair on my body was standing on end and i felt numb...

I woke my partner and he held me for a while to help me feel secure again. I spent the next 3 hours of the night trying to stay awake and not fall back asleep because i could hear the ringing sound and knew it would happen again






My question is.... WHAT is going on??? Does anyone have any advice of suggestions about what is happening? I've been thinking about this constantly and think that there must be something up.

Also if it helps - my mother has a re-occuring dream which shes' had for years. She wakes up and see's a man standing before her... not threatening, but he comes after her dreams and has been doing so for years. Do you think this is going to happen to me too ?

Don't worry. This is actually quite common. You are feeling what is known as Sleep Paralysis. Every night, when you go into REM and begin dreaming, your brain paralyzes your body, and you hallucinate (in other words, dream). The difference is that you are awake during this period, when most people are not. For this reason, you are on the edge of the dream state, which is why you see bats and ghosts and all sorts of things.

How do you deal with it, you might ask? Well, I can think of two ways.

1. When it happens, relax. It might be tough, but you seem to have somewhat conditioned yourself to realize what's happening is not real. Very good. Remember, it can't hurt you. Keep taking deep breaths, stay calm, and try to wiggle until you can move again. Oh, and don't sleep on your back to help avoid it; it has a much higher chance of happening when you go to sleep on your back. No idea why.

2. Make it something useful. If you look around the forums a bit, you'll see the WILD technique for Lucid Dreaming. In that particular tech, you go from the waking state into a dream directly. Sleep paralysis is the transition phase between the two states. Usually, if you find yourself in SP, simply relaxing totally, trying not to move, and clearing your mind will drop you straight into a Lucid Dream. I am almost jealous of you actually, since I am not yet very good at WILD because I can't quite get into SP as easy as other people.

Welcome to the forums, BTW. Good luck with the Sleep Paralysis.

Edit: Just read the bit with your mother. What your Mother is having is just a recurring dream/nightmare. It won't necessarily happen to you, as your Sleep Paralysis and her randomly created nightmares are totally unconnected. If you do end up with some reccuring nightmare, though, make it an opportunity to have a Lucid Dream. Remember to do a reality check whenever you recognize the recurring symbol (you'll see this called a Dreamsign on the forums) and bam, Lucidity. Then you're free to do whatever you want. Hit the man over the head with a lead pipe, perhaps.

Thankyou thankyou thankyou so much for your quick reply!!!

I will try make something useful of it seeing as i may be stuck with it lol...

I really appreciate your help :)

Things that happen in some dreams are what you expect to happen. Therefore, you might have heard this story about your mother's recurring dream and a part of you thought that this same thing might happen to you and, therefore, it does whether you want it to or not. Like when you feel that Sleep Paralysis you might get scared and actually be looking for that scary man... you know?

yes i understand what you mean, though I'm a little too engrossed in the moment when its all happening to think of it though :P
My mothers dream was something i considered after i realised it was happening a little too frequently for my liking.
Thank you for your reply :)