When dreaming, why do i realize i'm dreaming and get scared?

Question

This hasn't happened often, but often enough to freak me out. Since I was little I will be dreaming and it will seem very real. I only realize I'm asleep when I try to turn a light on and I can't. At this point I get scared and try to get back into bed and try to will myself to wake up. Sometimes I try to fall back asleep, and sometimes I scream and try to hurt myself to see if I can wake up. When I do finally wake up, I'm always scared and nervous and immediately try to turn on a light to make sure I am really awake. I've looked this up, and can only find things on lucid dreaming and astral projection but it doesn't make sense to me because I can't find anything on experiences like mine. Help?

Answer 1

I used an alternative technique from the principles I read in two books to control my fear of bad dreams.

1) The power of Sub-conscious mind by Dr. Joseph Murphy
2) Journey into supermind - by Dr. Richard Lawrence.

Although there isn't direct techniques about dreams , the combination of many techniques I learned helped me to achieve this.

I used to get this really scary dreams, where I get shot or stabbed and faced pain, and also falling from a very high altitude. Then one day after reading these books, I convinced myself over and over again, before I went to sleep several times, that "it's only a dream. I'm in control if it. They can't destroy me. I will always prevail. I like being stabbed, it's just a dream. I won't feel pain. When this happens I know it's a dream. I can fly in my dreams". After few days of this , I had a dream where in a war, few soldiers found me hiding, and dragged me and they about about to shoot me. At the moment, my sub-conscious mind was telling me most of the words I used to repeat myself. "It's only a dream....I'm in control of it, I'll enjoy it, they can'thurt me...etc., etc., ".
The moment that happened, the soldiers started shooting me, and I was aware of my dream in the dream, and nothing hurt. I laughed and laughed in my dream. The more I laughed and the more I saw I was not hurt, I was just enjoying it. Naturally, the soldiers were puzzled. They kept doing that for a minute or so, and they just disappeared. Since then, I never hard any dream where I was stabbed or hurt.
Similarly, I had another one of that dream falling froma high altitude , and my subconscsious mind made me aware of my chantings, and the moment I realized it was a dream ( in my dream), I just enjoyed my falling, I just spread my hands, and legs, and just flew and glided. Nothing like I ever experienced. Since that, no more falling dreams.

The important thing here, is to know how to control your subconscious mind. Repetitive thoughts and techniques will allow you to control many things about yourself. The human body is capable of many things. We use only 3-5% of our brain. You can read those books. Reading alone won't help. Only practice.

Answer 2

Hi Sarah, welcome to my world. LOL, seriously though, I believe the name you're looking for is "hypnagogic hallucinations" , night terrors, they're to real to be a dream, it seems. there is a sleep disorder called "Narcolepsy". Upon falling asleep, do you jump/jerk which awakens you & you're very frightened? Are there times when you are going somewhere, say, point D..you remember passing points A & B, then you realize you are at point E, and don't remember seeing point C or D. Another symptom is "Sleep Paralysis", you're awake but can't move, seems like when someone speaks or enters the room you are able to snap out of it. These are only a couple of the symptoms of narcolepsy, so, if they fit, you might want to see your doctor & perhaps go to a sleep study. Here are a couple of other things associated with narcolepsy, "Automatic Behavior", "Cataplexy", you might want to look those up too. It is treatable....and, is not contageous, although it is hereditary.

Answer 3

This is a recurring dream. And since light plays a role in your dream you are managing to make it a object of surety.
This dream can be a reason that you think too much about it and because its unique sort, resulting it to spin in your mind again.
Let not thought of not being wake take control over you. This is only making you unsure about things you do or will be doing.

It is effecting your behavior, which also mean that you are getting obsessed to it, I can only suggest that you must not go to bed thinking of this dream, put some music. Ambiance music, to sleep.

Answer 4

I had a similar experience except when I realized I was dreaming it became fun. I was going to get beaten up by some bullies when I realized I was dreaming. A coolness came over me and I started talking to the bullies. I told them I had a trick for them. Then I woke up and dissolved thier world.

Remember awake or asleep it's your reality you live in so make it a good one.

Answer 5

Yes, this is called lucid dreaming. You're lucky, it doesn't happen to a lot of people. It's happened to me once or twice, but you've got no reason to worry about it, it's perfectly normal. If you realise you're dreaming again, then don't try to wake yourself up, just let the dream finish naturally.

Good luck and don't worry about this, it's completely natural.

Answer 6

Are you awake and just can't move or open your eyes. I hate when that happens to me. The only way I can wake up is if someone touches me. I just try to calm myself down and go back to sleep.

If you are actually dreaming, I suggest you begin to work with the dream rather than be afraid.

Answer 7

Lucid dreaming is the conscious perception of one's state while dreaming, resulting in a much clearer ("lucid") experience and sometimes enabling direct control over the content of the dream.
It makes the dream much clearer and vivid

Answer 8

dear sarah,
u don't have any serious problems! seriously! u don't need to worry about that. these things happens wid people who are not so brave at heart! don't mind. u r scared to face daily real life situations, and when something bad happens u think oh! i wish it cud have been a dream. that has gradually become ur psycho and those things which are ur psycho often comes into dreams.
cure for that is that be brave at heart ,eat healthy, don't be scared of daily life problems ! u will definitely come out of it!!

Answer 9

yeah i think this has happened to me some times b4. but dun wry i think its nothin to wry abt, at least i never worried. i actually am really fascinated by the whole dreaming, an dream world an everythin...so i think its actually pretty (unless ur havin like a really really bad dream, well then i gues u no the satisfaction to no that it is only a dream. an the relief when u wake up is great!)

Answer 10

I've scared myself awake before. When I realized
I was dreaming I'm OK. Your fear seems to last longer.