Why is it so hard to punch someone in a dream? It's like pushing through quicksand...?

Answer 1

It stems from your insecurity about protecting yourself in your awake life. Wimp. I kill people all the time with my bare hands in my dreams, seriously. Tonight I will prove it to you by punching you in my dream. Get ready.

Answer 2

Paralysis. When you sleep, your body creates some sort of chemical that puts your muscles into paralysis, meaning that while your brain is commanding them to move, they don't. (This is a great advantage if you're on the top bunk!)

Sometimes in the dream, especially if it's right before waking up, you get some of your senses back. You can tell that your arms and legs aren't moving, even though your brain is telling them to.

In my dreams I'll be going up the stairs or running, and all of a sudden my legs feel like they weigh two tons each.

Some answerers are taking the Sigmund Freud approach. Although sometimes dreams explore subconscious or unconscious thoughts, this is not an example of that. It's simply paralysis.

Answer 3

Yeah, I've always wondered that.

A few nights ago, I dreamed that I caught my husband in bed with another woman. I went to punch her, and yeah, it was like pushing through water. The end result was pretty cool though. I realized it was a dream, and I STILL beat the crap out of her!

Answer 4

Dreams are the interpretation of how we feel about things and people, and usually when we cant hit that person hard is because we cant do it (alegorically) in life, or that person can be the manifestation of a problem we cannot solve, therefore we cannot beat up. When I dream about something I feel triumphant, I can hit it just like in real life.

Answer 5

I've decked people in dreams. The fact that you can't would seem to indicate that some other issue is at hand. Perhaps you question your ability or strength to accomplish some task that confronts you. Perhaps you are frustrated over some feelings of powerlessness that have confronted you?

Dreams very often indicate much more than what appears on the surface...

Answer 6

I did once. I dreamed that my wife's ex-boyfriend was blowing in my ear. I tried to shrug him off and get him to go away. He wouldn't stop. Eventually I took a big roundhouse swing with my right hand over my left shoulder and punched him in the face. Fortunately, my wife was far enough away from me at that time so that my fist hit the mattress between the two of us instead of hitting her. How would I explain that one? I'm sorry judge, she got that bruise because I thought she was her ex-boyfriend and he was blowing in my ear. The blow woke both of us up in startled shock. We laugh about it still.

Answer 7

You mean like in the dream I have of punching all the losers who keep reporting people today?? That sure is frustrating, I agree!

Answer 8

Yes but you can punch through walls! Or even fly if you concentrate hard enough. Try it next time.

Answer 9

I tried to shoot a rabid dog in a dream once but i couldnt get the gun to aim so i tried to run . the dog was comeing at me an I was running as fast as I could but I didnt seem to go anywhere. and the dog never caught me?

Answer 10

I have that same trouble with running. I can never run in my dreams. Sometimes I even have to pull myself along on a fence or on the ground.

It is weird.

Answer 11

I tried to shoot this freaky lady who was trying to kill me by hiding behind some barrels and trying to aim at her. I couldn't aim worth anything, so I shot *around* her, then ran like hell! She never caught me, though, so yay! I think I woke up a few seconds later, actually...