I was browsing through some posts, and it reminded me of something a couple of years back. I was in a nightmare, sitting in bed, and I could feel a presence in the room, but couldnt see it. I knew that it was a dream, so I woke myself up to try and get out of it, only to find myself still in a dream. What was scary was that this happened 4 or 5 times, until I actually woke up. Once I had calmed down the same thing happened again. I remember panicking that I would never wake up, but it not being enough, until I finally woke up and read until the morning to keep myself up. I was at my Nanna's house in her spare room and had been drinking the night before... I just remember this intense feeling of dread the entire time...

Has anyone had similar experiences to this, or can anyone redirect me to a similar post?

there you go

Hi!
I just wanted to let you know I have suffered from the same thing ALL my life. No drinking involved I would wake up, be paralyzed, yet I could see and hear everything around me. However, sometimes I would drift back into sleep and start dreaming, even though I could hear and see what was going on. I could write 100's of different situations that occured during this. Some of the FREAKY! Some AMAZING! Anyways, I would have to concentrate really hard in order to not fall back asleep and concentrate on wiggling a finger until I could move my hand, then move my arm, then get up. I found an easier method, I start chattering my teeth. It wakes my spouse up and he knows to roll me over now. I also can't speak when this happens. Actually I prefer the word SCREAM as thats what I wish I was doing. lol. That's the short of the long.
Now, to let you know whats happening. I hope to explain this right. It's called sleep paralysis. The titles fitting isn't it? What happens is, when you sleep, your body sends out these chemicals so that you don't act out in your sleep. Ie you dream you are Bruce Lee and are chopping away at the bad Ninja guys. Well this chemical stuff kind of paralyzes you so you don't beat the snots out of your loving significant other, or pet, or pilllow. HOWEVER, with some people our minds wake up just a little to early before that paralyzing serum lol has left or gone to where ever it goes. So we wake up but are paralyzed until the stuff goes away.
I hope this helps. There's a lot I didn't add, but please ask away. I was haunted for YEARS with this. I ended up sleeping with the lights on for 2 of those years as I was having awake/sleep hallucinations. I was partially mind awake but my physical was sleeping or vice versa.

Truffles

yeah i know teh feeling, mine was also a negitive experience. i would wake from fear from a nightmare but into another nightmare. it happened about three-four times and each tiem i thought i was awake but was still dreaming. this onyl happned to em once thank god lol, but i doubt drinking effected the situation unless you felt remorseful for doing so and your conciouse got teh bets of you =]

wow, that's kinda intense... It must've been rough the first few times you experienced it, I'd be a little scared. The worst I've ever had is waking up with my arm asleep which is a normal thing anyway, if you sleep awkwardly.

scary thing i get it to sometimes. its horrible feeling but i dont take it seriously.

yeah that happened to me once in a nightmare, but i woke up in the same one, i woke up and needed to look out of window, and there was a man killing thi lady... and he saw me,than i woke up again and looked again out this time the guy was right out side my wimdow looking at me.. all i remember were his eyes! and i woke up again this time i got out of bed and he was out side.. well at the end i woke up and it never happened again, but it was really wierd, but hey i woke up... i think ....
what it means i have no idea, the mind just playing tricks on me i guess!

It almost sounds SP (sleep paralysis) related or on verge of, with the difficulty in waking up and feelings of dread. These are familiar cues I'm sometimes aware of right before an episode of SP. More info here

It really sucks indeed. I have never gotten used to it. Sometimes I get it 2-3 a night for a month, then maybe 1 time a month, or sometimes nothing for 3-6 months... Luckily I know what to do. I used to wake up and get *out of it* wait a bit then go back to sleep. I found its best to actually get the heck out of bed lol! I get some water or watch some t.v. then I don't have another one as often. I also learned to just breathe slowly. I wonder why it's so prevailant in some people and not in others?

Truffles

I also meant to write that the weird presense's etc. are even worse. When you're half and half sometimes you can't rationalize whether its a dream or not. I once heard my room mates talking about something weird. I asked them about it, they had no idea what I was talking about. lol. I've also seen some really weird stuff. I hate hallucinating. Ok blah blah blah

To dream within a dream is a scary thought. Imagine waking up just to realize that your just in a dream and it continues for a very very very long time. maybe just maybe we are all living in a dream right now.

i've had it happen a few times (not often though), but nothing extreme just that i was dreaming inside a dream (so after i woke up from the 2nd dream i was truly awake nothing like 5 dreams inside each other or anything)

You are simply dreaming in the Astral. But to what plane you go to when you dream there is probably inconcievable!

i have done that before, i think. i don't really remember. i was dreaming, a nightmare and i told myself to wake up in the dream. i did i sat up and looked at my wall, which was the same exact as in real life, and i say, i must be dreaming still. and fall back asleep. I very rarely dream and when i do i love it no matter if its a nightmare or not.

Happened quite a few times to me , too. But no nightmares . More kinda "regular" dreams . Never thought about them twice anyway ....