"Floating"

[nevershoutnever!]

Something weird has been happening to me lately. I wake up in the middle of the night (sometimes in the morning but usually at night), and I feel like I am floating, as if my soul left my body or something. I also feel like someone is there. I usually go up at least 3-4 feet. Last night was a bit different, I went even higher and I started tilting backwards until I was almost upside down. Anyone know what this could mean/be?

Things to note:

- I'm straight edge, so no drugs, alcohol, etc.

- I'm 18 and perfectly healthy, so it's not like I was experiencing death and leaving to heaven (I'm Atheist by the way).

- I sleep with my doors locked and yes, they do work. In fact, I installed new door knobs not too long ago.

- I'm not "crazy", I don't watch tv, watch science-fiction movies, etc. I try to focus on reality a lot.

I just wish I knew why this is happening. I don't expect to ever find out what's happening, but I'm sure liking it! It's feels really cool. It lasts about 30 seconds-2 minutes (maybe more).

Thanks in advance for any info you may have.

EDIT: I also forgot to mention that I get a tingly sensation. That's probably why I like it, not to mention the fact that I get turned on sometimes (lol).

Edited June 15, 2008 by nevershoutnever!

[Radian]

That *could* be Lucid dreaming:

This may tell you a little something about it...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dreaming

And an interesting piece from same source about OBEs--

Out-of-body experience

An out-of-body experience (OBE or sometimes OOBE) is an experience that typically involves a sensation of floating outside of one's body and, in some cases, perceiving one's physical body from a place outside one's body (autoscopy). About one in ten people has had an out-of-body experience at some time in their lives.[45] Scientists know little about the phenomenon.[46]

Edited June 15, 2008 by Shankpin

[nevershoutnever!]

Makes some sense but does it count as a dream if I can see everything in my room? I can see my pillow, bed, roof (as I approach it) etc. The reason I mentioned the pillow is because one time I sinked in first, then I starting floating upwards.

EDIT: I'll keep reading that article. I only read the first part.

Edited June 15, 2008 by nevershoutnever!

[Radian]

From what I can understand it's you are awake, aware, but you are in dream state. The person should be able to teach themselves when they are in that dream state to wake up-- pop out of it.

"A lucid dream, also known as a conscious dream, is a dream in which the person is aware that he or she is dreaming while the dream is in progress. When the dreamer is lucid, he or she can actively participate in the dream environment without any of the inhibitions or limitations that otherwise would feel natural to persons who incorrectly believe they are in the "real" waking world. Lucid dreams can be extremely real and vivid depending on a person's level of self-awareness during the lucid dream.

also check out

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnagogia

&

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

Edited June 15, 2008 by Shankpin

[eight bits]

Welcome aboard, never.

With respect to all concerned, lucid dreaming excludes denials of, or questions whether, one is dreaming. To dream lucidly is to know that you are dreaming while you are dreaming, no more (e.g. "control" of dream content is an entirely different issue) and no less.

You report that you are awake, so what you report cannot be lucid dreaming.

There is a dream motif called "false awakening," which is just what it sounds like, to dream that you have woken up, and are now awake. These dreams are often realistic as to setting and activities (you are in your own room), possibly with a big exception (such as floating three feet in the air).

It is very difficult to distinguish false awakening dreams from hypnopompic hallucinations (searchable term, hypnopompic means "waking up"). In this case, you are awake, but lingering in that "twilight" consciousness between sleep and wakefulness.

Floating sensations are a common kind of vestibular hallucination, and tingly sensations are common types of proprioceptive and tactile hallucinations. Searchable terms appear in italics.

"Feeeling someone is there" is an interpretive matter. All sensations are apt to be accompanied by interpretations, hallucinations are not exceptional in that regard.

Finally, getting turned on is in a class by itself - a sort of self-proving sensation. If you feel turned on, then you are, or at least well on the road towards being so.

Either way, whether dream or hallucination, all that you report is normal, in the sense that it happens to a lot of people. Hallucinations on the borders of sleep are part of the human condition. Dreams, too, of course.

(The issue of sleep paralysis was also raised by reference. You did not report paralysis.)

If these adventures interfered with your everyday functioning or you didn't like them, then they would be a sleep disorder. Since you like them, enjoy them .

Edited June 15, 2008 by eight bits

[girlgodx]

sounds like astral projection, latly for the past couple months i started astral projecting , it happened by accident, i would start to fall asleep then all of a sudden wake up an feel tingly and floaty feeling but can see everything in the room as normal and could also move around. i once woke up on the onset of the astral projectiong and it felt exactly what you described, i was tingly vibration feeling and it felt like i sank into the couch 2 inches all at once, almost felt like falling through the couch. but it startled me and i snapped out of it. so apprently thats like the onset of it. keep trying to move around, like move your arms and legs an see what its like, its pretty cool. you can see your "physical" body at the same time. like you will be looking at your physical hand but reach over an feel the couch an notice your physical body doesnt actually move. its pretty freaky at first , only on alot of researching have i found out what it is.

[girlgodx]

oh let me ad, someone mentioned sleep paralysis. i went through that first because i didnt know how to move, i felt paralyzed but only upon struggling and learning to move the corect way i "broke free" i guess you could say, because i dont go through that not being able to move stage anymore, its like as soon as i realize im in the astral stage i eagerly start moveing around an experimenting. but if you arent aware whats actually going on you feel you cant move an just freak out, but just calm down an try to move without actually moving your physical body, i started with my legs, but it probibly doesnt matter, and you will see what im talking about. it makes me wonder to other people going through sleep paralisis if they actually took the steps if they would find its only unvoluntary astral projection trying to take place. though not in every case of course

[Elite]

sounds liek lucid dreaming to me or at the very least semi-lucid dreaming

[Radian]

I previously mention sleep paralysis to the OP because I know my sister went through a phase of sleep paralysis before floating. It was almost as if in her desperation to move from SP, she began floating/flying/spinning etc,. instead & unintentionally.

Edited June 16, 2008 by Shankpin