Dream Of Someone Watching You Sleep? Quick Answer

Have you ever dreamed that you were arguing with a friend who you otherwise get on well with? Or did you have a sex dream about someone you don’t even find attractive in real life? If yes, then you have probably wondered what it means when you dream about someone. Although the meanings might be obvious, there’s usually more symbolism at play than we think – so dreaming about someone else can give us a lot of insight into our own subconscious.

While dreams about other people are interesting, it’s even more fascinating to consider what it means when someone dreams about you – because it can tell us a lot about the dreamer and what you represent to them. In dreams, most things (and people) are symbols of certain waking life feelings, relationships, or situations. However, appearing in a dream might say less about you and more about the feelings or qualities the dreamer associates with you. The same is true when you analyze what it means when you dream about someone else.

“Every dream someone has of you has many layers and can mean many different things, but one thing can mean that person is processing what they subconsciously feel about you and your relationship with one another,” mystic MaKayla McRae tells Bustle. “It can also represent the traits and qualities that a person identifies with you, which helps in communicating with those parts of themselves.”

The next time someone tells you that you appeared in their dream world, get the details and work on the dream interpretation together. Read on to explore the different possibilities of what it means when you dream about someone, as well as what it means when someone dreams about you.

Peter Cade/Photodisc/Getty Images

To dream of someone in a negative light

It’s always embarrassing to realize that we’ve appeared in someone’s dream in a negative way, or to dream of someone we know doing something cruel or misbehaving. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the real-life dream bully has a secret evil streak. “If someone appears in the dream, it can [interpret] that this person is unconsciously trying to process their feelings towards you. So if someone dreams that you’re being mean to them, it doesn’t usually mean that person finds you literally rude,” says McRae. “They may actually be processing their own fear — perhaps a fear of your rejection.”

It is important to consider the context of the dream and the relationship the dreamer has with the person they are dreaming about. “For example, if someone has a crush on you, they might have a dream where they see you kissing someone else and laughing in their face,” says McRae. “That’s because her hidden anxiety could [involve] that you don’t reciprocate her interest or that you’re into someone else.”

To dream of someone in a positive light

It’s always nice when someone positively shows up in our dreams – and it’s sweet to hear when someone else has a good dream about us too. Having a good dream about someone could simply be a reflection of our loving and positive feelings towards them. It could also indicate that the dreamer is processing something about their relationship with the person in their dream and coming to an optimistic conclusion about things.

“When someone has a positive dream about you, it can represent where they see you ideally — which can literally mean they have overall happy feelings associated with you in your relationship,” says McRae. “It can also mean that this person sees many qualities in you that they can identify with.”

Being angry or fighting with someone in a dream

Dreaming about arguing with someone can be stressful — and hearing that someone dreamed they were mad at you doesn’t feel good either. “Sometimes when someone has dreams about arguing with you, it can represent real conflicts in your relationship,” says McRae. “Often, however, that frustration is between the dreamer and themselves, with [the person they’re struggling with] just a part of their psyche.”

Often, disagreements in dreams are about inner turmoil on the part of the dreamer rather than real negative feelings towards the person they are angry at in a dream – hence it is important to analyze the personal symbolism associated with that particular relationship is . “For example, if someone thinks you’re a brave person and then starts arguing with you in a dream, it may indicate that that person wants to be as adventurous as they perceive you to be,” says McRae. “They subconsciously argue with themselves about being just as brave as you.”

Having a sexy dream about someone

The meaning of sex dreams can vary widely, so there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to interpreting them. To dream of dating someone could be an obvious manifestation of our loving feelings or attraction to them, but it could also be more symbolic. Sex is about connection, intimacy and energetic exchange, so having a sex dream about someone could mean that you are trying to integrate some of the traits that person represents into your own life.

The same goes for someone who has a sex dream about you. “This dream might just represent someone’s fantasies of wanting a friendship, relationship, or any type of connection with you if you receive them warmly,” says McRae. While it can certainly indicate a crush or a hidden desire to complete your relationship, it could also mean that they are simply hoping to connect meaningfully with you in a non-sexual way or to more fully align with the qualities you hold for they represent.

If you think you see things—or smell, hear, taste, or feel things—when you sleep, you may not be dreaming. It is possible that you will experience hypnagogic hallucinations. These can occur in the state of consciousness between waking and sleeping. Dreams, on the other hand, occur during sleep. Hypnagogic hallucinations often cause confusion. This is because it can be difficult to distinguish hallucinations from reality. They create strong, complicated visual images in the mind that can be distorted in unrealistic ways. As a result, these hallucinations often cause anxiety. In some cases, they can even cause you to jump out of bed or accidentally injure yourself.

What are the symptoms of hypnagogic hallucinations? Hallucination is defined as the perception of the presence of an object or event through any of the five senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, or hearing) without the actual object or event existing or occurring. The defining symptom of a hypnagogic hallucination is the imagining of very realistic objects or events (usually visual) just before falling asleep. You may wake up in extreme fear that your hallucination was real. Auditory hallucinations are also common when the body falls asleep. These hallucinations are more common when a person is under stress. The most common auditory hallucinations are simple and have no real meaning or purpose. Examples are: beeps

high noise

random noises

popping noises

fuzzy sounds Severe cases of anxiety can produce more complex hallucinations. They can include voices, sometimes associated with quick thoughts. This can lead a person to believe the voices are real. Another common type of hallucination is the vision or sensation of bugs crawling all over your body. This is most common in people who take or abuse certain medications. Experiencing this sensation while sleeping can cause a person to scratch, peck, or even damage their body to rid it of insects. Sleep Paralysis and Lucid Dreams Hypnagogic hallucinations are distinct from other sleep-related conditions — including lucid dreams and sleep paralysis — which can cause the perception of things that are not real. Lucid dreams are very realistic dreams that occur when a person is asleep. Sleep paralysis is a separate disorder from hypnagogic hallucinations. However, it can occur simultaneously. Sleep paralysis is a sleep condition in which a person is physically immobile but mentally conscious. This condition can cause even more anxiety, as the physical immobility — often difficulty breathing and muscle tension — can make a person feel like they’re frozen in place. As a result, a person may recall a sleep paralysis and hallucination episode as a dream where they were frozen in place or unable to move. In reality, these two conditions worked together. Can hypnagogic hallucinations cause complications? During severe hypnagogic hallucinations, people have been known to jump out of bed and accidentally injure themselves. People can also harm themselves if they hallucinate that insects are crawling on them. Therefore, it is important to seek treatment if your hallucinations are severe.

What causes hypnagogic hallucinations? An older study of people 15 and older found that nearly 25 percent experienced sleep-related hallucinations. These hallucinations are more common in teenagers and young adults, with the number of hallucinations decreasing with age. Women seem to experience these hallucinations more often than men. The exact causes of hypnagogic hallucinations are not well understood. Some possible risk factors are: Alcohol or drug use

insomnia

fear

emphasize

narcolepsy

Mood disorders such as bipolar disorder or depression Epileptic seizures can also cause hypnagogic hallucinations. When epilepsy is the cause, hallucinations can appear as brief visual fragments.

When should you see a doctor? Most hypnagogic hallucinations are harmless. However, you should consider seeing a sleep specialist if these hallucinations make you anxious or frequently disturb you during your sleep. If your hallucinations are accompanied by unusual drowsiness during the day, you should see a specialist immediately as you may be suffering from narcolepsy. If you seek help from a sleep specialist, they will begin your appointment by asking you questions such as: When did your hallucinations start?

How often do your hallucinations occur?

How long do your hallucinations last?

Do you have other sleep problems, like insomnia?

Are you sleepy during the day? A sleep specialist will not only ask you about your sleep, but also your medical and psychiatric history. Be sure to tell them about any past or current drug or medication use. The sleep specialist may ask you to bring home a sleep diary for two weeks. This helps the specialist gain insight into your sleeping habits. This insight can help them better diagnose your condition and figure out how to fix it. The sleep specialist may also recommend a sleep study (polysomnogram) if your hallucinations are severely disrupting your sleep. A sleep study involves attaching wires and devices to your head and body to record your brain waves, heartbeat, and breathing while you sleep. It also records how your arms and legs move. This type of study can reveal if your hypnagogic hallucinations are related to any other type of sleep disorder. The specialist may ask you to do a daytime nap study (several sleep latency tests) if you are very sleepy during the day. This test measures how quickly you fall asleep during the day and what kind of sleep you have when you nap. This test can show if your hallucinations are related to narcolepsy.

How are hypnagogic hallucinations treated? Treatment for hypnagogic hallucinations requires treatment of any underlying medical conditions that may be the cause. Hallucinations often decrease over time. You can also lose weight if you focus on getting enough sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends the following: 8-10 hours for teens ages 13-18

7-9 hours for adults aged 18-64

7-8 hours for adults 65 years and older The following measures may also help reduce hypnagogic hallucinations: To avoid lying awake thinking stressful thoughts, do not go to bed until you feel extremely tired.

Maintain a regular sleep schedule where you go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day.

Practice good sleep hygiene, such as sleeping in a cool environment.

Avoid alcohol, drugs, and medications that can cause hypnagogic hallucinations. If prescribed, talk to your doctor before changing or stopping your dosage. If your hypnagogic hallucinations are caused by anxiety, your doctor may recommend psychiatric treatment. Treatment for anxiety may include talk therapy, meditation or medication, and other home care to reduce stress. If you are diagnosed with narcolepsy, your sleep specialist will prescribe narcolepsy medication.

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Lately it seems like I keep dreaming about my ex.

Although I haven’t seen him in ages, he appears in my dreams several nights a week.

I had heard the old saying, “If you dream about someone, it means they miss you.”

Super confused about what was going on, I decided to get to the bottom of things and find out if dreaming about someone really means they are thinking about you.

What I discovered was, yes, dreaming about someone could mean that they miss you or that they are thinking of you.

But our dreams often say far more about us and our own deepest thoughts, feelings, fears, and desires than anyone else’s.

Read on to find out what it really means to dream about a person and how to tell if it’s because they miss you or not.

What does it mean when you dream about a person? Do you miss me? 5 signs to look out for

If only knowing what it means to dream about someone was an easy answer. But the truth is that dreams, by their very nature, can be very confusing.

There are scientific and psychological explanations, as well as more supernatural or spiritual answers. In this article we will look at a few.

To understand if your dream really means that the other person misses you, you need to try to interpret your dream to look for clues.

While the signs I mention below will give you a good idea of ​​what your dreams mean, an even better way is to talk to a real psychic.

The key is to find a psychic you trust.

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If you dream about a person, you should pay attention to these 5 things:

1) Whether a real event is repeated in your dream

Everyone dreams while they sleep (in fact, many animals dream), but the truth is we don’t really know why.

Surprisingly, although there are many theories, there are still no concrete answers.

A fairly simple explanation for why we dream is the activation synthesis theory, which states that dreaming helps us process information from our lives.

Biologically, many circuits fire in your brain when you are in REM sleep (the dream state).

Certain areas of the brain involved in emotions, sensations, and memories are activated.

Our mind is essentially a meaning-making machine.

So if you notice that real life events or situations involving another person have been repeated in your dream, this could be the way your mind is trying to process and understand certain things that happened .

2) If you experience strong emotions during your dream

Sometimes it’s less about the who, what, or where of a dream and more about the feelings and emotions it evokes for you.

Since dreams are often not meant to be literal, it can be helpful to look for other hidden clues in the dream that can help you better understand why that particular person is appearing.

And whether it’s because they miss you, or maybe more because you miss them.

How do you feel about them in the dream?

Do you feel happy or do you remember a time that has now passed? Maybe you long to revive those times or simply to experience such moments of happiness again.

Or maybe you are feeling sad, scared or angry at her in your dream?

If so, you might be wondering if you have any feelings towards them that might resurface.

If this is someone with whom you had a romantic relationship or even a strong friendship that has since ended or drifted apart, it’s natural for us to have lingering emotions that may reappear in our dreams.

Sometimes our dreams are there to reflect and give voice to the things we are feeling.

You may not even be aware of these emotions — in fact, according to Sigmund Freud’s theory of dreams, they often represent what’s going on in our deep subconscious.

It may mean that there are strong feelings or thoughts buried somewhere in you about that particular person.

3) When you notice creepy coincidences that you can’t explain

So far we have dealt with more psychological reasons why someone might appear in your dream.

But many people also believe that dreams are a gateway to a higher self and realm. And in many ancient cultures, dreams were considered spiritual guides.

Science can explain a lot, but new discoveries keep pushing the boundaries of what we once thought of as logical.

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Evidence of extrasensory perception (ESP) and connections in ways we don’t fully understand have been examined with some very interesting results.

Have you ever had the experience of thinking about someone and then having them call you right away? And you wouldn’t be alone, as is really common.

Is it coincidence or are you actually absorbing each other’s energy?

Or maybe you thought of someone on purpose and got them to reach out and they do. It’s almost like you telepathically made her miss you.

Well, you might be surprised to discover that a biologist has found something called morphic resonance – telepathic connections between organisms along with the ability to share collective memories.

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That said, it might not be such a far-fetched idea after all that you can communicate with others in your dreams.

So if you keep noticing strange clues or coincidences in your life about this person, maybe that’s a sign from the universe that they were thinking of you.

Maybe you keep seeing memories of that person wherever you go, you meet them unexpectedly, or they text you after you just dreamed about them.

If you would like more clarity on this, I would suggest speaking to a gifted consultant at Psychic Source.

I mentioned her earlier. They have helped me in the past and I have always found them honest and compassionate in their readings.

Instead of trying to decipher your dream yourself, talk to a counselor who will help you put the pieces together.

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4) If their appearance in your dream seems completely random

If someone was on your waking mind a lot and then appears in your dream that night, it may not seem so strange.

But what does it mean if someone randomly appears in your dream?

If you haven’t given her special thought beforehand, you might be able to psychically sense her feelings for you.

In this case, it might make more sense to assume that the energy is coming from them rather than you – and it’s a sign that they’re missing you, and you can feel it.

At the end of the day, we are all just a collection of vibrant energy coming together in physical forms.

And there’s a lot of energy around us that we can’t see or touch, but we can still feel it in other ways.

How can you tell if they miss you or you’re thinking of them?

If your dream about her didn’t bring up any strong emotions and seemed to come out of the blue, it may seem like it wasn’t your emotions or thoughts that caused the dream.

In this case, you may think that it is more likely that they have thought of you or will appear in your life.

5) When that person could actually represent something else

Because dreams are often ambiguous, sometimes we dream of a thing even though the real meaning is much deeper or something entirely different.

Our fears, desires, old traumas, and past hurts can resurface and begin to play out while we sleep.

According to contemporary dreaming theory, this is anything but random. Instead, the events that unfold are guided by the dreamer’s emotions.

As Professor Ernest Hartmann, director of the Boston Center for Sleep Disorders, explains in Scientific American:

“When there is a well-defined emotion, dreams are often very simple. Thus, people who have experienced trauma often have a dream like: “I was on the beach and was swept away by a tidal wave.” This case is paradigmatic. It is evident that the dreamer is not dreaming about the actual traumatic event, but instead is imagining the emotion, “I’m scared. I’m overwhelmed.” If the emotional state is less clear, or if multiple emotions or concerns are present at the same time, the dream becomes more complicated.”

If you interpret your dream instead of taking it at face value, you can reveal some hidden meanings that you hadn’t considered before.

What does it mean when you dream about someone repeatedly?

You have unresolved issues with them.

So if you are interested in finally moving beyond those dreams, maybe it is time to heal yourself from what happened in the past.

I’ve been in your position before, and there was one thing that helped me get to the root of the cause and resolve it – the free love and intimacy video by world-renowned shaman Rudá Iandê.

Rudá doesn’t smooth things over, he gets real and he dives deep into the relationship you have with yourself and how this affects the relationships you have with others.

So if you are ready to finally understand and overcome these feelings and dreams, watch his incredible free video here.

Is it true that when you dream about someone, they dream about you?

The possibly surprising answer to this question is maybe.

As unlikely as it may sound, there are scientifically proven examples of people who have had the same dream.

The best recorded examples are from professionally trained therapists and their clients who shared the same dream at about the same time.

More anecdotally, many people have experienced dreaming about someone only to find out that their dream included you.

While it’s difficult to say what’s really going on, it at least makes it possible that when you’re dreaming about someone, maybe they’re dreaming about you.

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In fact, there are several reasons why dream sharing might be more plausible than you might think.

What does it mean when you keep dreaming about someone you no longer speak to?

As we have said before there are many reasons why you dream about someone even if they are no longer in your life as many of our dreams come from our subconscious.

It could be a secret desire you still have for her, something you miss about the connection you once had, or something unresolved between you.

If you want to know exactly what it means to dream about someone you no longer see, I also recommend reading this article.

Bottom line: how do you know if dreaming about someone means they miss you?

Hopefully this article has given you some ideas on how to look for signs and dig into your own psyche.

But if you really want to find out if the person you keep dreaming about is missing you, don’t leave it to chance.

Instead, speak to a real, certified psychic who will give you the answers you are looking for.

I mentioned Psychic Source earlier, it’s one of the oldest professional psychic services available online. Your psychics are experienced in healing and helping people.

When I received a psychic reading from them, I was surprised at how knowledgeable and understanding they were. They helped me when I needed it most and that’s why I always recommend their services to anyone who needs advice.

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Do you keep dreaming about the same person? There is much debate about the meaning of dreams, with the general belief that they reveal the depths of our subconscious, including our fears and desires. But what does it mean if you regularly dream about the same person when you go in the hay?

According to a clinical psychologist, recurring dreams about the same person should not be taken too literally. Whether partner, close friends or family, we build emotional bonds with people who give us security and security.

Recurring dreams are a common phenomenon, two-thirds of us experience them. These dreams may not mean that you are obsessed with this person but can symbolize your feelings and concerns. Some of us may dream about the people we spend a lot of time with, while others dream about those we miss – like those who are no longer with us.

Karl Tapales Getty Images

“The mind’s model is very faithful to the idea of ​​a computer,” said clinical psychologist Dr. John Mayer to Elite Daily. “When we go to sleep, this little computer keeps running. It doesn’t just turn itself off and stop. We have the perception that we are empty when we sleep – but [the brain] keeps going.”

Dreaming can help our brain sort out information while we sleep. dr Mayer also said that someone’s dreaming over and over again shouldn’t be interpreted literally. This person could actually symbolize a specific stress or anxiety that we are going through.

For example, if you are dreaming about the same co-worker, you may not have an issue with that specific person, but rather a more general work situation that you need to work through.

“The dreams aren’t usually exactly the same every time, but the recurring theme is usually something in your head that’s kind of unresolved. It just keeps repeating itself over and over in this computer,” he said. “So if the data in the machine is the same, you have to replace it with different data or resolve that conflict or problem.”

Some of the reasons why we dream about the same people can be:

We see them often during the day (e.g. a family member or a colleague). Your bond with us is particularly strong, e.g. B. a parent you are having nightmares about someone, it may mean that you are trying to protect them (e.g. a child). Dreaming about someone from your past can be a sign that you want them back in your life

Time to dream…

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Dreams can be entertaining, disturbing, or downright bizarre. We all dream, even if we don’t remember it the next day. But why do we dream? And what do they even mean?

what are dreams

Dreams are basically stories and images that our mind creates while we sleep. You can be alive. They can make you happy, sad or scared. And they can seem confusing or completely rational.

Dreams can occur at any time during sleep. But you have your most vivid dreams during a phase called REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, when your brain is at its most active. Some experts say we dream at least four to six times a night.

lucid dreams

A lucid dream is one in which you know you are dreaming. Research shows that lucid dreaming is associated with a burst of activity in parts of the brain that are normally restful during sleep. Lucid dreaming is a brain state between REM sleep and wakefulness.

Some lucid dreamers are able to influence their dream and change history, so to speak. This might be a good tactic at times, especially during a nightmare, but many dream experts say it’s better to let your dreams flow naturally.

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While a good dream can start the day blissfully, a bad one can shake you for hours – making you wonder exactly why you dreamed of giving a work presentation stark naked in front of an audience of your ex-boyfriends.

As uncomfortable as bad dreams can feel, dream psychologists believe that dreams can reveal a lot about our mental wellbeing — and ignoring the key psychological “cues” our dreams are trying to tell us could have unhealthy consequences and prevent us from addressing anxiety and address stress in our waking lives.

why do we dream

“Everyone dreams,” says dream psychologist Ian Wallace (ianwallacedreams.com). “It’s a biological necessity, and people who think they’re not dreaming actually don’t remember their dreams when they wake up.”

Wallace, whose work with dreams forms a fundamental part of his psychological practice, says he has always been fascinated by their practical application and how observing them can help us achieve our goals and ambitions in waking life.

“As humans, we sleep in 90-minute cycles — or so-called ultradian rhythms — and in each of those cycles we have a dream episode.”

According to Wallace, if you manage to get seven and a half hours of sleep a night, you will have about five total dream episodes. At the start of the night these episodes are usually fairly short and fragmented – maybe 10-15 minutes – but by the time you hit the morning they can be closer to 40 or 45 minutes long.

“We spend about two hours a night dreaming – a total of one-twelfth of our entire life,” says Wallace. “People often say, ‘No one knows why we dream,’ but that’s nonsense. In the 1970s, experiments at UCSF California Medical School found that when we are awake we are only aware of about 2% of what we are actually experiencing.

Dreaming woman sleeping in bed

“Most of the other 98% of the unconscious mind is emotional, so we take in a huge amount of emotional experiential information during the day,” says Wallace. “Our brain has to do something with it.

“The basic function of dreaming is to process our emotions—our understanding of who we are, our needs, and our beliefs. We also use this time to consolidate our memories. People often imagine dreams as a series of images, but they are actually a flow of emotions.”

What do frequent nightmares actually mean?

If you keep having a certain nightmare, your subconscious might be trying to tell you something important. “Nightmares are the brain working through emotions,” says Wallace.

“Mental health is fundamentally emotional. So when you’re creating something that’s a bit nightmarish or disturbing, you’re processing some really strong emotions.

“Just as we might try to run away from an emotionally stressful situation in life, we do exactly the same thing when we force ourselves to wake up from a nightmare.”

What kind of dreams might indicate that you need to pay attention to something?

“It really depends on the source of the anxiety, the stress, or the depression,” says Wallace. “There will often be a feeling of being out of control or things happening that can be quite powerful and often quite violent.” He says that you might get caught in a thunderstorm, tsunami, or hurricane, and the dream might, too look quite dark and shadowy.

“One of the most common dream scenarios is someone trying to find their way home,” says Wallace. “The number one dream image is the house, and the reason we see it so often in dreams is that we use the house as a symbol to represent the self; They have inside and outside just like we do.

“If you dream that you can’t find your way home, it could be that you’re trying to reconnect with who you are. Perhaps you take on a role in the outside world to fit in and make sure everyone likes you? Over time, this can create a tremendous amount of hidden stress that contributes to nightmares,” Wallace explains.

What other common dream themes might emerge?

“Dreams are often about identity, because we’re figuring out who we are, what we need, and what beliefs and perspectives we hold,” says Wallace. “If you’re feeling unfulfilled, undervalued, or not the person you want to be in waking life, your dreams will often reflect that.

“For example, very successful people and true perfectionists often have dreams that they are unprepared for an exam. These are often the last people to be unprepared for anything, but if you think of it as a symbol, an exam is essentially a way of judging something. People who have these kinds of dreams test their abilities endlessly.”

Wallace says being naked in public is the fourth most common dream people have, and it usually occurs when we’re feeling exposed and vulnerable in an unfamiliar situation — like a new job or relationship.

“The dreamer creates the vision of nudity because we use our clothing to convey to other people an image of who we are. When you’re naked you feel like you’ve lost control of your self-image and people can see the real you.”

In processing our emotions, Wallace says, dreams actually do a helpful job — helping to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. “That said, because dreams are an overlooked strand of psychology, people just tend to think, ‘Oh, it’s a bad dream,’ and they don’t really engage with the images and do anything proactive with them.”

How can you be more in tune with your dreams?

So how could we be proactive? “Dream journals can be helpful. When you wake up, you might write down some key things from the dream — or it might be easier to record yourself recounting the dream on your phone,” Wallace says.

Generally, over time, you will find that themes emerge. “Usually these will come with big emotional arcs in your life,” Wallace adds.

What is really important is that you notice all the trends. “There’s no point in just letting those dreams pass you by because if you don’t listen to the messages you will start having recurring dreams.” This is when you see the same symbols keep coming back representing months, years and can even take decades. “Essentially, in recurring dreams, you send yourself the same message over and over until it gets through; until you become active in waking life.”

How can you analyze your dreams?

“I always say the best person to analyze dreams is the dreamer,” says Wallace. “People are very good at understanding their own imagery in their dreams – and it’s about exploring your own dream language and the similarities between them.”

Woman looking at the sea

A dream dictionary might help. Wallace has published a useful book called The Complete A To Z Dictionary of Dreams: Be Your Own Dream Expert (£14.99, Ebury) that can help you decipher dream symbols and what they are trying to tell you .

“There’s another really powerful thing you can do when you’re having disturbing dreams. The moment you become aware that you are dreaming an uncomfortable dream and are trying to wake up, you can try to consciously change the image in that semi-waking state,” Wallace adds.

“For example, if you are being pursued by a scary monster, you can learn to make the monster smaller, weirder, or brighter in your lucid state. Understanding your ability to work on your dream imagery can be truly empowering.

“The number one thing I tell my clients is don’t be afraid to dream, even if you’re having nightmares,” says Wallace. “Dreams can help you understand yourself better, set boundaries, and realize that you always have far more power and choices than you think to make changes in your life. That’s an uplifting thing to hold on to.”

Share on Pinterest Your alarm clock is ringing. They sit up, rub their eyes, get up and stagger towards the kitchen to make coffee and feed the howling cat. Ten minutes later the cat is purring and you are enjoying your first sip of coffee when the alarm clock rings again. As you lie in bed, you wonder if you’re really awake this time, maybe even pinching yourself before making a move to get up. A false awakening refers to the strange experience of “waking up” when you are actually asleep. It can contain vivid, realistic images that leave you anxious and confused. Some people also experience convoluted dreams or more than one false awakening on the same occasion.

Is it the same as sleep paralysis? Sleep paralysis, which usually occurs when you fall asleep or wake up, isn’t quite the same as false awakenings. However, research suggests that many people who experience one often experience the other. With sleep paralysis, you temporarily lose the ability to speak or move your muscles. You may also find it difficult to breathe. Some people also hallucinate with an episode of sleep paralysis. It could appear as if someone else is in your room with you or is holding you on your bed. The main difference between sleep paralysis and false awakenings is that sleep paralysis occurs when you are awake and not dreaming. Sleep paralysis typically occurs when you transition from REM (rapid eye movement) sleep to wakefulness. Your brain wakes up, but your muscles remain temporarily paralyzed, just like during REM sleep.

Do they mean something bad is about to happen? No, but you might feel like something bad is coming depending on the type of false awakening you are experiencing. According to researcher Celia Green, PhD, in her book Lucid Dreaming: The Paradox of Consciousness While Sleep, there are two main types of false awakenings: Type 1. Type 1 false awakenings proceed in a fairly simple manner. After “waking up,” you do the same things you would normally do. This type will often not feel scary, although you may feel disoriented or a little distressed when you actually wake up.

Type 1 false awakenings are fairly straightforward. After “waking up,” you do the same things you would normally do. This type will often not feel scary, although you may feel disoriented or a little distressed when you actually wake up. Type 2. With this type, you may wake up feeling foreboding or convinced that something strange or bad is about to happen. This type of false awakening could be similar to sleep paralysis, especially if you dream that you wake up and are unable to move or escape from a malicious presence in your room. However, when you wake up, you can move normally. While Type 2 false awakenings can feel unnerving, there’s no evidence that it actually means anything bad is going to happen.

How is it related to lucid dreaming? Similar to lucid dreaming and sleep paralysis, false awakening is thought to be one of the hybrid or overlapping states between sleep and wakefulness. Many people who experience false awakenings also have lucid dreams. In a lucid dream, you realize that you are dreaming. This knowledge allows you to maintain some control over your surroundings and even change the course of the dream. There is also some evidence that lucid dreams often end in false awakenings. You might even “wake up” and start describing your dream to someone else before you actually wake up. A false awakening can turn into a lucid dream, especially when you start noticing certain details that differ slightly from reality. For example, your furniture may not be in the right place, your lamp won’t turn on, or you open a book and find you can’t read any of the words. Suspecting that you are not actually awake could lead you to try to manipulate the dream in some way or to tell yourself to wake up.

What causes it to happen? To date, there isn’t much research on false awakenings, and experts are yet to determine exactly what causes them. As with sleep paralysis, they may be related to disrupted REM sleep. Some suggested explanations for false awakenings include: sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea

Anticipation or the knowledge that you have to get up early for a reason

Noise and other disturbances that interrupt your sleep without waking you up fully Stress and anxiety in your daily life can also affect your sleep and may show up in your dreams. If you are worried about something that will happen shortly after waking up, you may have dreams about waking up and preparing for the stressful event. These stressful events may include: A difficult test

Dentist appointment

Job Interview Protoconsciousness Theory Research from 2011 offers another possible explanation for false awakenings. According to the dream protoconsciousness theory, during REM sleep your brain prepares for consciousness by using its internal representation of your everyday world. This model serves as a starting point for your dreams, the theory goes. But most dreams contain many other elements that make them seem much less realistic. False awakenings can occur when over-arousal or heightened alertness during REM sleep prevents you from experiencing more typical dreams, such as those involving flies, traps, and other surreal events. Instead, the dreams may draw on more specific memories of familiar surroundings and your typical daily routine.

Should I be concerned? As strange as it may feel, false awakenings are generally not a cause for medical concern. There is no evidence that they occur as a symptom of any physical or mental health condition. However, it’s worth investigating any unusual event that disturbs your sleep on a regular basis. False awakenings can occur along with other symptoms that have a more serious cause. Talk to your doctor or a sleep specialist if you also notice any of the following symptoms: Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep

Tired or exhausted after several hours in bed

daytime fatigue

Common Nightmares Getting better sleep every night can help reduce the number of false awakenings. Here are some general tips for better sleep: Turn off your phone and other electronic devices at least 1 hour before bed.

Calculate how much sleep you need with our sleep calculator.

Before bed, take some time to unwind. Mental health issues like anxiety and depression can also contribute to disturbing dreams and affect the quality of your sleep. It’s a good idea to see a therapist for any mental health symptoms that don’t improve after a week or two, especially if mood swings are present along with physical health symptoms such as: B. Changes in your sleeping habits.

Hypnagogic hallucinations are imaginary sensations that seem very real. They occur when a person falls asleep. The term hypnopompic describes the period of time during which a person wakes up. Hypnagogic defines the period of time during which a person falls asleep. A hallucination is anything that can be felt but is not real. Sleep-related hallucinations are common in the general population and can take a variety of forms. In this article, we cover the causes, symptoms, and complications of hypnagogic hallucinations. Sex and gender exist on spectra. In this article, the terms male, female, or both are used to refer to the gender assigned at birth. Click here to find out more.

Symptoms A person will experience vivid hallucinations while falling asleep or just before falling asleep. These can be images, smells, tastes, tactile sensations or sounds. A person may also feel like they are moving while their body is still. This feeling could be a feeling of falling or flying. Visual hallucinations Visual disturbances are common with hypnagogic hallucinations. They may contain images of people, animals, or moving objects. Images can be very complex and detailed or simply appear as blurs or misperceptions. Auditory Hallucinations Hypnagogic hallucinations often have an auditory component. The additional content of these sounds can vary from person to person. People may feel like they are hearing voices, ambient noise, or unidentifiable sounds. Other Symptoms During a hypnagogic hallucination, a person knows they are awake. The images, sounds or other sensations may last for a few minutes. You can prevent a person from falling asleep. These hallucinations can occur at the same time as sleep paralysis. Learn more about hallucinations here.

Risk Factors Certain factors can increase the likelihood of hallucinations. They tend to occur less frequently with age, and women experience these hallucinations more often than men. When a person uses drugs or alcohol, they may be more likely to experience hypnagogic hallucinations. The condition also has links with anxiety and insomnia.

Hypnagogic hallucinations are not usually a health risk. Certain medical conditions have links to these hallucinations. If a person has any of the following symptoms, they may want to contact a doctor. Symptoms of Narcolepsy: These include muscle weakness, being very sleepy during the day, and having trouble sleeping at night.

: These include muscle weakness, severe daytime sleepiness and difficulty sleeping at night. Symptoms of schizophrenia: These include hearing voices, having confused thoughts, and experiencing changes in behavior.

: These include hearing voices, having confused thoughts, and experiencing changes in behavior. Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease: These include slow movements, muscle stiffness, and tremors in the hands and other parts of the body. A migraine episode can also cause a person to see colors, lights, or images that don’t exist. These visualizations are called auras. They usually accompany migraine headaches and are different from hallucinations. Hypnagogic hallucinations can be disturbing. They can prevent a person from getting a good night’s sleep and cause stress or anxiety. If this is the case, a person may want to contact a doctor.

What are the treatment options? If a person is experiencing hypnagogic hallucinations alongside narcolepsy, schizophrenia, or another related condition, treatment will focus on treating those associated conditions. Prevention Strategies If a person’s quality of life is not affected by their hypnagogic hallucinations, they may not need treatment. And when there’s no underlying medical condition, lifestyle changes can reduce the frequency of hallucinations. Getting enough sleep and avoiding drugs and alcohol can reduce their frequency. If hypnagogic hallucinations cause trouble sleeping or anxiety, a doctor may prescribe medication. Learn more about good sleep habits here.

Are hypnagogic hallucinations dangerous? When these hallucinations are often not the result of an underlying medical condition, they usually have no long-term complications. Their most common effects are trouble sleeping and stress or anxiety. Learn more about the symptoms of sleep deprivation here. However, hypnagogic hallucinations can cause a person to wake up in fear and scream or scream, which can be upsetting to a partner or roommate. Also, a person experiencing a hallucination may fall out of bed or otherwise injure themselves. Many of these problems can be detrimental to health and well-being. A person may wish to consult a doctor for advice or treatment.

Other Sleep Conditions During sleep, many parts of the brain are still active. Processes such as breathing and circulation continue to function. Sleepwalking, nightmares, sleep paralysis, and similar experiences are called parasomnias. Often there is no known cause, but parasomnia can run in families. When a person falls asleep or wakes up, they usually enter a phase of lighter sleep. Narcolepsy can cause a person to go straight into a period of deeper sleep or wake up in the middle. This can make dreams or hallucinations feel more real.

The largest study on lucid dreaming to date has identified the best techniques to help people take control of their nighttime dreams. This practice could help people in their daily lives, the study author explains.

Share on Pinterest Lucid dreaming allows people to take control of their dreams. New research results now explain how this phenomenon can be achieved.

Lucid dreaming is a fascinating phenomenon in which a person is aware that they are sleeping and dreaming.

Those who are more adept at lucid dreaming are able to control the plot and content of their dreams to varying degrees.

But can humans learn lucid dreaming and perfect their technique? According to a new study recently published by Frontiers in Psychology, the answer is yes.

The study’s author, Denholm Aspy, Ph.D. – currently Visiting Fellow at the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide in Australia – tested the effectiveness of five different techniques to achieve lucid dreaming.

Aspy has been fascinated with lucid dreaming for many years, and in an op-ed for Medical News Today he explained how this fascination came about.

“I have always been fascinated by lucid dreaming. However, it took me until I started my doctorate. in psychology that I started to do scientific research in this field,” he told us.

“The night before my doctorate, I actually had a spontaneous lucid dream. began, and when I woke up, I was so inspired that I decided to immediately switch my research topic from nonverbal communication to lucid dreaming,” Aspy said.

To better understand the phenomenon, the researcher launched the largest known study on lucid dreaming to date: the International Lucid Dream Induction Study (ILDIS).

Does dreaming about someone you like signify a mystical connection or is it just counted as a creative illusion? Let’s find out what it means to dream about someone by going through the article below.

The hardest thing about dreaming about someone you love is waking up. ~ Anonymous

Dreams are a fragment of our imagination. They give us a space for our creativity that most of us seem to lack in our daily lives. We are the masters of our dreams and can paint our world in black and white or Technicolor while we sleep. They help us answer the deepest questions buried in our subconscious and face the greatest fears of our lives. Many people claim that their dreams helped them find a solution to their problem and create one of the greatest success stories in the world. These stories and many myths surrounding dreams make one wonder what it means to dream about someone. You can uncover the mysteries of your dream by reading through the explanation below.

I think I like you!

Have you ever caught yourself constantly daydreaming about someone you like? Well, I’ve found myself guilty of this dreamy act many times. This made me ask myself, “Am I going crazy or does my dream mean something?” One thing is for sure, you are not going crazy and your dreams of someone you like mean only one thing. And that one thing is nothing but an infatuation or fascination. Your mind thinks about the person you like all day long. So when you go to sleep, your mind only remembers the one thought in your head all day. This is how you keep dreaming about someone you like, even when you are asleep. For example, you might have a crush on the handsomest boy on your school’s basketball team. You see him at school and maybe you study in the same class.

The constant sighs every time you manage to catch a glimpse of him and all sorts of tricks to get his attention show that you are head over heels in love with this boy. When you’re asleep, the last thought in your mind isn’t about the school test the next day, but about managing to get his attention, at least for a moment. It makes you dream and fulfill all your innermost desires related to this cute boy. The solution: gather courage and approach the guy. Tell him all about your feelings and you never know, maybe he dreams about you all the time too. And if you can’t, then all you can do is keep dreaming.

I love you right?

Love is an intoxicating feeling. It fills your mind, heart and soul with the thoughts of the person you love. There is nothing sweeter than love in life and you tend to find everything around you meaningless when the person you love is not with you. So if you dream about someone you love, it means that you really love them. However, there is a fine line between true love and obsessive love. Constantly dreaming about someone you love can be a sign that you are not giving yourself and the other person the space they need to live your life. You will become obsessed with the person and very soon this will lead to many complications in your life.

It is good to dream about someone you love, but turning it into an obsession indicates possessiveness. You need to get a grip on yourself and give yourself and the person you love a breather. Only then will your relationship be a greater success than it already is. Make sure you know that the deep feelings you have for the person are actually love and not just an obsession. If you still haven’t expressed your feelings towards the person you love, go ahead and spill the beans. Once you get together, the dreams you had will finally get a chance to become a reality.

I can not forget you!

Many times after you have had a breakup, breakup, divorce or lost touch with someone you once liked, you may have dreams about them. It may surprise you because you feel like you don’t have feelings for her anymore. But somewhere, in the deepest valleys of your subconscious, you still have feelings for her. These suppressed feelings usually appear when you are in deep sleep. These dreams indicate that you may not have gotten over them yet and still harbor some feelings for the person.

In some cases where a person goes through a lot of trauma and abuse over the course of the relationship, one starts dreaming about the person they liked. Your mind still reflects the image of the person you liked. The relationship hasn’t turned out the way you imagined, but in your dreams you’re still stuck in the past. Or maybe you never managed to express your feelings towards the person and you still have the same feelings towards the person. These feelings surface as a fragment of your imagination in your dreams.

Dreaming about someone you like just means you want to be with that person. Call it attraction, infatuation, fascination, love or anything else. You secretly hope to be with and spend time with the person you like. Dreams help us uncover life’s mysteries and may even have tomorrow’s answers today. It’s your world, enjoy it to the fullest and hope that it will become a reality soon.

Have sex dreams lately? Spoiler alert: most of us do. About 8% of all night dreams involve some type of sexual activity, according to a University of Montreal study, and women, like men, tend to doze off from sexual fantasies. But sexual dreams (often referred to as wet dreams for women) can be confusing. One minute you’ll be feeling hot and nauseous under the covers – you might even be on the verge of climax – and the next your eyes will fly open and you’ll be suddenly awake. You may have fantasized about doing it with someone you know, someone you don’t know (like your favorite celebrity), your current significant other, or someone completely random. So what does all this mean? should you have more sex Are you sexually frustrated or longing for more sexual intimacy? Not necessarily.

Sometimes our sex dreams tell an accurate story about what we secretly desire, what we’re not getting in our sex life, or what we’re most curious about. However, remember that a sex dream doesn’t always translate to your sex life IRL.

According to Lauri Loewenberg, a certified dream expert, “Dream sex isn’t so much about a physical union that you want as it is a psychological union that you need.” That means that these dreams — even though they’re sexual in nature – could be an indication of what is going on in your career, personal life or family, and could indicate a deeper, more personal desire. This often has little to do with sex itself. Just know that in any case, sex dreams are common and natural and nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about.

It can help alleviate some of the mysteries behind weird sex dreams by better understanding what they might mean, so we did some research on the subject. Of course, when it comes to interpreting the meaning of your sex dreams, there’s no one right recipe to diagnose what you’re dreaming about, but there are a few guidelines that experts seem to believe wholeheartedly.

Here are 10 types of common sex dreams and what they mean:

1. Sex dreams about your ex

This doesn’t necessarily mean that you still have feelings for that particular ex, but it could be an indication. Another explanation is that you still have some unresolved issues within yourself that you haven’t addressed yet. Maybe you’re still a little hurt about how it all ended, or you might be scared that everything that’s happening in your current relationship might end up the same way they did with your ex.

2. Sex dreams about celebrities

Confession time: I’ve had two wildly vivid sex dreams about Macklemore in the last year or two. They were so real, I swear I know what that guy smells like. I don’t even listen to his music that often, but apparently my subconscious finds him irresistible. (Well, I’ll admit I find him sexy as hell too.)

The simplest answer is that having a sex dream about a celebrity means you are slightly obsessed with that celebrity. Another explanation is that you have a particularly strong urge to be successful and to be recognized for your accomplishments.

3. Sex dreams about cheating on your partner

Don’t freak out! That doesn’t mean your brain will take you on a killing spree without a choice. However, to dream of getting dirty with another person could mean that you do not feel fulfilled in your relationship, whether inside or outside of the bedroom. Whoever you dream of having sex with is also important. If it’s someone you’ve been hanging out with lately, you might want to reconsider how intimate your friendship is with that person.

4. Sex dreams about your S.O. cheating on you

One in five women dreams that their partner is unfaithful, so you are definitely not alone. I actually have this dream fairly regularly, about once every few months. Ian Wallace, a dream psychologist, puts it this way:

“Dreams in which your partner is cheating on someone else suggest that in waking life you need to betray yourself in some way and have a lot more confidence in your talents and how attractive they are to those around you.”

See? Doesn’t always have to do with sex. It could also represent the fact that your relationship isn’t going too well and there are some things you need to work on together. You may also be afraid of being abandoned.

5. Sex dreams about certain body parts

Does a big penis bother you in your dream? When erect, it indicates aggression and fertility. If it’s flaccid, you may be sexually frustrated IRL. According to DreamMoods, breasts indicate nourishment or sexual arousal and raw energy. To dream of vaginas represents your femininity and sexual needs. Shocker.

6. Sex dreams about family members

Awesome, I know. Eh. But it happens to the best of us. You already know this, but I’m saying it to reassure you: the dream does not mean that you actually want to have sex with your brother. It’s about wanting to connect more deeply with that person. Maybe you’ve neglected or abused each other lately. Maybe you’ve been going through a really rough time lately. Time to reconsider what is really going on in your relationship.

7. Sex dreams about weird fetishes or fantasies

Orgies, bondage, partner swapping, gay sex if you’re straight (or vice versa) – these are all scenarios that may make you feel weird when you wake up, but they are normal sex dreams. In general, there are no big meanings behind it. You only get one free pass to enjoy some fantasies in a judgment free environment.

8. Sex dreams of big orgasms

I’m sure you’re not complaining, but you may be wondering why you only have sex dreams about orgasms. It could mean that you have sexual tension that needs to be unleashed in a healthy way, or that your life has an exciting ending. According to a 2007 study, 4 percent of all men and women have the big O dream.

9. Sex dreams about your boss

Depending on who you work for, this will either be enjoyable or scary. Lauri Quinn Loewenberg, dream expert and author of Dream On It, Unlock Your Dreams Change Your Life, told Cosmopolitan that this imaginary role in the hay means you have to take charge of something in your life, sexual or not.

10. Sex dreams about a random person seducing us

Do you keep dreaming about the same person? There is much debate about the meaning of dreams, with the general belief that they reveal the depths of our subconscious, including our fears and desires. But what does it mean if you regularly dream about the same person when you go in the hay?

According to a clinical psychologist, recurring dreams about the same person should not be taken too literally. Whether partner, close friends or family, we build emotional bonds with people who give us security and security.

Recurring dreams are a common phenomenon, two-thirds of us experience them. These dreams may not mean that you are obsessed with this person but can symbolize your feelings and concerns. Some of us may dream about the people we spend a lot of time with, while others dream about those we miss – like those who are no longer with us.

Karl Tapales Getty Images

“The mind’s model is very faithful to the idea of ​​a computer,” said clinical psychologist Dr. John Mayer to Elite Daily. “When we go to sleep, this little computer keeps running. It doesn’t just turn itself off and stop. We have the perception that we are empty when we sleep – but [the brain] keeps going.”

Dreaming can help our brain sort out information while we sleep. dr Mayer also said that someone’s dreaming over and over again shouldn’t be interpreted literally. This person could actually symbolize a specific stress or anxiety that we are going through.

For example, if you are dreaming about the same co-worker, you may not have an issue with that specific person, but rather a more general work situation that you need to work through.

“The dreams aren’t usually exactly the same every time, but the recurring theme is usually something in your head that’s kind of unresolved. It just keeps repeating itself over and over in this computer,” he said. “So if the data in the machine is the same, you have to replace it with different data or resolve that conflict or problem.”

Some of the reasons why we dream about the same people can be:

We see them often during the day (e.g. a family member or a colleague). Your bond with us is particularly strong, e.g. B. a parent you are having nightmares about someone, it may mean that you are trying to protect them (e.g. a child). Dreaming about someone from your past can be a sign that you want them back in your life

Time to dream…

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Hypnopompic hallucinations are hallucinations that occur when you wake up in the morning. They are very similar to hypnagogic hallucinations or hallucinations that occur at night while falling asleep. When you experience these hallucinations, you see, hear, or feel things that are not actually there. Sometimes these hallucinations occur alone, and sometimes they occur in conjunction with sleep paralysis.

For most people, hypnopompic hallucinations are considered normal and nothing to worry about. They generally do not indicate an underlying mental or physical condition, although they may be more common in people with certain sleep disorders. Learn more about what hypnopompic hallucinations are, how they differ from other types of hallucinations, and what you should do if you experience them.

What are hypnopompic hallucinations?

In general, hallucinations are sensory experiences that do not correspond to what is happening in reality. Hallucinations can involve seeing, hearing, feeling, or even smelling things that feel real but aren’t. Specifically, hypnopompic hallucinations are hallucinations that occur when you wake up in the morning in a state somewhere between dreaming and being fully awake.

Hypnopompic hallucinations are relatively common, occurring in over 12% of people. However, they are not as common as hypnagogic hallucinations. Hypnagogic hallucinations are similar to hypnopompic hallucinations, but they occur when you fall asleep. Up to 37% of people experience these nighttime hallucinations. Together, hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations are known as hypnagogia. Both likely arise during an early phase of non-REM sleep.

If you’ve recently experienced hypnopompic hallucinations for the first time, you might be wondering if they’re a cause for concern. For most people they are not. These hallucinations are different from nightmares and hallucinations associated with mental disorders.

Hypnopompic Hallucinations vs. Hallucinations Associated with Mental Disorders

There are a variety of types of hallucinations, and different hallucinations result from different causes. Hypnopompic hallucinations share some similarities with hallucinations arising from mental illness, but their effects are quite different. Experiencing hypnopompic hallucinations does not mean you have a mental disorder.

The nature of hypnopompic hallucinations differs from hallucinations arising from mental illness. A key difference is that hypnopompic hallucinations only occur when a person wakes up. Schizophrenic hallucinations can occur at any time and often occur during the day when a person is fully awake. Also, 86% of hypnopompic hallucinations have a visual component, while only 30% of schizophrenic hallucinations do. Hallucinations in schizophrenia are auditory 75% of the time, while hypnopompic hallucinations are auditory only 8% to 34% of the time.

Usually, people who experience hypnopompic hallucinations realize that what they are seeing or hearing is not real. When people experience hallucinations due to schizophrenia, they tend to believe that what they heard or saw was actually real. This difficulty in distinguishing between reality and hallucination can cause problems and lead to delusional or paranoid beliefs. Hypnopompic hallucinations are usually vivid but relatively brief and uncomplicated. Hallucinations associated with schizophrenia may be more detailed and consistent, e.g. B. when the same voice is spoken repeatedly.

Sometimes people with mental disorders other than schizophrenia have hallucinations. Hallucinations can occur in patients with major depression, postpartum psychosis, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and borderline personality disorder. However, people who have hypnopompic hallucinations and have no other mental health symptoms have no reason to believe they have a mental illness.

How are hypnopompic hallucinations different from nightmares?

Hypnopompic hallucinations differ from nightmares in that they occur when you wake up in the morning, while nightmares tend to occur during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Also, hypnopompic hallucinations usually consist of simple images, sounds, or sensations. Nightmares, on the other hand, tend to be more complex dreams with storylines.

Nightmares are dreams that the sleeper finds frightening. Hypnopompic hallucinations can occasionally be alarming, but they don’t usually evoke strong emotions. Instead, their content is usually rather harmless. For example, a hypnopompic hallucination may involve images that look similar to what you would see in a kaleidoscope, or background noise such as a ringing phone or doorbell. While the scary feeling of nightmares can linger, people usually forget hypnopompic hallucinations quickly.

Sometimes hypnopompic hallucinations occur simultaneously with sleep paralysis. In these cases, they can feel scary and resemble a nightmare. Sleep paralysis is a phenomenon in which a person feels awake but cannot move their body. Sometimes sleep paralysis is accompanied by tactile hallucinations, such as feeling like another person is in the room or that a person or object is putting pressure on your chest.

An experience called the “incubus phenomenon” occurs in up to 30% of people and is associated with hypnopompic hallucinations and feels like a nightmare. In the incubus phenomenon, a person experiences sleep paralysis and a hypnopompic hallucination at the same time. The hallucination is in vivid detail and feels scary. Often it is about the hallucinated presence of a person in the room who wants to attack the sleeper. The presence can also be interpreted as a supernatural being. Some people view these experiences as actual metaphysical events or out-of-body experiences.

Symptoms of hypnopompic hallucinations

Hypnopompic hallucinations are similar to hypnagogic hallucinations—collectively called hypnagogia. Both are hallucinations of perceiving things that are not actually there while in a mental state between dreaming and waking. The hallucinations can be visual, auditory, or tactile. Hypnopompic hallucinations occur while a person is waking up, and hypnagogic hallucinations occur while falling asleep.

In 86% of cases, hypnopompic hallucinations are visual. You often see moving shapes and colors or images of animals or people. Between 8% and 34% of these hallucinations involve noise. Common sounds are the ringing of bells or the sound of speaking voices. Sounds can be paired with images or appear alone. Also, hypnopompic hallucinations involve tactile sensations in 25% to 44% of cases. For example, a person might feel like they are weightless, flying, or being in the room with another person. The feeling that a person is in the room is common in sleep paralysis.

What causes hypnopompic hallucinations?

Researchers have not definitively determined what causes hypnopompic hallucinations. These hallucinations have neurological similarities to both daytime hallucinations and nighttime dreams. Previously, researchers argued that hypnopompic hallucinations occurred because REM sleep states invaded awakened consciousness, but further research has not supported this hypothesis. Instead, hypnopompic hallucinations seem to occur in the early stages of non-REM sleep.

In general, hypnopompic hallucinations are considered harmless and normal. Their presence alone does not indicate that the affected person is ill or has an underlying disorder. However, some people with underlying medical conditions are more likely to suffer from it. For example, these hallucinations are common in people with narcolepsy. If you experience hypnopompic hallucinations in addition to other symptoms of narcolepsy, consult a doctor.

When should you see a doctor?

If you’re having hypnopompic hallucinations and no other symptoms, you probably don’t need to see a doctor. However, if the hallucinations interfere with your ability to sleep or bother you, you should see a doctor. A doctor can help you determine if you are dealing with an underlying disease or disorder that is contributing to your hallucinations.

Hypnopompic hallucinations only occur when a person wakes up. If you have hallucinations during the day when you are wide awake, talk to your doctor. During the day, hallucinations are not as common and may be due to an underlying mental or physical condition.

If you think you may have narcolepsy, you should see a doctor as well. In addition to hypnopompic hallucinations, people with narcolepsy often experience excessive fatigue, loss of muscle tone (cataplexy), sleep disturbances, and sleep paralysis. Narcolepsy is a condition with potentially serious consequences, but it can be managed and managed with the help of healthcare professionals.

How can you stop having hypnopompic hallucinations?

Hypnopompic hallucinations generally occur beyond our control. We can’t choose whether we want them or not.

However, if your hypnopompic hallucinations are accompanied by other daytime symptoms or you find that they are causing you trouble sleeping or stress, see your doctor. Your doctor can help you identify and treat any underlying causes, and this treatment could help reduce the frequency of hypnopompic hallucinations.