I occasionally lucid dream, but what happened a few years ago - about 3 times in a 10 month span - was really disturbing. I consider it a lucid dream because I was asleep (dreaming) but I thought I was awake. My eyes were open and I was up walking around my bedroom seeing everything as it is, but at some point I realized I was dreaming and tried to talk myself into waking up, but couldn’t override this dream that was playing out in my mind! I was helpless to watch through my eyes, my hands flailing about and knowing the thoughts going through my mind weren’t real. After a few moments, it felt longer, I felt myself raise up a level of consciousness (best I can describe it) and was able to talk myself back to bed, like coaxing a child after a nightmare. I don’t think I was fully awake even then since I had no problem falling back to sleep, and I remember everything the next day.

I looked up some articles in sleep disorder books; confusional arousals, sleep walking, panic disorders (I was panicked in one way or another in these dreams) but their descriptions never fully described what I experienced. Instead of being asleep in my bed having a lucid dream and not being able to wake up, (that’s happened before), I was up acting it out and couldn’t wake up. Unlike a sleepwalker who doesn’t remember, I remembered everything. Once I spoke out loud, I am told, though I don’t remember that. Heard anything like this before? I know I’ve been brief but I don’t want the men in white to take me away. Any insight you have would be appreciated. I dread having one of these “things” again.

—Sandra, Age 32, Dundas

Hi Sandra—

Your dream/sleep disorder is interesting. It sounds to me like you have had a merge of what is known as REM Behavior Disorder, where people get out of bed during REM sleep and act out their dreams, with a period of lucidity during the event. The coupling of consciousness with a RBD dream surely is possible, and even seems likely - in that all the movement of the body would heighten our level of “awakeness” - despite that we remain in REM sleep.

It’s the first time I’ve ever heard of such a mixture, but like I said it makes good sense. RBD’s are causes for concern because we hallucinate the dreamscape onto the physical environment as we wander about. People with RBD’s are known to tackle dressers and occasionally try to jump out windows (thinking they are escaping a burning building, jumping out of an airplane, etc.), potentially endangering themselves. But a lucid RBD - such as you described - gave you the opportunity to talk yourself back to bed. You almost woke yourself up!!

I would enjoy hearing any more unusual dream anecdotes or questions you may have, so please feel free to send them in.

REPLY

Hello Charles,

I’m not surprised in hearing you’ve never heard of the mixture of what you call a “Lucid RBD.” I thought it was a pretty unique - not to mention frightening - experience myself. Thank you ever so much for your evaluation on the subject and I don't mind if you use it in your website. It’s interesting to read about confusional arousals and paralysis and other things that I also know about all too well. I could probably write my own book about things that go bump in my nights! It’s nice to hear I’m not alone.