So it turns out I have sleep paralysis. Straight Dope Column.
I always looked for a name, thanks to Cecil, I finally have one. It’s also described at Wikipedia.
My dream last night was of:
There was fun Final Fantasy music in the background. And I was looking at this vast rolling plain. On it was a groundhog. The groundhog was looking for food.
He caught a chipmunk. (Don’t ask). The chipmunk wriggled, then escaped, and ran off. He continued hopping here and there, looking for food, getting closer to a hill. I knew there was danger over the hill.
He hopped over the hill and suddenly there was this HUGE snarling bunny with red eyes and fangs, about to eat him. At this point I became quite aware that I was conscious and coudn’t move. I tried to move, to pull myself out of it. As always it took a few seconds but I finally did.
Now my boyfriend says I am psychotic. And if I listed all the dreams I have under this condition you might think I was. But this one is particularly odd.
Of course, you have sleep paralysis… everyone does. Well all the normal people. It only activates during dreams. I guess it was geneticly selected. All the others walked off cliffs or were eaten by mammoths, while acting out their dreams.
I walk in my sleep sometimes when I’m really stressed, but never while I’m dreaming. it’s always in the dead middle of the night, and I never remember it. Hubby comes and finds me if I don’t come back to bed after a few minutes. Once I woke up startled by the icy cold door knob to outside I was about to turn, naked in January.
As far as the edge of sleep dreams, go I have a recurring one that scares the oatmeal out of me.
It always happens early in the morning, just as the room begins to lighten. Both in the dream and in reality, my husband has just left for work.
In dream and reality, I’m lying on my left side facing the bedroom door, which stands open. The hallway beyond is totally dark. I become aware only in the dream, that there is a tall man, wearing a hat and cloak in ths shadows just outside the door. I try to call my husband’s name hoping it’s him, but knowing it isn’t. I realize I can’t move, or speak. The man begins to move forward, very slowly, as I struggle inside to move just my little finger. Somehow I know if I move my little finger he can’t hurt me.
Sometimes I know I’m dreaming and moving that little finger will wake me up. Other times, it’s just a magic pinky. I always move it before he can get far enough into the room for me to see his face.
In the dream I know just seeing his face will cause something terrible to happen.
I’ve had it through 3 husbands and uncounted homes.
At least your dreams are interesting. Last night, I dreamt that my toilet was 3 times bigger than usual and overflowing. Another time I spent a half hour or so dreaming about trying to make up my mind between two different dish towel patterns in the store.
