Waking Up, While Phycial Body Was Sleeping?

[Nawd]

This wasn't like Sleep paralysis, I've had that happen also a few times - that is normally terrifying because it happens along with a horrible dream. Last night was different however (I think). I fell asleep shortly after dark (in my totally dark room), next to my 2 year old son. What I deemed a few hours later I woke up, however my body was sleeping, and I could hear myself snoring lightly and my body was totally relaxed. I tried to open my eyes, but they were shut tight and I was breathing deeply. The part of me that was awake however, was totally aware of all of the normal 'house sounds,' like one of my girls coughing, a cricket nearby, my own sounds of breathing, my dad getting up to use the bathroom. This lasted for a long time. I couldn't 'fall asleep' or that part of me wasn't tired. I thought of the normal things, like 'well I have to get up at around 7am for work, I hope I'm actually getting some sleep. What part of the brain is this? Why is one part of me awake and how do I wake the rest of me up?" I tried to wiggle a finger, but that didn't work. So I just 'hung out.' I even had an itch that my arm raised up to scratch, but it wasn't 'me' who did this automatic reaction, and I didn't even feel the scratch if that makes sense. It wasn't until the sound of my son's toy falling off the bed, startled the rest of my body up that I could move voluntarily and open my eyes. I turned on my flashlight, and indeed there was a plastic toy that my son had taken to bed with us, laying on the floor. I just went totally asleep after that and had a few cool dreams about driving on snow.

Just wondering who else has had this happen, and what were your thoughts about it? It was like the opposite of what they call 'lucid dreaming.' Instead of waking up in a dream, I woke up in reality while sleeping.

If this should be moved to the dreams section, that's fine. It just wasn't a dream IMO.

 

[Beorn]

I've had this happen a few times spontaneously, often my legs will start floating up to the ceiling. Once my body was deeply asleep and I knew it would take a big effort to wake myself up so I just decided to see if I could send my consciousness somewhere else. No point in hanging around while I'm sleeping. I tried a couple of times and succeeded for a few seconds but then came back like I was stuck to an elastic band and fell asleep.

As far as how to wake your body up some people say to focus on trying to wiggle your fingers and toes. I find there's a twisting motion involved. It's the same with sleep paralysis... it hasn't happened for a long time now but if it does I just twist or slip my mind out of it.

I find meditation helps you to be aware of different states of consciousness... like figuring out how to slip out of sleep paralysis only happened after a couple of years of meditation.

 

[Tigersoap]

I've had this experience myself a few times as well, waking up in my sleeping body and moving my arms or legs seemingly out of my body.
I got freaked out a few times while doing this and I have no explanation for it.
It does not feel like a dream but more like a space in between two states osit.

I haven't done this in a while although I sometimes become conscious that I am asleep and dreaming.
Then it happens that I feel some presence in the room and I really wake up. I am not sure if it is a part of me that I project outside or else.

 

[Oxajil]

I've experienced this before, as well. I just found it interesting and decided to just sleep. I don't think it's anything weird necessarily, our brains are just very complex and amazing IMO.

There was a storm here the night before. And when my dad was off to work (I could hear him make himself ready) in the very morning, I was in this state that you mentioned, I thought by myself that I should warn him about the storm and to be careful. But I couldn't and so I just fell asleep and dreamt about all of us witnessing a storm outside and then our parents looked up in the sky and warned us to take a step back. A huge thunder or comet then hit a car nearby (felt pretty real). It was interesting how my senses picked up the storm that was going on outside and having it included in a dream. I remember when I semi-woke up afterwards, I was afraid and realized how much I care about my family! Didn't want to see them get hurt.

 

[Nawd]

Thanks you all! Your posts they made me feel a bit less uneasy, about the many variables our brains go through in sleep, and who knows what else one might experience. I'm just happy I didn't panic. :)

 

[davey72]

I have experienced this also, but i beleive it is related to sleep paralysis, as well. The reason is that the first time i experienced this, was one night when i was able to fight off the typical "thing", and get past the fear in a typical sleep paralysis experience. I then was able to use this state i was in, and start meditating. This was how i was able to acheive a controlled astral/out of body projection for the first time. I was able to repeat this several times, and never had the terror that used to be associated with it again. I was then able to do all kinds of amazing things in this state. It was only recently that i have let the fear return, and i have been trying to wake up. Now the weird prescences have sometimes returned, as well.