Caged In My Dream

When I was in school, around 5-6th standard, I generally use to sleep next to my grand mother and occasionally sometimes next to my mother. I still vaguely remember that one night, when I was sleeping next to my mother and I had a horrible dream.

I generally use to have dreams which are quite far from reality, but on that day, the dream was very subtle and real. The dream of me sleeping in the same exact place where I am sleeping. Now, how do I differentiate whether its real or dream! I tried to move (in real) but I couldn't. I was surprised. Then I tried to open my eyes to figure out why am I not able to move and shockingly, I was not able to open my eyes! I was totally scared. I tried to speak, but I couldn't. I could sense my mouth was moving but no sound. I started to freak out. I started screaming, well I tried so that my mother could wake me up from this dream but no sound at all. I was horrified. I tried to move my hands, legs so that it reaches and wakes my mother for help, but I was paralysed. I had no idea now, what to do? I was like caged in my own dream through which I was not able to get out.

I started to cry, scream, but no one to help. I could see my mother sleeping right next to me and others who are in sound sleep in the room but I can't do anything. That sense of helplessness I would never forget. I lost hope and gave up. After sometime, not sure how, a sort of sense passed through my head/brain and immediately I opened my eyes breathing heavily.

I was simply lying on bed with wide opened eyes staring at the black colour fan. I tried to move and I was able to move. Looked aside my mom and others in the room. I was assured that somehow I came out of my dream. I was so much horrified that I was scared to close my eyes again to go to sleep. I lied there for next 45mins until my restless eyes automatically went to sleep and when I woke up, it was already 8:55AM and it was late for me to tell about this dream to my mom before she leaves to office by 9:15.

Later when I went to school and got used to day-to-day activities, somehow this dream started to feel less important to discuss or tell anyone so I skipped telling anyone including my mother.

Days passed by (in fact night), without any of such horrible dream. I had few scary dreams but not like being caged in my own dream and stuck there. Probably, it was during 9th or 10th, somewhere during my high school, exactly same dream happened again. This time, it wasn't for much longer duration so I presumably skipped mentioning again.

Then this kind of caging in my own dream started to happen much often. I was literally trapped in my own sleeping body as a dream. Being familiar with the situation, I started to analyse, whats going on. What operations can I do and what not when I am caged in my dream. From being caged in my own body, I was sometimes use to get-up and walk around in the room (not real me but in dream and see others sleeping including myself). It was very scary as well interesting but I never wanted to have one of such kind of dreams. When these kinds of dreams started to appear much often, I casually mentioned to my mother and she gave me some advice, which I am not able to recollect now!!!

Since my college, I stopped having caged in my own body kind of dreams and I totally forgot about it. I even forgot about their existence. Life moved on...

2 days back, I read an article about "How to train your brain to fall asleep in 60seconds" Lately I had troubles falling asleep (which is routine for every 25-40years old due to stress and tensions of life) after lying on bed. So I stumbled upon this article and thought of trying it out.

The method is very easy and simple. You breath through your nose for four second, hold it for seven seconds, and exhale through your mouth for eight seconds. It slows down your heart rate, and it also releases chemicals in our brain that soothe you which makes you fall asleep in a minute. Initially, it felt bit uncomfortable but then I was just liking this so called 4,7,8 method and it was indeed working.

Today, all of a sudden, after so many years, my horrific moment, my caged into body dream re-appeared. This time, my brain was telling me that, I was sleeping in my native. I was literally jailed in my own body. It had been several years since I had such dream and I was fully horrified again to re-experience it. I was unable to move, speak, open my eyes. This time there was no one sleeping surrounding me to ask for help. I was all alone with more sense of helplessness. After sometime, I felt that "sensation" in my brain again and I opened my eyes breathing heavily. First thing, I witnessed that I was not sleeping in my native. Then I recollected about such dream happening to me during childhood days. I was bit freaked out and quickly opened MacBook in midnight and started typing this blog before I forget.

So the reason for writing this blog is to know if any of you face such dream or heard someone mentioning about it? I hope, I am not the only one (else its a serious problem?). I couldn't consult any doctor also, even if consulted, which type of doctor am I suppose to consult? What to explain him? I tried googling but don't know what to search for. I could just figure out from my self research is that probably this is something to do with 'brain' and 'breathing' and 'chemicals' as it got triggered after so many decades of years when I tried 4,7,8 method.

Anyways, its time to go back to sleep again. Honestly, I am scared to try 4,7,8 method now as I could possibly end up again in caged dream. Good Night to me :)