Threecat's Dreamtime

Very profound, ThreeCat!
Did you feel peaceful and accepting during this realisation? Can you describe any emotions that accompanied the thoughts?
I really look forward to hearing more about your nREM exploration!

Dreamer, I did not feel peaceful! Quite the opposite, actually. It was very unsettling, and to some degree, terrifying. The only thing I can compare it to are those moments when death seems very real and tangible, except deeper than that. I think my attempts to put it into language were an attempt to confine it and make myself feel better about it.

That's interesting! I can imagine how that would be a very unsettling realisation, especially since it didn't quite seem like a concept that you could fully grasp or verbalise.
I was curious because I've heard Sageous mention that his nREM experiences can be very peaceful and meditative.
I wonder if coming to a better understanding would have settled the feelings of discomfort...
Really cool experience, anyway! Could you shake those feelings when you woke or did they linger for a bit?

They did not bother me upon waking. In fact, I had to think for a minute and ask, "What just happened?" So these are memories after the fact. I think nREM could definitely be very meditative; I think my ego just had a moment of real fear, which I don't think is bad, even though it is scary.

I would not mind being there again, so I could sit with the feelings (I say that now, lol). I would like to investigate those feelings more, and investigate that state of mind as well. Even though it was scary, it felt very real.

I'm glad you can still see the value of the experience despite the unpleasant feelings at the time.
I think it would be really interesting to explore it further!

I've been doing this type of introspection a lot lately - sitting with my fears and looking at them for a while. I tend to feel them in my body before I find words or come to a psychological understanding... I wonder how those feelings would manifest in a dream where I didn't have a sense of body.

Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts!

Quite of an interesting experience, Threecat!

Despite the unpleasantness of the feeling, you were really onto something valuable there. First, you successfully channelled your intent to be aware during the early stages of sleep (and recalled it afterwards), and your experience closely resembled a lucid state in Nrem. In addition to that, the unpleasant but profound realization you had was an equally important gift from another part of yourself.

We often think about our lucid dream ending and because it is so short, would then try to make the most of it, enjoying with less judgement even the tiniest of details. Everything we experience during that short time frame counts. Yet, in real life we file away that very same awareness of impermanence and behave as if we have all the time in the world. With this attitude, we end up ignoring both the beauty of small things, as well as having less appreciation for the greater things that we have in our lives, taking them for granted and as if they and we will always be there.

Which reminds me to say thanks for being here and sharing this with us!