Please, I need help. My mind is thinking that everything around me is not real - Lucid Dream caused

Hi.

This is my first post; I've found your forum since I've been interested in Lucid Dreaming for some time now.

Please take 5 minutes to read my situation and point in any helping direction, since I'm afraid I'd go crazy.

What I'm feeling now is the feeling that nothing is real. That everthing here is fake; people, world, news; whatever you name, it thinks it's part of a dream / alternate reality / etc. I say "it", because I'm struggling to snap out of this feeling.

You may call it "Matrix"/"Truman Show" like or something; but even in "Matrix" there was a "real" world out there. What I'm believing now and I'm afraid of even talking of it (just to not make it worse), is that I / some being is dreaming, thinking, I don't know what could be, but I feel like I'm loosing my awareness.

All this, as you may say, goes against using a computer, asking in a forum, etc; since to do that I'd have to believe that those are "real", even to start asking for help.

Right now I'm at work, carrying on my everyday doings, and trying not to "think" about my problem; just not to make things worse and to hope that I'd get better eventually and be back on track.

A little history here... like 5 years ago, I got the same feeling. I'm 23 now, and then I was at high school, and in Literature class we were reading material that was about "Dreams inside dreams" (you know, there are many authors that wrote about it in the past). By the end of the year, I was in the kitchen in my house, my mom talking on the phone. As I was going to the other room, she was saying something that I didn't hear, so then she say a phrase she never told me before "Hey... I'm here". That was when everything collapse. I instantly got dizzy, started to think that I was in a comma or something and she was calling for me; I don't know. May sound crazy, but that's how I felt. Later, for some months (really, I don't remember for how long) I was afraid; talked about this to her, I even recall crying trying to explain what I was feeling, but as you may guess, it gets really hard if you talk to people that have NO idea as what you are talking about (dreams inside dreams). I even went to see a psychologyst; and it was so useless that I dropped it. Why? Because they were asking me if I saw imaginary people, if I masturbated, if people on the internet were telling me to do things... Oh my god, they had no idea what it was about my problem. I didn't/don't see people, have crazy thoughts (well, besides this reality thing), don't want to murder, don't care to start a fire, etc etc.

Anyway, after X time (I don't remember how long or how I got out of it), the last sunday happened again. I remember having a lucid dreaming where I was sitted in a chair, possesed by the devil and laughing a-la Linda Blair, wawy too loud. That, somehow, triggered this situation. When I woke up I started to think "why if I was possesed and I wouldn't know?", and that lead me to think that I'm not in reality or something.

Wow... long post. Probably now many people reading...

Anyway, this is how things are. Maybe I'm missing something here, but that's most of it. I need help. Please, at least some comments, I don't know.

What would be great is to have a reality-check here, and say "hey, this is life, not a dream or a crazy thing", but I can't. No turning off-on lights or watching digital clocks help. What would help (I guess) is that (unreleased to public?) pill that makes one forget bad things...

Tried Googling about my problem and couldn't found anything. I guess that, somewhere in the world there must be / have been someone who suffered the same thing.

My "psych" analysis is that; it all started when reading those things at school. Then triggered by the fact that my mom say that and, now I tell you, some days before that time I think I had my first sleep paralysis experience (where I felt I died...). Now , the possesion thing triggered it again. Also, I consider myself a "excluded person"; never dated any girl (I'm not ugly/fat), always been ignored by people, I'm not joking around all day -> that leads to more people taking me as being too serious, etc, etc etc. That made me think also that I'm an isolated case and so, the "Truman Show" feeling (that nothing is real) came.

Please, let me know what you think; or if I least you read through here.

Thanks in advance from a sick ('); afraid of dreams taking over his life, person.

I wish I could welcome you on better circumstances. But welcome none the less.
Fear is your enemy here.
Reality
Dreams
perception.
It is all relative. It is how you perceive things. You are not and will not go crazy. From lucid dreaming I should add.

Our minds truly do believe our dreams are real when we are having them. It knows no difference.
A lucid dream on the other hand in a conscious perception of the dream mind.
This can be confusing at first if your LDs are real in nature.

Don't over analyze your waking life. By doing so you are altering your natural way to perceive the truth.

Does that make ANY sense?

I feel that way sometime too but its not as bad as yours. When it happens to me its more like I'll be walking around outside and thinking that this could all just be a dream. It sounds like you're getting a little paranoid over it but if you stop and think about what life really is how is it any different from a realistic dream. You have an internal viewpoint looking out and you control what you do and others react and thing result from what you do. Sometimes I think of reality sort of like that Spongebob episode where Plankton is inside a robot controlling it. Almsot like life is on a screen in front of you and you react using a body that you control. I don't think you are going crazy, I think its something that happens to all of us at one point, especially when we're all (or trying to be) lucid dreamers. The more you worry about it the worse it will likely be. I think its perfectly normal and something that dream yogis eventually realize.

Haven't had this experience you describe but have some advice that my apply;
When you are in the middle of one of these episodes take stock of how it actually feels in your body. Not what you are THINKING about it, but what you are FEELING physically. Keep your attention on that physical feeling - your mind will try to track back to your thoughts, don't let it. You should notice that feeling subsiding, perhaps draining away like water in a leaky bucket, until it is gone.

It works for me when my head is taking me places I don't want to go.

Good Luck!

What You are experiencing is simply a new realization concerning everything around us.
I'm pretty sure millions of people go through this exact process at this very moment. It is nothing to be afraid of, but it is always confusing at first.
You just noticed that nothing is as certain as people make things appear. Reality is debatable, as much as everything else.
You should be happy with this happening. It opens up the mind, lets You see things from a whole new perspective.

You want something to hold on to, now Your world fell apart, right?
I wonder what You will do.

Other people on this forum have had the same problem I remember reading about 3-5 threads on this exact same things. Not being able to distinguish reality from dreams something to that effect. Although I don't really have a solution for you >_> I'll give it a search though.

Thanks for your response... it really helps to read different support words from different people.

About me having a "new realization concerning everything around us."... yes, that may be so. But I don't see a way to snap out of it; no. Why? Because how would I forget about this? Would I just have to "let it go" or what?

Thanks again.

The same thing happened to me when I started LDing. My views of the world totaly changed. It feels like I don't fit into this society, like I'm an alien... lol
I don't worry about it at all. I know I'm going to die, untill then I want to have as much fun as possible. I suggest you do the same. Good luck and stuff.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dan_Aykroyd

Thanks for your response... it really helps to read different support words from different people.

About me having a "new realization concerning everything around us."... yes, that may be so. But I don't see a way to snap out of it; no. Why? Because how would I forget about this? Would I just have to "let it go" or what?

Thanks again.

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You want to snap out of it?
How can we be helpful if You don't know what is real or not?
We can't help You right now, unless all You want is to be told what is true.
I just wonder what You will do, is all.

I don't get it Mocari. But the way you write "what You will do..." and that, makes me feel like you are trying to tell me something and I don't know what it is...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dan_Aykroyd

I don't get it Mocari. But the way you write "what You will do..." and that, makes me feel like you are trying to tell me something and I don't know what it is...

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I'm trying to tell You nothing, and it's harder than imagined.
Struck with uncertainty,
You aren't going to choose to remain that way forever are You?
You're going to have to choose what to believe.
It's not like i'm expecting anything. In my eyes there's no right or wrong here.
I'm just curious to Your thoughts that's all.

http://www.panic-anxiety.com/deperso...derealization/

I had this problem too, a couple months ago. I used to have an Anxiety disorder including the symptoms pannic attacks, feeling unreal, paranoia, de-realization, depersonalization etc.

Its no problem, although you may feel lost, hopeless, paranoid and other feelings it will go away.

Theres a website called the Linden Method which helped get through this.

I visited some website a while back. I think it was a cult/religion website and it was basically saying how aliens camafloage as humans and other wacked out stuff. It may sound stupid, but when you have an anxiety disorder, your mind can easily become paranoid.

Im pretty sure what your going through is de-realization and/or depersonalization.

Your problem about thinking that everything is a dream is a common symptom of anxiety disorder.

You should stop thinking about it, its you who's perpetuating it. Just ignore it when ever you have the feeling no matter how hard it is too and it will go away. Your worrying too much and you need to relax, you probably heard this before but just relax and keep your mind on something else.

I think going back to religon helped me when i was paranoid. Try going to your church, mosque, temple etc.

OH YA AND BE VERY CAREFUL WITH DOCTORS / PHYCOLOGIST. SORRY TO SAY THIS BUT MOST OF THE TIME THEY DONT KNOW SHIT ABOUT THESE KINDS OF PROBLEM. THEY JUST TRY GIVING YOU SOME MIND ALTERING DRUGS.

They key is keeping your mind on something else, like a hobby of some sort, go join a gym go out with freinds it helps your subconious re-align it self. Trust me its no problem.

I think your problem is you just need more social interaction. If you get out and experience more of other people, you will feel less like you are the only one. I think the reverse of your problems is when people have the realization of something like, "oh my god, there are so many people who are alive, just like me."

I hope you get over your problem, it seems like a frustrating one.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sandform

I think your problem is you just need more social interaction. If you get out and experience more of
other people, you will feel less like you are the only one. I think the reverse of your problems is when people have the
realization of something like, "oh my god, there are so many people who are alive, just like me."

I hope you get over your problem, it seems like a frustrating one.

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LOL! I have had both problems! (But not as a result of lucid dreaming)

But i don't percieve it as a problem and i never have, i see it as an interesting piece of philosophy which i stumbled upon
with no help. i reflect on it every now and then. I have even managed to explain the complicated idea in detail to some of
my friends (Although my explanation below is short and is therefore not as easy to understand).

The only thing stopping me from falling into uncertainty (like you seem to be) is BELIEF, and because it's impossible to
forget a revelation of this magnitude, it is quite a strong assurance. My way of snapping back to "reality" is by getting
into the frame of mind where you believe everything to be real and factual, but also accepting that reality could change at
any time.

I know that sounds dodgy, but think of it like this: 4000 years ago we KNEW the earth was the center of the universe,
everyone believed it so it had to be true, it was accepted as reality. 1000 years ago we KNEW the world was flat, it was a
credited and scientifically proven fact, it was accepted as reality. But then reality CHANGED, and now we KNOW the world is
round, and earth is not the center of the universe.
I could give many more examples and draw ideas from other philosophy, but i have no time and they would fill the page.
If anything, being able to get into this ultimate "questioning" state of mind will help you have more LD's. :) So don't be afraid of it, use it to your advantage.

This sounds like something that some grounding exercises might be helpful with as their purpose is to ground a person and make them more aware of the physical plane they are on.

To find more on grounding exercises, just do a search on Google on Grounding Exercises. There are several sites listing them.

i think many people have had little dougbts but the key thing is that its probably not the case and even if it is, hey just enjoy it while you can, how do i know the truman show isnt employing you to trick me ;)

Thanks guys for all your help and comments; really. It's "much better" this time around that 5 years ago when I didn't know something like 'derealization' existed and I thought I was the only one on earth with it.

Please, if you can just keep posting more comments, help, thoughts, etc. Also, would be nice to have some links about those subjects (derealization/depersonalization) that helped some got through...

Thanks again, really.

I didn't read everyone's entire response, so this may have been mentioned. I have had this problem too. It was on a very very severe level. It was when I was learning how to OBE. When I first started it, I was also learning how to have lucid dreams. I had a few, and after my first really vivid one, I was horridly terrified and paranoid that nothing really existed and that I was lost in my own mind. Then I started fearing that I may become or already am schizophrenic.

Then I started thinking...how do I know my whole life isn't just in my head? What if I'm really sitting in a cell with padded walls imagining all this? Well, I reached two conclusions. The more technical of which is that this could not be a dream. If it were, you'd be able to alter it. It seems so simple to think about reality checks, but that and grouding will help. As a random note, eat a lot more meat. It'll help.
The other way you could look at this is worst case- maybe this IS all in your head. Maybe none of it is real. Maybe you're in a padded cell and are conjuring up all of this in your head because you're bloody mental. But here's the thing. Clearly you're not mental, because you will have created an organized world for you to exist in. It's beautiful and should not be feared.

Understand of course that that last paragraph was situational and worse case. It was hypothetical. The way I got over my fear / paranoia was to take a can of airfreshener, or medicine or such, and read every bit of fine print. Why? Because you probably never have before. And even in the unlikely event that you did, you couldn't possibly remember all that.

Read it and try to fully understand it's meaning. Your mind is not capable of instantaneously conjuring up a logical and standardized warranty or disclaimer. Thus, if you can read one and make complete sense out of it, you can determine that it's all real.

Try to understand that lucid dreaming can mess with your perception...but it's a GOOD THING! Embrace it! Why? because what you're doing is LUCID LIVING! Your constant subconscious critisism of the realism of your surroundings will spark lucid dreams! It's a circle because your lucid dreams will continue to spark your perception of reality. You'll get used to it :D

You're not crazy mate, you've got absolutely nothing to worry about. ;) I totally relate to what you're going through, and you'll be fine, I promise :D

If you are uncertain about whether you're dreaming or "in reality" then do reality checks, as described all over this site. That's what they are for.

It sounds like you're getting way to caught up in the notion that "I may be dreaming" and, rather than finding out if you are, you're just idling by on the wonder and suspicion that you may be.

Sorry, I don't have much more.

i completely understnad what you mean...ive been getting the same feelings....but not as bad....

but i do have a solution.....what i think may solve it is (bizzarly) having more lucid dreams, because the more familiar you are with the dream world the more differences you see...

and the more differences you see the less the two worlds seem the same....

an example would be that in a dream, something's don't work right... such as the laws of physics become a lot less stronger so if you throw a stone into a river it may not sink...small things like this are what you should begin to realise....

this will in turn help you lucid dream and help distinguish betwen the two worlds...

this did work for me but different things work for different people...so use at your own risk...for me having more dreams helped me see the difference but if lucid dreams are the problem, they may not be the answer so there is a possibility that having more could make it worse...but this is something for you to decide odds are that there are other methods...

either way welcome to dreamviews and hope that you will get past this and fully enjoy the joy that is lucid dreaming...

I understand exactly what you mean, although I haven't really had that problem. Two things come to mind though, when I think about what to do when feeling like everything's a dream and you can't tell the difference between real and not.

First, even though your problem may be deeper than just "this is a dream" or "this is real" but more of a "what if my reality isn't actually 'real'", you should still train yourself distinguish 'our' reality from dream with simple things. This reality is stable, unchanging, and you can't influence it just by wanting it. Dreams are fragile and constantly morphing, and you can bend them to your will, whether consciously or unconsciously.

Second, on a wider level, even if this whole reality is fake and we're just kidding ourselves, we have absolutely no way of knowing. It's beyond our control, and I guess there can be some comfort in that. We don't have a choice, so we might as well be what we are and not worry about things we will never perceive. There is still a "now" to be lived, and nothing else should come in the way of that.

I just mentioned this in another thread, but since it's on my mind. . . .

(Paraphrasing Descartes) You can only be sure of one thing: That you exist as a thinking mind. That computer screen in front of you could be an illusion. Your friends could be an illusion. Your body could be an illusion. You could be the only being in existence, and everything and everyone around you is just a figment of your imagination. But you know that you exist. How? Because you're thinking right now.

You think, therefore you are.

Depersonalization...what a bitch. A few years back I was having panic attacks, losing sleep, with my brain in a permanent state of horror that perhaps my world was not real, nor was I real, nor was anyone else real. I would pay close attention to every detail of things, always automaticaly questioning if this or that was actually there, why do I have hands, what is food, etc. There was a constant sensation that I was about to disappear, just *pop* vanish. The brain is at Defcon 4 and you have so solve that issue.

-Stay off any stimulants.

-Write about what you experience - it's interesting to read when you're better and also helps you to see how you are thinking about your world.

-Drink a few beers or some wine to cool your mind down. If you can't do that, try some other method of relaxing your mind and pushing random fear-based logic out of your thinking.

-Remind yourself not to question everything, even though it seems you must. Keep yourself distracted somehow. Video games work. Books work.

-keep writing about your perceptions.

-get more sleep

-interact with people

When this happened to me at 21 on through 23, depersonalizatin/derealization, it came also with depression and anxiety - a whole walloping load of mental confusion, self-questioning, severe doubt, 'what's-the-point-of-it-all' thinking, feeling like I was on a permanent trip, and I thought it would never end but it finally did. It's a weird wave but you just have to ride it while it's there.

As far as proving if any of this is real? Nah, never figured that out. Just had to let it go.

I never sought treatment for what I was experiencing. The cure is to STOP CARING about whether life is real or not and just roll with it. Your case sounds exactly like my own, and who knows, maybe you are me in the future here writing from the past also to me as I am here in the future reading what you are now experiencing in the past and writing about to me in the future reading it now when actually I am experiencing it in the past and writing to me about it so that I will read it in the future which would therefore make me you. must-shut-brain-down

Learning to laugh at it helped tremendously.

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Originally Posted by Torcher

Your case sounds exactly like my own, and who knows, maybe you are me in the future here writing from the past also to me as I am here in the future reading what you are now experiencing in the past and writing about to me in the future reading it now when actually I am experiencing it in the past and writing to me about it so that I will read it in the future which would therefore make me you. must-shut-brain-down

Learning to laugh at it helped tremendously.

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:confused::shock: Whooooaaaa...

Anyway, I agree with you Torcher about just "rolling with it". I have been questioning reality ever since I started lucid dreaming. I just accept reality as one of many planes of existence.

DAMN YOU DAN no reasons, oh............. yah reality checks work wonders! If you were dreaming you would know it. Even I do, all my dreams are real life reality. For instance i drove a car last night. Yep real. Try to look at your back. Best reality check

I recomend you to read "Sophia's World" of Jostein Gaarder, It's Philosofy but I think that book will help you.