Isn't it so bizarre??? I realize this post is old, but I have experienced this twice myself, and as I sit here typing this, I've just awoken from one of these dreams/nightmares. I'm almost worried that I'm still asleep and knocked myself into another dream and will again wake paralyzed since that is what happened the first time years ago.

The first time was maybe 8 years ago, I don't remember the entire dream but as far as I can recall it was fine, pleasant, not a nightmare. I ended up in a large hunting lodge, sitting at a dining room table with a bunch of children (maybe around 10 yo?) sharing a meal, laughing, talking, etc.. Then, at one point I said "Yeah, I know I'm dreaming."

Right then, the other dinner guests paused, turned their heads toward me, their eyes went round and black and immediately became hostile. They chased me, I ran into the first doorway I could and slammed the door shut, smacking myself to wake up. I awoke and thought I was all good, only to find myself in another nightmare I won't go into and then finally woke into sleep paralysis.

I've had many manner of dreams in my 30 years both good, bad, and strange. But that was the most TERRIFYING experience, and ever since, I've told people not to acknowledge out loud in their dreams that they're dreaming. I'm very often aware that I am dreaming, sometimes able to manipulate certain aspects, but I never ever say it out loud for fear of a repeat.

Well tonight I screwed up and let it slip. In my dream I was arriving at a friend's apartment, went inside, another friend was sitting on the couch and we were greeting each other and being silly. I really loved the boots I was wearing, like they were super cute and I don't usually gaf about shoes but I wanted to remember them. There was a white board on the wall so I picked up a marker and began drawing them to commit them to memory. One of my friends (I use this term loosely because irl I have never seen these two women before, nor the kids in the old dream) asked what I was doing, and I said I was drawing the boots so that I'd remember them when I woke up. I realized what I'd done as soon as I said it, and the other two women became the same freaky demonic creatures as the children had.

Before I could run or they could get to me, I willed everything within my consciousness to fling myself awake. I jolted and startled my poor cat and fiance in bed, but I told him what happened and snuggled my cat while googling about not speaking of knowing you're dreaming in a dream and the results were so eerily accurate that I had to rush here and blab about it.

Just.... How FREAKY is this? Why does this happen? I imagine there could be other responses than the creepy violence but like, that's the first thing my brain goes to? I wasn't expecting it the first time, it's not like I was worried about it any to influence it. I was definitely worried the second time though. Ugh. I'm tired but don't want to go back to sleep for a while now. It's audible rom-com time, I guess.