Dreaming You are Dreaming

To dream that you are dreaming can mean a lack of attention to everyday affairs. It can also suggest you are only dreaming, only imagining, or that you haven’t woken up to something. But more likely it is a way to hide feelings we do not wish to acknowledge.

What you experience when you “wake up” in a dream suggests the meaning is very significant. Your dream creator is telling you to really be aware of what the dream is trying to communicate. It could also be a first step to the lucid state.

Bruce Marcot says, “ I’m sure I’m not the only one to have dreams within dreams … such as experiencing a nightmare and waking up in bed, only to discover that it’s still a dream because something unearthly happens and then I finally, really wake up from that”.

Example: And even if I was the subject of the dream I developed two techniques to avoid having to deal with the emotions arising in the dream.  One way was to change myself into another person and become the observer of that person;  the other way was, when things got really scary, to ask myself whether or not I was dreaming and turn the dream into a dream within the dream; only realizing that they were both in fact dreams, when I awakened.  I was always quite relieved that I could do this and avoid having to handle situations that I would rather not have dealt with.

This dreamer has developed a massive technique of repression, a way of avoiding instead of dealing with his fears. See Masters of Nightmares

But there is another definition of dreaming within a dream – lucid dreaming. See dream within a dream

Example: I noticed thousands of small stone’s embedded in the earth like a mosaic. I had never noticed these before, despite having walked that hill in dreams many times. I believe the boy threw a piece into the sky, making it fall like a meteorite.

In this case the person does not dream that they are dreaming, but in their dream remembers other dreams. The resulting insight into this was seen as; it means through an inner weakness or instability; I have not made it a conscious or whole life reality; I have not built it into my waking life. Therfore it remains a dream.

But here is an example of waking in a dream:

Example: In my dream I was watching a fern grow. It was small, but opened very rapidly. As I watched, I became aware that the fern was an image representing a process occurring within myself, one that I grew increasingly aware of as I watched. Then I was fully awake in my dream and realised that my dream (perhaps any dream) was an expression in images of actual events occurring unconsciously in myself. I felt enormous excitement, as if I were witnessing something of great importance.

Useful questions and hints:

What feelings are in the dream, and can you acknowledge them?

What is the surface you and what is the deeper you feelings?

What are the differences between the do dreams?

See Secrets of Power Dreaming – Techniques for Exploring your Dreams – Programmed

Comments

-Jennifer 2016-07-06 23:51:34

Last night I had the most terrifying nightmare I have ever experienced. I get nightmares from time to time and usually am able to shake it off. But last night was different. I dreamt I was in my living room and my dog knocked over a lamp growling at something in the corner and I went to look at what she was getting and there was nothing there but a feeling of pure dread and horror came over me so I decided to go to my husband but as I was walking down the hall to him I realized that I broke the lamp weeks ago and I must be dreaming so I willed my self awake. I was lying in the bed waiting for my voice and my arms to work because there is always a delay when I will myself awake. Then I touch my husbands arm and he was cold and limp and wouldn’t respond to me calling his name. Then I felt something grab my legs and start pulling me off the bed and out the window. I was grasping the head board, kicking and screaming until I realized I heard the air conditioning unit on but it wasn’t in the window. I knew I was still asleep and willed myself awake again. This time my husband responded to my touch and I was shaken to my core because the dream seemed so real. I’m still a bit shaken by it. Any thoughts?

-Kelly 2016-06-26 23:33:29

I just woke from a dream. I knew in my dream that I went into another dream. The second dream was beautiful, and I wanted to stay. The longer I stayed though the harder it was to come back to my first dream. I was switching back and forth. I remember the odd writings on the walls and on objects which I could not translate, brilliant colors, and what seemed to be doors to different wonders, worlds, emotions.. I dont know. Thoughts?

-Janet T 2016-06-12 18:16:54

Please help me understand with my dream it was in the morning around 8:30, in my dreams i saw myself that someone is pulling my feet like you can’t see, and i have no voice to shout, i wave my hand and i saw my father in front of me facing in the other side, he can’t hear me, but when he turn around he hold me hand and pull me out, then I suddenly woke up! But, when i woke up from that dream i saw one lady blurry face and asking me to hold her hand and it was like shes sayn me goodbye, I don’t know the lady, and i said no to her! Again i cannot move my body and i cannot shout, I prayed loudly even i have no voice, the lady she turn her back stand beside and didn’t even worried of my prayers, I tried to moved my body and tried to make my voice louder, and suddenly again i woke up in real, my throat is dry and even i know i was trying to shout while sleeping, i feel very bad having two bad dreams in same time.
Please let me understand about it.
Regards,
Janet

    -Anna - Tony's Assistant 2016-06-17 8:40:34

    Dear Janet – Your experience sounds like what is called “sleep paralysis”.
    It will help if you can understand that you have two levels of will, the conscious will that enables you to move around and make decisions while you are awake, and the Life will that takes over when you dream.
    This Life Will creates full surround environments and events, and paralyses your conscious will to some extent.
    The Life will that you confront in dreams and sleep paralysis is what directs all the functions of your body and mind.
    It is far more important than your conscious self, and actually needs to take over more fully sometimes to regulate, heal, grow and harmonise your being; http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/healing-action-within-dreams/
    For many people who experience sleep paralysis they feel a terror that either some outside force has or is taking control of them; or else they fear they are dying.
    The images you see in this state are actually created by these fears and are not external beings trying to control you or pull you. It is your fear of this great Life Will that causes it. It is strange indeed that we are terrified of our own life process; http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/sleep-paralysis/ and http://dreamhawk.com/approaches-to-being/opening-to-life/
    Anna 🙂

-Channing Mead 2016-05-31 17:18:05

I had the strangest dream within a dream experience last night. I was in a figure skating competition and I performed this routine with this attractive brunette girl that I seemed to know. Other groups performed after us and we all got our scores and comments back from the panel of judges. I got some complimentary comments that surprised me. Other strange events occurred where my mother came and picked me up in a plastic car. Then I seemed to wake up. When I “woke up” I immediately went and told my friend Frank about this crazy dream I had had. Only then did I actually wake up from the dream within a dream… Or am I still dreaming???

-mae 2016-05-31 10:35:52

i recently had this dream within a dream. it was grief that i felt. and i immediately thought it was a dream and woke up only to find out that i’m still dreaming. i wanted to stop it so i tried so hard to awoken myself.

-Tonya 2016-05-31 6:37:15

I had a dream within a dream about having a terminal illness and flowers were given and one withered then I wake from that dream to find the flower dream ment I was no longer terminal than I realized I was still dreaming and had to remember the flower dream what does this mean

-my dream 2016-05-12 3:35:15

I was with friends and people I didn’t know. we drank some sort of drink; which made us fall asleep. Once we fell asleep I was in a different place and time, but I knew I was still dreaming. It was an experience I’ve never felt before. I was able to control a situation just by thinking inside my head. At one point, I got distressed and scared. I couldn’t run from my problem; so wished to be some where else. That’s when I woke up from the drink I drank. Afterwards, I felt like I was in a limbo type world. Everything was foggy and dark, but I still knew what was going on, and was able to also still change my dream if needed be. One point in my dream I was walking through some woods, and if I didn’t like my surroundings all I had to do was think of a safe place, and poof there I went. Just with my thoughts! all in all I knew I was dreaming the whole time… I have never once went through this. When I woke up this morning the first thing I thought was wow. how can I do this again. Most of the time I can only remember just certain objects and such, but last night was completely different…. yours truly my dream….

    -Anna - Tony's Assistant 2016-05-13 12:23:18

    Dear “my dream” – You have experienced a different way of dreaming which is called lucid dreaming.
    Reading Tony’s book http://dreamhawk.com/inner-life/lucid-dreaming/ will also help you understand why it does not serve a purpose to use lucid dreaming to run away from yourself and your problems. Wishing to be somewhere else is the same as running away.
    In your dream you become aware of your decision; instead of using lucidity to gain clarity about your inner world you end up in an inner world that is “foggy and dark”.
    Anna 🙂

-Louise 2016-05-09 4:39:11

I had a dream that I was dreaming and my mother who has past away came to me I told her I missed her and that I loved her ,she told me she knew that and smiled.

-Jade 2016-04-04 6:50:51

I just had a dream that i was sleeping in my bed and i had the room door open and saw my husband walking to the door, he should have been at work.I had the feeling he was seeing if I was awake, I was trying to open my eyes and call out his name but i could do neither properly. I was so upset that he couldn’t hear me. He did start walking over to me to console me (well thats what i felt) then i woke up. but during all of that i would have sworn it was actually happening. When I did calm down I was in the exact same position as in the dream and i was so upset. Any ideas?

-A13x 2016-03-29 3:03:41

I just had a dream about being rear ended and being held hostage, thinking I woke up only to find myself in another dream to two women I fell out with. We were getting along as if nothing has changed. Help???!!!

-Samantha Dougherty 2016-02-28 0:26:39

I’ve recently had back to back dreams within dreams. All in which I wake up from the 2nd dream and find myself in situations of guns to my head or not being able to pull the trigger. It takes about 5-6 times before I successfully pull the trigger and the gun fires. Another dream I constantly have is I awake from the 2nd dream and I find myself screaming but no voice and trying to move but everything feels so heavy. I feel my eyes are open and I could see what goes on but later on I fully awake. I have been made aware I sometimes moan or figit in my sleep which could be the screaming and moving in my dreams.

-A.Blank 2016-02-23 15:50:58

Last night I had a dream. Random people from tv shows and what not made appearances. Nothing seemed outta the ordinary for a typical dream I suppose. At one point I ran to a toilet, if my memory serves me correctly, and I vomited everything in my stomach up. Then I woke up and I had thrown up all over someone who Was next to me. I was apparently sleeping in a bed and they were laying on the floor next to the bed. I recognized the person as a character from a show and instantly had the realization that I was still dreaming and had woken up from a dream within a dream. From what I’ve researched, I understand it can be the start to a lucid dream or it can be trying to draw your attention to something. I also known that dreams use symbolism and can’t be literally translated…so I guess I’m mainly curious as to the significance of that particular scenario….like vomiting on someone…kinda odd and confusing for me…

-Meg 2016-02-10 12:41:52

I had the scariest dream of my life last night but I woke up not scared. lately I’ve been confusing reality with my dreams and I don’t know what is real and what’s not. In my dream I was dreaming and I could almost control the dream. like I was about to get hit by a car so I said no don’t die and my dream changed to something else. it changed to a bunch of scenes of like bad things happening to me so in one scene I grinded my teeth while I slept (I’ve never done this before) and I woke up (in the dream) to all my teeth bloody and broken and loose and it was extremely scary. the next scene I sent out embarrassing videos of myself to the whole school. and the next scene I was holding hands with one of my closer guy friends. I’m really scared about this because in the part of me controlling it I woke myself up and I almost didn’t wake up like I felt like I was gonna be in a coma and I’m really scared TO sleep again.

-C.P 2016-01-28 2:54:04

I just woke up from dreaming a recurring dream – a nightmare dream, only this time – it was within the dream. I knew what was going on the moment I had witnessed the scene, remember what I did after, and held on longer to finish out the dream because I remember waking myself up before getting killed. Only this time, when I held on longer and got caught, I thought the first swing would waken me up, but it didn’t. I thought screaming would wake me up, but it didn’t. It wasn’t until I got a clear look at the killer and in the process, crying my eyes out that I managed to get up. After I had gotten up, my mom, who was next to me when I was getting killed, asked me why I was such a crybaby, and I kept crying and not paying attention until I felt her touch me — which freaked me out bc I thought I had gotten up from my dream , so why would she be next to me. And then, I finally woke up. I feel weak, terrified, and not sure what this means. Any idea why I would dream a recurring dream within a dream? Only to not be able to force myself to wake up when I usually can?

    -Anna - Tony's Assistant 2016-02-01 10:57:38

    Dear C.P. – Recurring dreams often arise when you have to learn something. Also the growth instinct is incredible powerful one and pushes you through growth, sometimes unwillingly. And if you resist it can cause recurring dreams; http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/defence-mechanisms/
    There are also signs both in your dream – “I knew what was going on the moment I had witnessed the scene, remember what I did after, and held on longer to finish out the dream because I remember waking myself up before getting killed” – and in your waking up in your dream that you are aware that you are dreaming; you are entering the lucid state.
    Many people use this lucid state to wake themselves up with the intention to escape from what they perceive as difficult to deal with, rather than using their lucidity to explore within the dream what their unconscious mind is expressing; http://dreamhawk.com/inner-life/lucid-dreaming/
    So in order to change the dream by becoming really aware of what is going on in your inner world, you would have to explore “the killer” in your dream; http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/acting-on-your-dream/#BeingPerson
    You can also do that while you are awake.
    Being killed in a dream could reflect an interior and/or exterior influence which you feel is ‘killing’ – undermining, making ineffective, strangling, choking – your self-confidence, or sense of identity.
    Helpful questions to ask could be:
    Do I think/feel/believe that expressing my emotions; releasing sorrow, grief, guilt, misery, loss, memories that have been held back, knowingly or unknowingly, during the day or even over years makes me “a cry baby”?
    Are you aware that you have an inner mother and could it be that she still influences you – is next to you in your bed – in ways that might not be helpful? See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-dictionary/mother-mum-ma/#InnerMother
    Does your mother express her feelings, does she ever cry in your presence?
    Did your mother ever reflect disapproval when you released your tears?
    Do you feel that there is much fear associated with appearing vulnerable (weak) and letting go?
    Would you dare to try a different approach and move towards allowing to express all of who/What you are once or twice a week; http://dreamhawk.com/approaches-to-being/the-lifestream/#Open
    Let me know if you have any questions C.P.
    Anna 🙂

-Callie Hayes 2016-01-02 7:43:06

I had a dream the other night with these two men setting in a room in the distance going through all this paper work on a table. And their was this mature woman’s voice talking above them, I can’t remember what she said but I know it was about animals and how we differ from them. Then a bell went off and I was in my room at my dad. When I had feel asleep at my moms. I couldn’t see anything because my face was in my blanket but I could knew everything was how I had left it. I was just laying there face down on my bed for a few seconds then I started to feel every cell in my body vibrate but not in a bad way. Then I slowly levitated off the bed at the most 5 inches, I would keep looking over to the left but I never got high enough to see over my covers then I woke up at my mothers in the exact position I was in in the dream and it was the most amazing experience ever.

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