Physical manifestation from dream state

[DropLogic]

For anyone who has awoken with a numb limb, you can sometimes remember that you either injured or lost that limb in a dream.  Scientifically, the limb going numb in real life manifests itself in your dream, and then wakes you as a safeguard against permanent damage.

The opposite just happened to me.  I have moderate narcolepsy, in that, I enter REM in about 70-80 seconds, instead of 110-120 minutes.  I have very vivid dreams, and I always remember them.  Some of you may think that's cool...but it is a bloody curse.  I haven't had a restful nights sleep since I was 12.  

The dream I just had 20 minutes ago started with my normal drive to work.  This felt totally real in every detail.  My phone distracted me for a moment, and when I looked up I found that I had steered a bit off course to the shoulder.  
My car hit something, I'm not sure what, but it rolled.  I ended up in a ditch, upside down, with my body like a sandwich between my seat back and the roof of my car.  My wife can attest to the fact that I do not like being pinned in any way, I react violently to being held down or restricted in my movement at all.  I started flailing my arms in my dream, trying to move, and found that my legs would not respond, and were in fact broken in many places.  I got very light headed and my vision was bluring when someones hand appeared to my left.  They said the firemen were close and were going to get me out.  Time seemed to lapse for a second...and all of a sudden the jaws of life were bending my car to make space for me to get out.  My legs however still did not work.  
Then I woke up, and my legs did not work.  I couldn't feel them.  They didn't fall asleep, they weren't tingly or simply numb...I had no feeling at all, dead weight.  I panicked and woke my wife up, and she wasnt much help being disoriented...can't blame her.  She rubbed them for a minute or two, and the feeling started coming back.  Then I threw up.

Any idea is wrong?

Edit: I took provigil from march 2006 - dec 2006, had to stop because of frequent and massive migraines.  I'm not sure if my dreams are a result of the medication or what.

[Ulysses]

Wow I do sympathise with you man. I had a couple of scary nightmares before, but gosh, I don;t know how I would cope with a condition like yours. That sounds really horrific. I don't know what the problem could be, maybe you should see a clinical psychologist or some expert in the field.

[Will]

You may want to give a call to the doctor who prescribes your medication just in case this is a side effect.

A friend of mine used to have terrible nightmares on a regular basis and couldn't figure out how to deal with them. Luckily, I had just seen an episode of Star Trek Voyager ("Waking Moments" season 4 episode 13 ) which had in it an idea. The story of the episode involved not knowing one was dreaming, but featured a cheat: you can trigger lucid dreaming (a dream in which the dreamer has control) by using a visual cue to remind you you're dreaming. Find a picture of something unique and memorable. Maybe it's an old toy or a pet or a picture place you used to visit. Study the image and think "I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming". Associate that image with dreaming by concentrating on it and thinking about being aware you're dreaming. When you see this image in a dream, it can clue you in to the fact what you're seeing is not real and it will turn over control of the dream to you. It worked with my friend, so it could work with you.

Best of luck, and sorry you went through that.

[hismikeness]

Can't relate- I very, VERY seldom remember my dreams. I take that back... I never remember them if I try to remember them. I wake up, know I've just been dreaming, and I remember some detail about the dream that is entirely out of context from anything I should rightfully be thinking about. As soon as I try to piece it together, I think about the next detail, then the next and work backwards. By the time all of this happens, I've forgotten the first thing, realize it was a dream and say fuck it. No more brain power used on that subject.

But there is one I remember. I won't go in to it, but it involves myself as a 2nd grader and a a girl I met named Lisa with reddish brown hair and freckles. I don't know what I would do if I ever met the real life iteration, because it's one of about 3 dreams can remember, but they are all vivid memories now.

I've awoken with numbed limbs, but have never equated it to a distressed limb in a dream. Interesting. As to your condition, I can empathize. Sounds shitty. If it's bad enough or gets worse I'd get it checked. Best of luck.

[DropLogic]

I've made an appointment with my neurologist to get a new prescription.  Thinking back over my life as a teen, I never realized just how much this has affected me.  Sleeping two hours at a time at night, then sleeping through my classes.  Mood swings, self doubt, helplessness.  
Falling asleep while driving almost ended my life when I was 17, flipped my car in a field.  To this day my wife catches me nodding off while driving and it often starts an argument.  I've learned how to drive while doing the nodding thing, but I still fear one day I will cause an accident.  I had always attributed it to just being tired from being up late studying.  I don't normally have recurring dreams, but I remember all of them...and some are terrifying.  

I believe what Will is referring to was also in the movie Inception.  Unfortunately this method won't work with me as my dreams almost always take place in near perfect reality for me.  Some nights if I'm in bed, my dream will take place in my bedroom.  If I'm on the couch, my dream will take place in my living room, etc.  If I dose off in the car while someone else is driving, the dream will be in the car or somewhere around the departure point or destination.  Unless my dreams take place in some crazy imaginary land, a keystone won't work for me.

I'm not cataplexic thankfully.  cataplexy definition  However I do suffer from hypnagogic hallucinations frequently.  This means that my vision still projects my dream even after I am awake.  In my personal experiences, this has turned my bedsheets into slithering monsters, and my curtains into fire.  Shadows on the wall have looked menacing.  I always keep water next to my bed to replenish myself after such episodes as I always wake up in a pool of sweat.

[TheJackel]

I've made an appointment with my neurologist to get a new prescription.  Thinking back over my life as a teen, I never realized just how much this has affected me.  Sleeping two hours at a time at night, then sleeping through my classes.  Mood swings, self doubt, helplessness.  
Falling asleep while driving almost ended my life when I was 17, flipped my car in a field.  To this day my wife catches me nodding off while driving and it often starts an argument.  I've learned how to drive while doing the nodding thing, but I still fear one day I will cause an accident.  I had always attributed it to just being tired from being up late studying.  I don't normally have recurring dreams, but I remember all of them...and some are terrifying.  

I believe what Will is referring to was also in the movie Inception.  Unfortunately this method won't work with me as my dreams almost always take place in near perfect reality for me.  Some nights if I'm in bed, my dream will take place in my bedroom.  If I'm on the couch, my dream will take place in my living room, etc.  If I dose off in the car while someone else is driving, the dream will be in the car or somewhere around the departure point or destination.  Unless my dreams take place in some crazy imaginary land, a keystone won't work for me.

I'm not cataplexic thankfully.  cataplexy definition  However I do suffer from hypnagogic hallucinations frequently.  This means that my vision still projects my dream even after I am awake.  In my personal experiences, this has turned my bedsheets into slithering monsters, and my curtains into fire.  Shadows on the wall have looked menacing.  I always keep water next to my bed to replenish myself after such episodes as I always wake up in a pool of sweat.

Firstly, I feel sorry for your condition .. However, (no offense) but I don't think it should be legal for you to be driving. I don't think you want the death of another family or person on your conscience if you even doze off and end up running them down. D:

[karadan]

According to my work colleague (just told him your story), sleep paralysis is fairly common. Your body creates a chemical to stop you from thrashing around in your sleep. If you happen to wake up quickly, your limbs can still be paralysed from the effects of this chemical. Apparently there's a lot of stories like this which begin with dreamer being pinned down in their dream.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

[DropLogic]

Firstly, I feel sorry for your condition .. However, (no offense) but I don't think it should be legal for you to be driving. I don't think you want the death of another family or person on your conscience if you even doze off and end up running them down. D:

I know.  It doesn't happen very often, and when it does I pull over and rest for 5-10 minutes.  Then I go get a 5 hour energy or cup of coffee, and I'm usually ok.  Any time I can avoid driving I do, but it just isn't realistic to not be able to drive.  Once I get my medication again next week I will be ok.