Dreams and Pain

[Antoninus]

What does it mean when you have a dream, but you feel pain when you wake up from that dream. Maybe I should be a touch more specific. I had a dream that I was in this kind-of parking lot, it was full of cars and there was a shoot-out going on. I had a SWAT officer uniform on and I saw other guys around me in SWAT uniform and with guns. I had a gun so I started shooting at "the other side". This went on for a few minnutes, then I heard a sharp click, then felt something slam into my chest, right where my heart is. I fell back, landed on the ground and I remember reaching up and feeling blood flowing between my fingers and UNBELIEVEABLE pain. Then the world kind of...went fuzzy then dark. I woke up but I had that same pain in the same place, it felt like someone was shoving a spear into my heart. What do you think this could mean?

[FlyingBear]

I wish I could tell you, but it's a part of dream workings that I'm still learning. I've also felt pain in my dreams, and it's simply unbelivable how 'real' it seems. I had a dream once of a shark bitting off my leg and I woke up screaming. And my leg was totally numb from the hip join down, I couldn't feel it at all. Scared the hell out of me. But ripping thru that veil from one world to the next can be rattling, especially when you're on the run. So to speak.

The only thing I've been able to figure out so far is perhaps a pain with a 'bad' dream is a means of keeping you awake and aware of possible conditions in your body. Who knows? I don't have any concrete answers. If it continues and it the same pain over and over, you might want to go in and get a check up.

There's still so much about our mind/body connection that we're still learning.

:floating:

[GoldenGoat]

I wish I had solid answers for this same sort of thing. I have had dreams where suddenly (and out of context of the dream) I suddenly can't swallow, then can't breath because it seems something is caught in my throat. I will wake up (almost forcing myself to, as though I know I'm dreaming) and realize I have a severly dry throat and need to go get a drink. I have also had dreams where one of my arms will become "dead" where I can't use it (in the dream) and it will continue for a bit, then I wake up and find I'm sleeping in a funny position and my arm is asleep.

Now, this begs the question, does what's happening to our physical bodies tranfer to our dreams, or vice versa. I have always thought it the former rather than the latter. (I am no expert by any means of course) but I feel that what ever is happening in the physical world, transfers to our dreams. (Fire alarms going off, me fighting a fire...I wake up because the clock alarm is going off, etc..)

One possiblity is that you could have strained a muscle in your chest, which your mind transfered to your dream at the time. Of course, a strained muscle would continue to hurt (I've had muscle strains in my chest and back before that seem to just be ripping me). That is just one possiblity. However, the mind is a powerful thing, and the pain from your dream could have 'transplanted' itself to your physical body also.

I would agree with FlyingBear that if this is something that persists, you should have it checked out though.

GG

[Antoninus]

Checked by who? A doctor or a psychiatrist?

[GoldenGoat]

Checked by who? A doctor or a psychiatrist?

Well, speaking solely for myself here, I would say that if you have persistent dreams of pain in your chest area, accompanied by real pain when you wake up, it would probably be wise to see a doctor in that case. I'm only saying this would be a good idea if it's something that persists. Chest pains can be minor (pulled/strained muscle(s) ) or major (heart problem, lung problem...KNOCK ON WOOD!!)

I personally feel that situations in the physical world translate into our dreams. For instance, if the cat knocks a pan off the stove with a CRASH, this could translate into my dream as an explosion of some sort. (Even if I'm dreaming about something serene, like walking through the park, or sitting down somewhere quiet)

I was dreaming one time that I was in school and suddenly an alarm started blaring. Everyone started running here and there.....well, I woke up and my father-in-law (who is always 'heavy on the horn') was in the driveway blatting the horn over and over.

That is why I say it could have been (but not necessarily) a real chest pain that you were experiencing and it translated into your dream as being shot in the chest. I have a heart condition myself (heart murmur/palpatations occasionaly) and persistent chest pains are cause to want to see a doctor IMO.

But if this was a one time thing, you could have just experienced a short chest discomfort/pain that your mind interpreted for you in your dream.

Always better to err on the side of caution when dealing with chest pains.

[Antoninus]

What real life stimulus could cause chest pain? None of my cats are heavy enough to cause it by sitting on my chest and I KNOW I dont sleep-walk.

[mothwench]

this happened to me once, i asked about it here but no-one could tell me what it was about.
i dreamt i suddenly had a tattoo to the left of my bellybutton, down a bit, where my left ovary is situated i think. they were just weird lines, and i think they were runes. one of them might have been naupiz. the other i don't remember.
well, suddenly i realised i could fly, spent most of the dream having loads of fun, until, i got a sore feeling where the tat was. i looked down and realised it wasn't a tattoo at all, it was just scratched into my skin with a knife. then it started hurting really bad, stinging, and the next thing i know i woke up in tears and in really bad pain. it went away real quick tho, the more awake i got.

well, so you see, it happens, but i'd sure as hel like to know why. i don't think it's ever happened to me again after that.
hah, your dream reminds me of my bf. he's always playing war games on the internet, so much so that he dreams about them and talks in his sleep. when he gets home, i'll ask him if he feels anything when he gets hit in his dreams.
:elf:

[Antoninus]

Well I dont play that many wargames ONLINE, I play stratagey games and Ive always wanted to on the SWAT team. Actually what I REALLY want to be is a hostage negotiator, the guy who walks into the bank and tries to talk the guy into laying down his gun and walking out.

[GoldenGoat]

What real life stimulus could cause chest pain? None of my cats are heavy enough to cause it by sitting on my chest and I KNOW I dont sleep-walk.

Things like a pulled/strained muscle in your chest (which can happen from twisting a certain way in your sleep or even pulling a muscle during the day and it starts hurting at night, etc) , a hidden heart condition/problem, a pain in the lung...all of these things could transfer to your dream and be interpreted (in your case) as being shot in the chest.

But, I also believe the mind to be powerful enough that if you dream of an intense pain (being shot) that your mind can make that pain real when you wake up. I was simply saying that if you persistently have chest pain in your dreams, then it may be wise to check with a doctor as you may be experiencing real life chest pain.....not from the cat or sleepwalking, but from a heart or lung problem. Hope I explained myself better.

[Autumn Clair]

What real life stimulus could cause chest pain? None of my cats are heavy enough to cause it by sitting on my chest and I KNOW I dont sleep-walk.

:hehehehe: lol


I know what you mean. There is a big difference between getting shot in the chest and feeling pain and waking with chest pains from a dream. If your dreaming your having a heart attack I'd say check it out. I had mine checked and I have a tach. in there. But when your shot that's different. I know that one I've had it to many time and the first thing I do is check my heart rate, not happening.

[georgina]

i dreamt i was delivering a child but something was horriblly wrong our house was on fire and i had i walk fast to get out i think i made it to the steps and i was bleeding badly
so painful and so much blood i couldn't hold on and when suddenly i wake up
my lower somach was in so much pain and wouldn't stop untill i was completly and fully awake it was scarey.

[Dextra]

I had one of those dreams about a week ago, actually. I dreamed that my boyfriend had shown up at my house, and we went inside. He leaned in to give me a hug, and when he did, it was like a high voltage shock delivered with knives straight into my spine! I went down to my knees sobbing. He put his hand on my shoulder and asked if I was ok, and it hit me again. Only this time it woke me up. And it still hurt for over an hour after I woke up. I knew something had to be wrong, so I called him. He called me back the next evening, and he'd been really upset by something. We share a link, and sometimes we don't realize how strong it is until something like that happens. It's a little freaky sometimes.

[Breuddwyd]

The brain is an incredible thing & whatever it deems true (in dreams or otherwise,) IS true. The intensity of your brain-created dream merely came through into your waking life. I had a similar situation once. I get very weak & nauseous when I give blood. I dreamed I gave blood once & woke up w/the same weakness & nausea. It's a trick of your brain, nothing more (unless you happened to punch yourself in the chest or banged your chest into something in your sleep, which I doubt.)

Hedd,
Druantia

[Breuddwyd]

To add to my last reply; I once had a nightmare so vivid & terrifying I'm convinced I would've had a heart attack if I hadn't woken when I did (at which point I was gasping for air & my heart was pounding at a phenomenal rate.) All because of my brain...

Hedd,
Druantia