These nightmares are characterized by impossible shapes like spirals and fractals, making dreamers feel engulfed or threatened. One user stated: "It was like being trapped in some kind of mathematical hell." The 'scenery' described by people is usually just a dark void...
- The dream can be about numbers, geometric shapes or simply abstract. But there is a common theme: it almost always generates a feeling of a never ending impossible task. Sometimes its a number that keeps getting bigger, or smaller. Sometimes is a mathematical calculation that needs to be done over and over again, sometimes its shapes inside shapes, like fractals and sometimes its a shape getting bigger and bigger. Either way, there is a feeling of an unachievable task, that induces anxiety and terror.
- After waking up you usually don't 'fully' wake up. For a while (up to 1 hour in my experience), you stay in a state of panic, where you can't tell dream from reality, so you can't really stop the anxiety. In this state, perception is altered. Usually you start to perceive things in exaggerated and opposite ways. For example: the mattress feels very hard and soft at the same time; everything feels very loud and quiet at the same time (usually I hear loud ringing and white noise); your own movement feels very fast and slow at the same time, etcetera...
- It is somehow related to sleep paralysis, though it is not the same thing.
- While characteristic may vary between dreams, there is always this same, very characteristic 'feeling' to it.
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Wow. I've been researching about these dreams and your description is most accurate to what I've experienced. I've had these perhaps 15 times. First time as a child and less frequently as I became older (26). Used to sleepwalk and cry a lot when I had these.
It's like astronomical numbers and shapes somehow connected to an impossible task and inducing fear that I cannot compare or describe, honestly terror-like. I really like the way you described the feeling and hearing sensation - everything loud and quite, soft and hard, quick and slow, at the same time. It's so overwhelming my brain is not really able to perceive it and I'm glad you put it into words. I'd also add, I have a feeling the shapes sort of seem soft but are sharp. Like if you imagine a ball or sphere that is sharp to the touch - doesn't make sense.
Someone also wrote "an object rapidly multiplying or growing, and I feel as if I have the task of keeping up with its geometric proportions in my mind".
I guess the worst part is when I wake up. I still have the same feeling and don't know how to deal with it for 10 or so minutes. Especially time going really fast and really slow at the same time - really confusing. This accompanied by dreadful fear.
I'd say that I can slightly induce this feeling when I am awake just by thinking about it, imagining astronomical numbers and tasks connected them, etcetera. Oh, and I also keep having these dreams (last time 2 months ago).
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Oh my God this is exactly what I have. I remember having this horrible dream where the entire dream was a 2 dimensional circle where for no real reason different white lines were moving around. That's literally it but it kept me awake for hours, and I woke up feeling so incredibly terrified, like this existential dread as if I knew the world was ending and I couldn't do anything about it.
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When I get these I get a sort of mental overload as if my brain can no longer comprehend the signals that are being fired off, I know nothing about the brain but can only imagine everything is firing off in every way, because when I get this dream I seem to get neurotically overwhelmed to the point of legitimate hell and mental terror, I seem to know it’s a dream but not be able to escape or wake up. There is nothing recognizable in my dream, nothing tangible to reality, just this INTENSE, almost chemical fear, only thing I have experienced that even comes close is a bad trip from psychedelics. I’ve also had this dream where it feels as if I’m just going crazy, that the task gets so unmanageable that I realize the collapse and implosion of my brain and just go CRAZY. Like my brain thinks of any possible information it has captured and spam it to the point of being completely and utterly overwhelmed beyond comprehension. Legitimately the scariest thing I experience and have no idea why our brain tricks us like this.
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Hey guys, haven't been here in a while but I figured I'd pop by to share a weird phenomenon that I've been experiencing for the past year or so.
Infrequently, but enough that it's bothersome, I've come to experience dreams in which I'm tasked with solving different kinds of puzzles. More often than not they aren't what you'd expect, and it's usually something to do with either shifting boxes around, stacking them, or having them appear in the right places, or they take on more of an engineering-esque feel, wherein I'm being forced to try to find the right tools to apply to different objects, or in another sequence, attempting to put those objects together in ways that make sense.
So the first issue is this: dreams are not logical, therefore being faced with what are essentially logic puzzles is, at best, contrived and utterly convoluted. The second issue is: my brain treats any failure to solve the puzzles as a signal to wake up, almost as if I was on the precipice between sleep and wake, and I've been given a proper hard slap of hypnic jerking.
Suffice it to say, this is a bit stressful... alas, it's an odd phenomenon, and I don't expect that anyone has an answer as to why or how it happens; instead, I'm looking for anyone who may have had similar experiences, or continues to do so.
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I experience the same jarring slap awake when I fail the puzzle as OP. I wake up in that half-asleep state and tell myself to stop trying to solve whatever it is. "I only need to lie here and rest," I tell myself. "There is nothing I have to solve." But the other half of my brain has a very strong emotional response to this. I have this urge that if I do not finish by morning, then I will face...? Consequences? Like a work write-up or disciplinary action. The same feeling as if a paper was due at school tomorrow that you forgot to write. At that point, it becomes work to fall back to sleep because I am fighting with myself, it seems, but nevertheless, I drift off, and we are faced with the logic puzzle again.
Sometimes it's numbers. Sometimes it moves the shapes kind of like you describe. Last night was hard to describe, but it was like I was trying to alter the energies of a few different lights that would appear in front of me, or I was trying to connect them to other "like" energies. It makes no sense like you all have mentioned. These puzzles have absolutely no meaning. They frustrate me. I feel as if I am getting no rest. And in between the puzzles, I am just desperate to stop and sleep more.
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Could Sleep apnoea cause them (along with other disordered breathing during sleep)?
Sleep apnea, a common yet often misunderstood condition, significantly impacts the quality of sleep and, consequently, the nature of our dreams. Individuals suffering from sleep apnea frequently experience fragmented sleep due to repeated interruptions in breathing. This disruption can lead to a range of dream experiences, including vivid dreams and unsettling nightmares. Understanding this connection is crucial for those managing sleep apnea and seeking more restful nights.
The Nature of Sleep Apnea and Its Impact on Sleep Quality
Sleep apnea is characterized by repeated pauses in breathing during sleep, which can last from a few seconds to minutes. These interruptions can lead to decreased oxygen levels in the blood, causing the brain to awaken briefly to resume normal breathing. This cycle not only affects overall sleep quality but can also influence the dream state.
Those with sleep apnea may find themselves waking up frequently and entering REM sleep - where most dreaming occurs - briefly before being jolted awake again. This can result in fragmented dreams or even nightmares, as the brain struggles to maintain a continuous narrative.
The Role of Nightmares in Sleep Apnea
Nightmares are not uncommon among sleep apnea sufferers. The stress and anxiety stemming from interrupted sleep can manifest as distressing dreams. Moreover, the body’s physiological responses to these interruptions, such as increased heart rate and adrenaline, can amplify the emotional intensity of dreams. Individuals might find themselves in dream scenarios that reflect their real-life anxieties about health, safety, or control, creating a cycle of fear and disrupted sleep.
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