Hypnopompic Hallucinations

[TheBeef]

For the past few years, Ive been experiencing hypnopompic hallucinations, which are basically visual or audio hullucinations that occur as you wake up....they happened infrequently, maybe one or twice a month and generally when I was overly tired....for the past 2 weeks, its been happening 1 to 2 times a night and the past few nights its been several times a night....most of the hullucinations are horrifying like a person standing in the room looking at me, or a snake in the bed....some are less harmlful but disturbing like spiders crawling on the ceiling....some are totally harmless like seeing a bag of hamburger buns on my dresser....Ive woken up my kids twice in the last 7 days because I was screaming and last week I thought there was a bomb under my bed and I dragged my handicap wife down the hall way by her arm....last night I woke up screaming and wouldnt stop until my wife convinced me to shut up....last week I walked down the hall way, put my shoes on and was headed outside before my wife called my name....when they happen, I can see what ever I see as if it was right there....its all very real to me during the process....

I want to know if any of you have experienced anything like this before, because I dont know what to do and Im a little uneasy about going to bed right now, so I will be up a while....

 

[M Two One]

I hear you on this. I've had a few of these where I'd wake up and seriously see tiny insects, maybe spiders I don't really know, all over the blinds running down quickly towards the floor and I'd be up for about 10 seconds or so having these hallucinations screaming at my wife to get a vacuum to help me kill them. They're all bright orange too so it almost appears as if they glow in the dark or something.

Another is where I get up and walk around the house saying things like "everything is filthy, everything is rotten." My wife asks me what's going on and I honestly don't know. I feel a pain, though not actually in pain so I can't explain it really. I'll always head into the bathroom first and then walk around the house and try to get comfortable to rid of this "feeling" in different places around the house. Then it returns and I just don't know what to do or how to explain what it is that I'm feeling. These are the most horrific experiences I have had because I feel helpless to do something. I have no idea what is going on even though I know where I am and can remember these events occurring in full detail. I've had this about 4 or 5 times in my life, but that is honestly enough.

 

[Voodoo Child]

Those stories are both disturbing, but it sounds like they're too different to have the same root cause, don't you think?

Any traumas in your lives? Any history of drug use?

 

[o.iatlhawksfan]

man you guys complex, I can't even pronounce those word

 

[CelticKing]

Have you thought about seeing a doctor thebeef? Maybe they have something that helps with the hallucinations. I feel for you man and hopefully you don't get them anymore.


Personally, every once in a while (like very few weeks), when I go to bed, after about 30 to 40 minutes, when I'm almost dead in sleep (well you know what I mean), my body just shakes like someone is trying to wake me up, and it happens for just a second, its like the body tries to jump up, and it only happens once and then I'm able to go to sleep and never have a problem. But happens every few weeks. After the experience, I get some kind of feeling, its kind of weird, kinda feel like helpless but then I'm able to sleep it off. Its strange and I'm not sure what it is. I'm very healthy, never had a problem, no surgeries, never take medicine, no drugs, don't smoke, just drink beer like every normal person.

Maybe an out of body experience? (or whatever they call them?) But its not being able to finish and it wakes me up?

 

[M Two One]

I've never taken drugs. I once thought it had to do with "unrest" at my old apartment. There was a couple that were tenants there way before us. The guy killed his wife and then hung himself in the dining room. I actually don't believe in ghosts though and since I had these experiences outside of the apartment (once in France and once at my current place) I don't think that's it at all. I really can't explain it, but the "rotten" thing is what re-occurs. The "bugs" thing was once at the old apartment. My first one was when I was 6 or 7 when I woke up laying in filth under the staircase outside of the apartment. I was too young to remember the whole thing, but I remember being awake for it because I remember eating some chocolate sweets before heading downstairs. I was freaking out of my mind down there.

The second I ever remember having was when I was 11 and heard muffled sounds as if someone was walking by the air conditioning vent across from my bedroom. I'd ask for my Mom, but received no answer of course. I'd feel thin air, find it hard to breathe and then get really cold and cover myself before crying to sleep. That still not being nearly as bad as the "rotten" experiences, which have happened a few times now.

 

[NJNetz]

That is some scary stuff right there. I can't recall ever having such a problem.


I suggest seeing a doctor, because that's the only thing I can think of.

 

[M Two One]

It doesn't bug me too much, I don't get paranoid over it like TheBeef has been over the last few weeks. But I see why since his are occurring so often compared to mine, which are so distant from one another.

 

[TheBeef]

No drugs use here, not even alcohol....In November, my wife was disabled by a mysterious illness that causes her to see double and experience dizzyness....she is still undiagnosed, and to this day, she cant walk on her own so Ive been working 2 full time jobs and a part time job on the weekends and also taking care of her and our three kids which means I do all the shopping, all the cooking, and most of the cleaning(kids help a little there)....It only leaves me with about 4 hours to sleep per 24 hours....Its been tramatic, but Ive been doing it since the end of November, so I cant imagine thats what triggering multi-night hallucinations, but maybe....either way, I cant give that up and still pay the rent, so If thats the cause, I have to find away to deal with it....

 

[o.iatlhawksfan]

try getting a house cleaner or something.

 

[CelticKing]

Sleep could be the cause of it.

I wish there was a way we could help you.

 

[ZAE]

Are you guys taking any medication? If so check the side effects of them.

 

[M Two One]

No meds, just daily multi-vitamins that have no side effects. I don't drink much either, just to let you know and I get 8 hours of sleep just about every night.

 

[ZAE]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (TheBeef @ Jun 15 2008, 01:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>No drugs use here, not even alcohol....In November, my wife was disabled by a mysterious illness that causes her to see double and experience dizzyness....she is still undiagnosed, and to this day, she cant walk on her own so Ive been working 2 full time jobs and a part time job on the weekends and also taking care of her and our three kids which means I do all the shopping, all the cooking, and most of the cleaning(kids help a little there)....It only leaves me with about 4 hours to sleep per 24 hours....Its been tramatic, but Ive been doing it since the end of November, so I cant imagine thats what triggering multi-night hallucinations, but maybe....either way, I cant give that up and still pay the rent, so If thats the cause, I have to find away to deal with it....</div>

Maybe it's all catching up to you now? Sounds like exhaustion could be you're problem.

I hope things work out for you and you're family.

 

[TheBeef]

I cant get a housekeeper, money is tight....the two main jobs are easy, I answer phones for a service company at night, so I mostly sit by the phone and then I listen to recordings of calls from a different company during the day and grade those(im somewhat of a customer service expert), the day job i can do from my home computer, which helps because i can be home with the kids and work at the same time....the third job is salvaging scrap metals with my dad on Saturdays and thats 8 hours of hell, but pays really well....put them together and Im working 88 hours a week and raising 3 kids and a handicap adult....im 31 years old and Im young enough that I can hack it when i can sleep, but right now Im reluctant to go to sleep becuase the hallucinations are so awful....I was hoping someone here had dealt with this and fixed it but i guess I may have to find time to go to the doctor....atleast I have health insurance....

 

[M Two One]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ZAE @ Jun 15 2008, 12:59 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I hope things work out for you and you're family.</div>

Same here, Beef. That is a really rough situation you're all in, but I'm sure you'll all get through it.

 

[GMJ]

I've had a similar problem, although it only occurs when I'm stressed out and fall asleep watching Animal Planet. When those two factors occur as I'm falling asleep I'll dream that a weird freakish bug is crawling right by my head, and in my half-awake half-asleep state I'll dream it as I'm looking at my pillow.

Then I jump up, tear off the covers and run to the other side of the room, and only after then do I fully wake up.

 

[huevonkiller]

This is sad to hear, I hope you all recover.

I would go to the doctor regardless, even if it is superfluous (though it definitely sounds like exhaustion for TheBeef, still, I'm no doctor).

The only thing close to this is that sometimes I have a very real/complex dream that I wake up from, and for a few minutes I cannot recall if it was actually part of my memory or just a dream. I just get a bit dizzy/tired but it isn't anything serious (temporary short-term memory loss), and I recover completely about 5 minutes after. Probably happens because I get tired and stressed out.

 

[#1_War_Poet_ForLife]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (M Two One @ Jun 15 2008, 01:43 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>My first one was when I was 6 or 7 when I woke up laying in filth under the staircase outside of the apartment. I was too young to remember the whole thing, but I remember being awake for it because I remember eating some chocolate sweets before heading downstairs. I was freaking out of my mind down there.</div>
Holy shit, same thing happened to me, around the same age. I woke up in the basement, with all these red spiders (actually there, by the way) around me, and a beer in my hand (unopened).

It's a wonder I didn't fall and kill myself, those stairs were tiny, I've fell off of them under normal conditions.
Needless to say, I freaked out.

 

[#1_War_Poet_ForLife]

It sounds like exhaustion is magnifying a previous problem? You should ask a professional (or post on a psychiatric forum, if you don't have the spare time. Just don't take meds without checking with a doctor

)

Good luck with your family, Beef. I'm sure it'll work out in the end.

 

[Colonel Ronan]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (TheBeef @ Jun 15 2008, 06:59 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I cant get a housekeeper, money is tight....the two main jobs are easy, I answer phones for a service company at night, so I mostly sit by the phone and then I listen to recordings of calls from a different company during the day and grade those(im somewhat of a customer service expert), the day job i can do from my home computer, which helps because i can be home with the kids and work at the same time....the third job is salvaging scrap metals with my dad on Saturdays and thats 8 hours of hell, but pays really well....put them together and Im working 88 hours a week and raising 3 kids and a handicap adult....im 31 years old and Im young enough that I can hack it when i can sleep, but right now Im reluctant to go to sleep becuase the hallucinations are so awful....I was hoping someone here had dealt with this and fixed it but i guess I may have to find time to go to the doctor....atleast I have health insurance....</div>

I haven't experienced this in the "natural occurring" way, but it seems to be stress-related. Perhaps go and see a therapist, I doubt medication is a proper answer to this. You shouldn't pollute your body with that shit anyway.

 

[CelticKing]

And also don't give up Beef. Thats excellent that you're taking care of your family, doing all those jobs, etc. I'm pretty sure God will reward you for that somehow someway, for being so caring to your family and not giving up no matter what is happening or what you're going through.

God bless you man.

 

[Run BJM]

Funny that you mention this because I had a similar experience just this week except it happened when I was was falling asleep. It was about 3 AM when I usually go to sleep in the summer but i was really tired from working and going to the gym that day. As I was falling asleep I saw a mosquito fly right over my face so I jumped up, grabbed a can of Raid (I've been waging an epic war with all bugs that enter my house since summer started so I keep this by my bed) and turned the light on to try and find the bastard. But nothing. When I saw it I couldn't tell if it was real or if I was like dreaming from being half-asleep so I waited a few minutes than just went back to bed. I figured I was probably just tripping from lack of sleep. So I try and go back to sleep again and I'm thinking about the damn mosquito as I drift off into BJM land and then I see a mosquito was up flying against my ceiling and I remember thinking "well I doubt its real its probably just a dream" and as it flew it disentigrated and was gone.

Really weird but I'm guessing I was just asleep enough for it to be a dream because from my experiences in dreams it seems like as you think things they come to fruition (in the dream). As for legit hallucination's when I'm awake, can't recall anything. I've only used alcohol and weed, sometimes I hear stuff when I'm on weed but thats typical. I've been known to sleepwalk though. One time I woke up and walked to my front door and opened it and just stood in the door way for a few minutes, scared the SHIT out of my mom seeing me standing there in the wee hours of the night.

 

[TheBeef]

Hypnagogic hallucinations occur when you are falling asleep....I know how real that mosquito must have seemed....I had a rough one last night....I had 2 that I can remember, the 1st being a someone walking down the hall way in my house....the door was closed, so all i could see was shadows passing by the door....my kids are at my mothers house, so I know there was no one in the house....I kept calm though and didnt react, I think because I didnt want them to know I was awake....the 2nd one was horrific, I woke up to see a scarecrow standing in the closet holding a sickle....upon that, I freaked out and woke my wife who had to calm me....Ive done a ton of research on the net and a lot of people seem to have these type hallucinations but no one seems to know what causes them....one popular theory is alien abduction, but Im not buying that....

 

[CelticKing]

I don't buy that either Beef (the alien abduction). It probably has to do with not getting enough sleep and being stressful.

 

[TheBeef]

If aliens were abducting me that often, youd think id have a sore ass from all the anal probing....

 

[CelticKing]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (TheBeef @ Jun 15 2008, 01:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>If aliens were abducting me that often, youd think id have a sore ass from all the anal probing....</div>

lol, or they're not doing a good job with the abduction and cannot process it. haha

 

[TheBeef]

What a way to find out that your ass contains alien gold and they have opened up a mining operation....

 

[CelticKing]

haha thats funny Beef.

 

[TheBeef]

The older I get the more I realize that laughter is the only way to get through the day....no matter whats going on, you can always find something funny to giggle about....