Strange Sensation starting to fall asleep

sas3

For as long as I can remember I have had this sensation (and before you ask, I am not smoking anything).
The feeling only occurs when I am in bed and starting to fall asleep, the only way to describe it is a strange feeling of big and small at the same time. It’s like a very tiny dust particle that seems to be as big as a mountain.
Sometimes it seems like a point of a pin with a massive amount of potential energy behind it. At times it can be very intense to the point where it scares me. Sounds seem to be louder and more intense also. I seem to get this feeling about 3 of 4 times a year

My brother is the only other person I know of who has experienced this feeling other than me, he describes it as a pebble that seems like an enormous rock.
I was just wondering if anyone has had the same sensation or if it has a name.

matthyaouw

I know exactly what you mean. I've been getting it periodically for as long as I can remember, & I've never known quite how to describe it either. The size sensation is a part of it, but doesn't quite cover the scope of the feeling. I've never experienced the intense sounds though. I usually get it when falling asleep too, or when slightly 'out of it' when I'm ill.

Moonbear

I don't have any answers on this, so will just suggest some questions that might help point you in a good direction to find answers elsewhere.

Does it affect your ability to fall asleep? If so, you might want to look up information on sleep disorders and see if it is described there.

If you are already falling asleep, is it possible you are starting to dream? I'm thinking along the lines of daydreams, where you're somewhat awake, but mentally "drifting off," where you might experience perceptions that are part of the dream state while still partially awake to incorporate awareness of your surroundings as well.

Is it possible you are not awake at all at the time, but are rapidly awakened from a dream so that you think you were still awake when it happened? Here I'm thinking of those times when you fall asleep and dream/feel that you're falling out of bed and it startles you awake; it usually takes a bit of time to realize you were not falling out of bed and to calm yourself to fall back asleep again.

matthyaouw

It doesn't really affect my ability to sleep. It could be dream related, but I'm not sure. I'm certain I've had it at times when fully awake. I once woke up with it (so perhaps that time it started in a dream) and couldn't shake it for about half an hour, even though I was awake and walking around.

xiankai

i used to have that too, it was more frequent when i was younger than now when im older. i felt like a tiny insignificant speck in a corner, and how everything is bearing down on me. i still recalled the time when i woke up late at night, yelling about how a train was about to crash through the wall, and frantically agitating my mom who tried to calm me down. i went to another room and hid under the bedsheets, staring at the ceiling while at the same time feeling crushed. mind you, i was quite young at that time, but i was fully awake at that time.

verbasel

I know the feeling you're talking about, and it happens only 3 or 4 times a year, and was more frequent when I was younger. My impression of it is that of an incredibly dense needle, that looks slim and tiny but has as much mass as a planet.

sas3

This is very interesting it seem like this is a common experience, I wonder if any papers have been written about this.

matthyaouw

I've tried googling it, but the question is what to search for? Everyone's explanation of it seems to be sligtly different and so far as I'm aware it doesn't have a name...

J77

I get this -- and can make it happen; ie. control it.

Like I've opened my mind up to a massive cavernous room -- which also feels small, like you describe.

It's cool

matthyaouw

Really? I always find it distinctly unsettling.

J77

Nah -- I like the vastness.

I've always been a bit of a weird sleeper -- apparently I talk quite a bit and when younger had that thing where you wake up but are paralysed because you're still really asleep -- which is strange.

I'm also quite a detailed dreamer -- I pretty much always control my dreams and can rememeber them

radou

Hm, the only thing nearly close to the one you described is that just before I fall asleep some objects which are ~10 inches away seem like they're a mile away.

Btw, does anyone have an explanation for the typical experience before falling asleep - having a "pre-dream" of running and stumbling and then "waking up" instantly?

sas3

I had the sensation the other night, it only lasted a short time (a few minutes). I enjoy the sensation and wish I could make it happen like "J77".

.ultimate

According to my father's medical reference, You sniffed LSD 5-6 times in the past

sas3

Nope, Never took the LSD. (I watched other people do it)
Is there actuality an artical on it?

.ultimate

I do not completely apprenhend what you are trying to express, Can you state it more clearly?

sas3

I was asking about the article in father's medical reference book, If it is about the sensation we have been experiencing.

I would like to read it, what is the name of the book and what page is it on.