Dreaming and sleeping have always intrigued humankind. Yes, we know we all need some sleep to get rest and refresh ourselves for another new day, but sleep does not always grant us satisfying nightly recovery.
The realm of dreams is a world of its own, full of mysterious phenomena and meanings.
Dream interpretation is something people have been puzzled about since the dawn of civilization.
The dawn itself often bring us relief from nightmares, but also forces us to face reality, if we were lost in some beautiful corner of the dreamland.
The science of sleep is still something that has yet to be better explored and understood.
We do not know all processes our brain does while we are asleep; we do not know what it does while we are awake, in the first place.
However, there are things we can measure and understand. There is always a mystical element to interpreting dreams, though.
Scientists, spiritualists, religious people and all else cannot find a consensus on what dreams are for truth. We would say there is a mysterious dimension to it.
Strange phenomena in sleep
We will talk about the whole process of sleeping and dreaming on a wider plan, since phenomenon of feeling as if someone touches you during sleep occurs in different forms.
It could happen you feel the sensation of being touched in your dream; you feel the physical touch, but you are dreaming of someone touching you.
It could also happen you were in between stages of being asleep and awake; it could also happen that a sensation of being touched has awakened you.
The scariest scenario is, however, associated with an actual, but not well understood medical phenomenon of sleep paralysis.
Before we move onto spiritual meanings of the sensation of being touched by someone in your sleep, let us discuss this strange medical phenomenon.
Both science and alternative paths are confused by the exact origins of this strange and scary condition.
Sleep paralyses
Sleep paralysis is not as uncommon phenomenon as people might think. Up to fifty percent of population experiences it at some point; some people simply do not remember experiencing it.
This strange condition is also commonly associated with the feeling of someone touching your body while you are lying down.
The worst part of it is that you cannot react, cannot move or do anything to stop it.
The phenomenon occurs in various people, but usually younger ones are affected. It simply happens that you wake up in the night, lying in your bed, usually on your back and staring at the ceiling, being completely unable to move your body.
The sensation is scary, because it makes one feeling totally helpless, out of control over their own body.
It causes anxiety, logically and very likely, panic. The worst part is that people commonly recall the feeling of some force being present in their room while they were paralyzed.
Some people literally feel as if someone is touching them.
They recall sensation of something crawling on their skin, a gentle, but obviously very disturbing touch on their limbs, as well.
There are more dramatic sensations, as if someone is sitting on a person0’s chest and the sensation of being suffocated.
Some people only feel as if someone is in their room, without touching them. Some even recall shadows, changes of temperature, breeze that occurs without a logical source and so on.
Some people claim as if they have felt someone literally tried to take them out of the bed, pulling their limbs or so.
There are two types of sleep paralysis. One happens while a person was asleep and the other occurs immediately upon waking up. The latter is what scares us the most. Sleep paralysis is commonly associated with the phenomenon we talk about here.
From a medical point of view, this phenomenon should not frighten you, although it might be very unpleasant.
It occurs in completely healthy people and does not indicate a psychological problem. If it happens very often and frustrates you, it could be useful to seek for an advice.
However, it probably does not mean you were crazy.
Your sleep pattern might be disturbed out of anxiety, stress or else. Your body cannot offer a satisfying night’s rest for many scientifically proved reasons.
Feeling as if someone touching you while sleeping
Why do people in sleep paralysis feel as if something is touching them? These strange sensations are often described as some kind of hallucinations.
One of explanations claims they depend on the way someone feels about the very phenomenon of the sleep paralysis.
This uncomfortable state is very likely to cause anxiety and leave one terrified.
Feeling physically completely incompetent and helpless turns on the red light and your personal danger alarm. Your mind tries to define the threat and danger automatically.
The more scared you are of the phenomenon as it is, the worse your hallucinations might appear.
For example, the feeling of someone sitting on your chest could simply be a reflection of tremendous fear you experience being out of control.
If you are especially inclined towards spiritual explanations and you believe there are some strange demoniac forces haunting you, it is very likely you would experience someone touches you, pulls you or pressing your chest while you are in the state of sleep paralysis.
However, it is still unclear if there were actually such forces or they are simply a projection of your fears.
A lively dream
Some people have very strong senses that do not shut down while they were asleep. Dreams are an especially inspiring and interesting area to explore.
Some people physically experience their dreams while others have an impression of watching the movie. Some people literally feel pain or anything else in their dreams.
If someone is touching you in your dream, there is a possibility you actually feel it physically.
It is not well understood why some people are so sensing and sensitive and others not.
If you can recall the dream in which someone has touched you and you felt it for real, the better. If you recall the person or else, you could possibly figure out what that means.
It also happens that our brain connects an actual touch with our dreams, so we get a mixture of dreaming-reality and it could feel confusing.
Mysterious message
Let us turn to more obscure and mystical explanations of feeling as if someone is touching you while you are asleep.
Some people experience this strange sensation of being touched while sleeping without sleep paralyses or any dream.
It also usually happens somewhere between states of being asleep and completely awake.
It could be a reminiscence of a dream that instantly faded away.
Haunted places
However, some would say it could be a secret message from another dimension. This meaning is far more abstract and spiritual.
It could be a proof of a spirit attached to you or to the place you sleep at.
Many people who speak about haunted houses experience this kind of phenomena; it often happens after they move in a new house or an apartment.
It might happen that a restless spirit of a person who once lived there and is deceased dwells at the place.
Either it cannot find its peace and pass into the afterlife for some deep emotional reason of the deceased person or the spirit is very possessive of its former home.
This is a strange and upsetting phenomenon that psychics could possibly resolve, learning what the spirit wants.
Personal spirit or a guardian
It could happen that this strange feeling is a message from someone passed away who was a dear person to you or it could be a sign of a protective, kind spirit, such as guardian angel.
Although very strange, this sensation does not necessarily have to be unpleasant.
Instead of feeling as someone was pressing your chests or that creepy crawling sensation under your skin, you might feel as if someone gently touches you or caresses your hair or face.
If it was so, you should not feel scared. It is simply a spirit trying to communicate with you and its intentions are most probably good.
Try to think of other phenomena following the strange feeling of being touched.
Are there some smells or the temperature changes? If it was so, there are great chances a deceased loved one tries to talk to you and show they still watch over you.
The same is with guardian angels. These kind spirits cannot talk to us through regular verbal channels and they rarely show to us in material forms.
They use smells, symbolical signs or mystical phenomena that would definitely draw our attention.
This phenomenon could occur in times you feel upset and insecure; you should not take it as another reason to feel anxious, on the contrary.