Ever have to defend yourself in dreams?
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mustang_steve
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I havfe some truly strange dreams, but most of them are simply too absurd to be worth repeating. My last one was I dreamt that my SO became a zombie, but kept trying to live as a human....this made dinner very bizarre to say the least.
I woke up from that one confused as all let out, and promised myself this is the last night that I'll chase beer with tabasco sauce that close to bed (yes I like it, complimentary flavors).
I woke up from that one confused as all let out, and promised myself this is the last night that I'll chase beer with tabasco sauce that close to bed (yes I like it, complimentary flavors).
Darkninja
Member
I've had quite a few dreams with self-defense. I've had my guns, not fire, melt like butter, the rounds are like airsoft pellets, or I do not have enough rounds. :banghead:
Most often when my gun won't work I resort to extreme physical violence. Hammers, etc. I've also had dreams where I am being pursued by enemies in [often] wooded areas. I never have a gun though.
Having a dream about my shotgun versus a few people [Dreamt I didn't have enough ammo to kill them all] made me realize I really need an AR.
Most often when my gun won't work I resort to extreme physical violence. Hammers, etc. I've also had dreams where I am being pursued by enemies in [often] wooded areas. I never have a gun though.
Having a dream about my shotgun versus a few people [Dreamt I didn't have enough ammo to kill them all] made me realize I really need an AR.
Doggy Daddy
Member
So, now we have a little insight into how your handle was chosen...
DD
AKElroy
Member
Whenever I have the "innefective gun" dream, I usually pop out the low recoil 00 buck premiums & load up the 3" mags for awhile. Then switch back to proper tactical priorities when the dream induced paranoia subsides.
I used to have the ineffective gun/ineffective punch dreams. Now I sometimes have the ineffective gun dreams, but about half the time I end up shooting and killing my attacker. What surprises me is that in the last couple years or so I've gotten to where I really beat the living hell out of attackers in my dreams, like vicious horrible beatings. I find this strange because I just turned 31 and in the last couple years I've been really focused on how out of shape I feel compared to my high school swimming/Army days. It just seems to me that I would be dreaming about being unable to defend myself again.
clem
Member
PTSD from the Vietnam War.
Such dreams usually occur when there is something stressful in your life. It can be the job, an unpleasant shopping encounter, domestic, or, relative to this forum, recently getting your carry license and worrying about how you’ll handle a real life need to use your gun.
Of course, if you chase beer with Tabasco sauce you’re asking for it.
My worst nightmares are those when I wake up just before....
Of course, if you chase beer with Tabasco sauce you’re asking for it.
My worst nightmares are those when I wake up just before....
I used to have those dreams more frequently than I do now. there is one dream that was so lifelike I'll never forget it. I had this dream about 2 years ago but remember details like it was yesterday.
In this dream, I went out to the supermarket at about 1:00AM. The entrance supermarket was on the bottom level of a parking garage. I parked about 75ft from the entrance. I had gotten my groceries (two big brown paper bags).
As I was waking out toward my car I heard footsteps. I looked to my right and saw a guy walking, shadowing my path. Then another one on my left. I can still see their breath hanging in the cold night air. One guy comes out from in front of me and starts walking toward me. I back-track a little bit so as not to be caught in the middle of the group. I suddenly realize in horror that I left my gun at home. all i have is my pocket knife. When they are about 20" from me I drop the grocery bags and tell them in my best 'authoritative command' voice to "STOP! DO NOT COME ANY CLOSER!" They pause momentarily. Then, all three charge at once. I try to pull out the pocket knife but it snags on the way out of my pocket. I punch the first one (the alpha badguy) right in the face and break his nose but the other two hit me so hard that I fall over.
I was in a fetal position on the floor with them kicking me in the ribs, back, arms and head.
I've also had dreams where I've had to pull my gun in self defense, but those usually end ok (bad guy runs away). Most of the time I get in fights to defend myself, I am unarmed and either using my pocket knife (Benchmade Griptillian) or an improvised weapon (broken beer bottle, leg of a chair, rock, etc...). I always end up hurt, but victorious in those fights.
Every now and then a gun would fail to fire or fail to have any effect. But usually it was MY catastrophic mistake (such as leaving the gun at home) that would kill me in my dreams.
Like I said though, I haven't had those dreams in a while though. Usually my dreams are something absolutely absurd like my 9th grade spanish professor suddenly turning into a cartoon dinosaur or something like that.
In this dream, I went out to the supermarket at about 1:00AM. The entrance supermarket was on the bottom level of a parking garage. I parked about 75ft from the entrance. I had gotten my groceries (two big brown paper bags).
As I was waking out toward my car I heard footsteps. I looked to my right and saw a guy walking, shadowing my path. Then another one on my left. I can still see their breath hanging in the cold night air. One guy comes out from in front of me and starts walking toward me. I back-track a little bit so as not to be caught in the middle of the group. I suddenly realize in horror that I left my gun at home. all i have is my pocket knife. When they are about 20" from me I drop the grocery bags and tell them in my best 'authoritative command' voice to "STOP! DO NOT COME ANY CLOSER!" They pause momentarily. Then, all three charge at once. I try to pull out the pocket knife but it snags on the way out of my pocket. I punch the first one (the alpha badguy) right in the face and break his nose but the other two hit me so hard that I fall over.
I was in a fetal position on the floor with them kicking me in the ribs, back, arms and head.
I've also had dreams where I've had to pull my gun in self defense, but those usually end ok (bad guy runs away). Most of the time I get in fights to defend myself, I am unarmed and either using my pocket knife (Benchmade Griptillian) or an improvised weapon (broken beer bottle, leg of a chair, rock, etc...). I always end up hurt, but victorious in those fights.
Every now and then a gun would fail to fire or fail to have any effect. But usually it was MY catastrophic mistake (such as leaving the gun at home) that would kill me in my dreams.
Like I said though, I haven't had those dreams in a while though. Usually my dreams are something absolutely absurd like my 9th grade spanish professor suddenly turning into a cartoon dinosaur or something like that.
Last night I had a dream that I was detaining some really really dangerous prisoners, and they were trying to grab guns off the ground and shoot me but I had some kind of pump shotgun (Mossberg I think). And I got one round off and then everytime I would try to rack another shell in it would stick or just skip over... it felt like I was trying to rack the pump shotgun from hell. I remember being really pissed at Mossberg before waking up
Fetus
Member
Yeah, I had a dream where someone was robbing a bank with a SIG P232 and somehow the gun fell on the floor and I picked up the gun and started shooting at the robber as they ran away
The Bushmaster
Member
You could be right "Doggy" Daddy...
Master of the bush...Master of the BUSH or a South American venumous snake. You pick...
Master of the bush...Master of the BUSH or a South American venumous snake. You pick...
For a long time, I'd have night dreams where one way or another, there'd be Bad Guys with Guns, Hammers, Base Ball Bats, Knives, Broken Bottles, Crow Bars, whatever...and, I would get rubbed out.
Or, in desperation, somehow, I'd find a nice S&W Triple Lock, or New Service in .45 LC...and, a box of .22 LR Ammunition...Oye...and, I'd get rubbed out.
Finally, about 30 years ago, I started carrying steadily, and, practicing.
Soon, had another Dream, two Bad Guys who were gunna kill me, they had revolvers, and, I got 'em both nice-as-pie...
Ohhhhhh, that was a big improvement, believe me!
Lol...
And, every now and then, since, some dream or other, and, I am carrying in the Dream, the Pistol or Revolver is familiar, functions perfectly, and, I have a few spare, charged Magazines or Speed-Loaders in my Pocket also...and, I hold my own well, or, get away, or prevail, as may be...
No disappointments...
Or, in desperation, somehow, I'd find a nice S&W Triple Lock, or New Service in .45 LC...and, a box of .22 LR Ammunition...Oye...and, I'd get rubbed out.
Finally, about 30 years ago, I started carrying steadily, and, practicing.
Soon, had another Dream, two Bad Guys who were gunna kill me, they had revolvers, and, I got 'em both nice-as-pie...
Ohhhhhh, that was a big improvement, believe me!
Lol...
And, every now and then, since, some dream or other, and, I am carrying in the Dream, the Pistol or Revolver is familiar, functions perfectly, and, I have a few spare, charged Magazines or Speed-Loaders in my Pocket also...and, I hold my own well, or, get away, or prevail, as may be...
No disappointments...
bwsmith2850
Member
That's why Massad Ayoob had this advice in The Gravest Extreme, "If you sleepwalk, forget about keeping a loaded gun." (pg.126)
Imagine shooting at things that aren't there while dreaming & sleepwalking. That could get you some rubber room time.
Even regular dreaming can get scary if you can reach a gun from bed. I keep my loaded gun where I have to get up and walk to them in the bedroom to give me time to be really awake and get my glasses before picking one up. I used to put it out on top of the nightstand before bed when I lived alone. Then scared my GF (now wife) out of a year's growth when she banged the door and I woke up sitting up in bed pointing both hands at her in a shooting grip. If I hadn't put it up because she was visiting, I think I'd still be single.
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I have dreams like this fairly often.
Usually, Whenever I have to draw my pistol and fire, the trigger is so insanely hard to pull, it throws my aim off. In one dream, I was being attacked by a wild dog, and I couldn't shoot it because of that, I ended up pulling my belt knife and killing it though. Weird, huh ?
The other type I have, is that my bullets fly through my opponents like they are mirages, and doesn't hurt them. Those dreams, I usually end up getting killed in.
EDIT: Another thing I experience, is what's called Sleep Paralysis. Even though I know that the figues that visit me and stand over me are just in my head, I am always trying to get up in punch them, or reach my pistol on my night stand to shoot them. It's a good thing i don't, because i don't want holes in my walls and ceiling. It's very hard to explain the scope of the emotion i feel during these episodes, just that i am EXTREMLY poed that my body isn't working right, and i can't defendmyself. It's a mix between extreme fear and extreme anger. Even though I know it's just a sleep paralysis episode, these emotions are so intense. Only once did i not feel this way, because I fell asleep with a cat on my stomach, and the cat wasn't responding... and that was just so funny. In my head, i couldn't stop laughing.
Usually, Whenever I have to draw my pistol and fire, the trigger is so insanely hard to pull, it throws my aim off. In one dream, I was being attacked by a wild dog, and I couldn't shoot it because of that, I ended up pulling my belt knife and killing it though. Weird, huh ?
The other type I have, is that my bullets fly through my opponents like they are mirages, and doesn't hurt them. Those dreams, I usually end up getting killed in.
EDIT: Another thing I experience, is what's called Sleep Paralysis. Even though I know that the figues that visit me and stand over me are just in my head, I am always trying to get up in punch them, or reach my pistol on my night stand to shoot them. It's a good thing i don't, because i don't want holes in my walls and ceiling. It's very hard to explain the scope of the emotion i feel during these episodes, just that i am EXTREMLY poed that my body isn't working right, and i can't defendmyself. It's a mix between extreme fear and extreme anger. Even though I know it's just a sleep paralysis episode, these emotions are so intense. Only once did i not feel this way, because I fell asleep with a cat on my stomach, and the cat wasn't responding... and that was just so funny. In my head, i couldn't stop laughing.
CoRoMo
Member
Mine stick to their chest without penetrating so much as their shirt. And I can never seem to run at all without having to pull myself along with my hands.
I used to hear that it is impossible for you to dream being killed or to otherwise die in the dream, but that's not true.
If you have these kinds of dreams it is directly related to the fact that you don't own a GLOCK, and sub-consciously you feel inadequate. 
Seriously, this is completely normal, and like any dream can get really weird. I welcome it, in that, you have become unconsciously aware at all times and it overflows into your dreams.
Dreams are nothing but a way for your brain to relax, they don't mean anything, so don't put much stock in them.
I first started noticing them about 6 months to a year after situational awareness became a mainstay in my life. That was 7 years ago and I still have them.
I do find that some of my more scarier dreams seem to happen when I leave the TV on. Turn it off or keep it on the comedy channel, I guess?
Seriously, this is completely normal, and like any dream can get really weird. I welcome it, in that, you have become unconsciously aware at all times and it overflows into your dreams.
Dreams are nothing but a way for your brain to relax, they don't mean anything, so don't put much stock in them.
I first started noticing them about 6 months to a year after situational awareness became a mainstay in my life. That was 7 years ago and I still have them.
I do find that some of my more scarier dreams seem to happen when I leave the TV on. Turn it off or keep it on the comedy channel, I guess?
svaz
Member
I dreamt I had to defend myself against my wife's verbal onslaught for getting caught trying to sneak another rifle into the house. Does that count?
I just had another self-defense nightmare last night. This strange guy with a handgun was in my house threatening to kill me. This time instead of the usual malfunction during firing, I emptied a whole magazine from about 6' away without getting a single hit. Even at this distance, I used the sights properly but to no avail (of course ). I should work on my point-shooting more often. Anyway, the guy never fired back, but instead lunged to attack me as I was reloading, and I managed to pistol-whip him right before I woke up. I'm sure glad that I don't load blanks in real life!
). I should work on my point-shooting more often. Anyway, the guy never fired back, but instead lunged to attack me as I was reloading, and I managed to pistol-whip him right before I woke up. I'm sure glad that I don't load blanks in real life!
I always wake up in the same position I remember going to sleep in, so I don't worry about that at all. But obviously those who sleepwalk will unfortunately have to take measures to protect themselves from...themselves.
I've long suspected that for most, if not all, people just about the only times you'll remember dreams at all is when you wake up in the middle of one. Even when we're already awake, our brains have a way of gradually erasing our memory of dreams, making them seem less real and more distant until we forget them altogether (unless we deliberately make a point of remembering them, as I did today). And if we don't wake up during a dream, then it will probably be forgotten or "erased" by the time we do wake up, making it seem as though it never happened. I'm pretty sure that everybody dreams--unless you're some kind of psychopath or a one-in-a-billion exception--but if you always sleep soundly, then you won't ever remember them. That's why I always tell people when they're upset that somebody or something woke them up from a GREAT dream--they should instead be thankful that they were woken up.
DoubleTapDrew
Member
So true. I had a lot of dreams where I couldn't pull the trigger, had the wrong ammo, bullets had no or little effect, etc.
I started shooting a lot more and eventually I became the action hero in dreams rather than the victim, with the guns working properly and having the desired effect. It must be some sort of subconcious confidence issue.
rodensouth
Member
I have had similar dreams since a child. Used to be monsters and I couldn't run, now I can't find the safety or am not strong enough to pull the trigger. Go back to sleep and SAME dream. Some folks brains are just sadistic. I wish I couldn't remember mine when I awake. Maybe I should get some counseling.
RobMoore
Member
I don't know what the turning point was, but I used to have those dreams where you fire and fire and fire and it doesn't do any good. Not anymore. I agree that they are just another version of those childhood dreams of running and not getting anywhere.
For some reason, now when I have those dreams my gun is effective, or if I'm not armed I always seem to end up choking the person to death, or cutting their throat. Those are the most vivid and disturbing dreams I've ever had. They come complete with all the sights and sounds of a Chechen "snuff" video.
What helps is to keep a journal by the side of the bed. As soon as you wake up, write down every detail you can remember, then go back and read it later. Your dreams can give you insight into your daily life that you wouldn't think of when you're awake.
For some reason, now when I have those dreams my gun is effective, or if I'm not armed I always seem to end up choking the person to death, or cutting their throat. Those are the most vivid and disturbing dreams I've ever had. They come complete with all the sights and sounds of a Chechen "snuff" video.
What helps is to keep a journal by the side of the bed. As soon as you wake up, write down every detail you can remember, then go back and read it later. Your dreams can give you insight into your daily life that you wouldn't think of when you're awake.
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