As the title states, I had a legit 'Inception' moment one time...
My son is almost 8 (wow the time flies), but once when he was only 2 I had one of the FREAKIEST dream experiences.
It was a sunny Sunday afternoon, summertime... We had gotten up a little early, and by noon or so, we were both feeling a little sleepy, so I laid him down for a nap, and decided I would lay down too.
I wake up looking directly at the ceiling in my bedroom. I'm not completely awake, but notice it's pretty dark. "Man, is there a storm rolling in?" I get up, look at the clock, and HOLY SHIT! It's 8:00pm! "Dude! I'm late to bringing my son back to his Mom. It's practically bedtime, I gotta be at work tomorrow at 6:00am! How did I sleep all day!? How did HE sleep all day!?"
In my freaking out mindset, I decide that I need to just go sit down at my computer and mess around a minute to gather my thoughts and figure out how I'm going to explain this to her...
Immediately upon sitting down at my computer desk, I go to reach for my mouse, and "SWOOOOOOP" get sucked back into waking up, staring at my bedroom ceiling again.
"?? What the...?? Rubbing my eyes, I get out of bed realizing that it's a little brighter out. I look at my clock and it's about 5:30 - 6:00pm. Again, "??" I'm remember thinking, "well at least it's only going on 6:00pm and not 8:00, I'm not late getting him home to his mother." Not feeling as stressed or worried, realizing I had woken up from a dream, I decide to go sit at my computer desk again and gather my thoughts. I go to reach for my mouse, and "SWOOOOOOP" get sucked back into waking up AGAIN, staring at my bedroom ceiling.
At this point I've grasped what is happening, and I'm getting an uncomfortable feeling. This is starting to get kind of scary. I realize it's even brighter now, and upon looking at the clock, it's only around 4:00pm. "SWEET! At least I'm in real life now, and we only slept for 3.5 - 4 hours. Plenty of time to relax and think about that crazy dream within a dream. I go to sit down at my computer desk (do you see the pattern? lol) and reach for my mouse and "SWOOOOOOP"...
I woke up AGAIN...
Staring at my ceiling I leap up from the bed so fast, the vibration in the floor caused my son to move a little. His crib was in my bedroom. I just stop in my tracks and think "OMG, I must be dead. I've read about this." The idea that in death the brain is struggling to hold on, and you may be "trapping" yourself in fabricated realities, tangent realities, to control the shock.
I am getting upset. But then I notice that all too familiar vibration that this is undoubtedly real life. Reality just has that FEELING that you know this is real, matter based, three-dimensional existence. I look at the clock, and it's about 2:00 - 2:30. An overwhelming feeling of relief takes over, and I'm like "I need to go to my computer and see if I wake up again! Surely this isn't a dream!"
Long story remotely shortened, that was INDEED reality. I literally went three dream levels down. All of which were just as stable as the root dream. ALL of which felt SO real. It was life changing. Probably one of the few that REALLY made me get interested in dreams and lucid dreaming, etc.
I was just boggled by the complexity of the simplicity involved. By the lack of meaning. "What does this MEAN!?" All 4 instances were literally the SAME THING, but at different times of the day.
"WHY!?!1!?11!?1!?!?" :)
I've since had dreams within dreams experiences, but not three levels down. Not to the point you think you're dead because it just keeps going. Wicked trippy...
I hope you've enjoyed reading about this crazy experience. Have one for yourself and report back... If you make it back... MWAH HA HAAAA
I practice lucid dreaming. These False awakenings can be normal. My total count for False awakenings in 2010 in one night was 17. Most of them I was aware right away it was a dream.
Holy shit... How do you even keep track? lol It's been awhile since I've been lucid. I need to make that happen again. Stories need told. :)