I had 'False Awakening' a couple of time. I had one yesterday night. I was in a dream then later tried to wake up but I'm waking up only in the dream but not in reality. I tried multiple times and later realized that I'm still dreaming. Finally I wake up at the end. Did you ever had the experience of trying to wake up from a dream but can't open eyes or thought you have woke up but still in dream?
Dan, sounds a little like lucid dreaming...where you are aware of being asleep, in a dream...
Did you ever see the 2010 movie, INCEPTION?
Yes, but usually when I'm having a nightmare from the war. Luckily I don't have many of them anymore.
I have had dreams in which I saw myself sleeping, but I knew I was dreaming all the while and made no effort to wake myself up. The alarm clock would do that soon enough.
I would describe it more as an out-of-body experience, observing my body sleeping, with my disembodied self floating above, near the ceiling of the room.
Sounds like a Night Terror to me , especially the Paralysis.
I had frequent Night Terrors as a Girl.
I would wake abruptly in the middle of the Night when I'd only just fallen asleep, go to turn my light on but no light came on and I couldn't open my bedroom door or call out. It was as if my Soul/Spirit was out of my Body because I couldn't make contact with the Physical World but it's very hard to explain.They Terrified me as a Child and I never spoke about them to anyone until I was 22 because I thought others would think me Nuts..
I thought I was a Ghost the first time.
I still get them if I'm extremely Stressed and my Anxiety levels are through the roof for some reason but they are rare these days thankfully.
Once in a very Blue Moon.