• From: I have no idea
  • Registered: 2006-09-12

Topic: Loss of control

I don't know where to post this because I don't know how an experience  like this can be explained.
A few nights ago I was spending the night at a friend's place and was sleeping on the couch. I had my hands under my head and my arms in kind of an awkward position, but I was sleeping nonetheless because I was very tired. At some point in the night I woke up and my right hand had an intense tingling sensation. You know, the feeling you get when a limb "falls asleep" and is just waking up. Only this time, it was the most intense I've ever felt it. I pulled it out from under my head and the moment it was free, it lunged for my face and gripped tightly. I had absolutely no control of my own right hand as it gripped my face without letting go. It was still tingling intensely and I couldn't use any of the muscles in it. I had to use my left hand to grab my right forearm and pull it away. After a moment or two the feeling in my hand returned and I could control the movement again. Then I returned to sleep because I was still very tired.
Anyone had/heard of experiences like this? Any explanations as to what could have caused it?

If you want any more details just ask.

  • Registered: 2005-07-09

Re: Loss of control

Wow! I've had a limb go "dead asleep" before, where when I had no motor control of it, and I rolled over my hand flopped on my face and there was no feeling so I didn't recognize it as my own and it caused me some panic (OMG someone dumped a dead body next to me in my sleep! Or something along those lines). But the dead limb was dead, until the tingling and sensation eventually returned and I had a nice laugh at myself. That seemingly possessed gripping your face thing is pretty far out. I can't think of a normal explanation.

3 Reply by Pinkrlyq (edited by Pinkrlyq 2006-09-24 14:07:18)

  • From: IL
  • Registered: 2006-05-24

Re: Loss of control

Baron, I was wondering if you remembered dreaming anything before you woke up to find your hand tingling, or is it the tingling that woke you up?

Sinaptix... LOL!!  I've had my arm fall asleep before while I was sleeping (actually went through a couple week period last year like that).  For some reason, I had it straight up, at a 90 degree angle from my horizontal sleeping body), and as soon as I woke up and wondered why my arm was in the air... down it came, dead asleep (no motor control to stop it), and *crack*....right in my nose or eye... I've almost given myself a couple black eyes like that!

[Edit] 

Just found this at MedicineNet.com:

MedicineNet.com wrote:

Definition of Alien hand syndrome

Alien hand syndrome: The feeling that one's hand is possessed by a force outside of ones control. The syndrome typically arises after trauma to the brain, after brain surgery or after a stroke or an infection of the brain. A person with the alien hand syndrome can feel sensation in the affected hand but thinks that the hand is not part of their body and that they have no control over its movement, that it belongs to an alien.

Different types of brain injuries cause different subtypes alien hand syndrome. For example, take an injury to the corpus callosum (the area of the brain which connects the two cerebral hemispheres, the two halves of the brain). Such an injury in a right-handed person can give rise to purposeful movements of the left hand, while injury to the brain's frontal lobe of the brain can trigger grasping and other purposeful movements in the dominant right hand. More complex hand movements such as unbuttoning or tearing of clothes are usually associated with brain tumors, aneurysms or strokes.

There is currently no treatment for alien hand. All a patient can do to control the problem is to keep the hand busy by having it hold an object.

Modern medical explanations...:rolleyes: (interesting that they would call it 'alien hand syndrome', though)

Well, (just to cover 'all the bases') I'm guessing you haven't had any brain surgery or trauma to the head lately, have you?

[Edit #2]

A thought just occurred to me... I wonder if it could have been some sort of post-hypnotic suggestion, either from your subconscious or from something in the astral/dream realm?  Have you been noticing any other strange sleep disturbances lately, Baron?  Or anything else that might fall under the 'paranormal' classification?  Or your friend (his house?)?  Maybe the point of it was to distract your waking mind with something bizarre so that you wouldn't remember what had just being going on?...

"Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." ~ Mark Twain
  • From: I have no idea
  • Registered: 2006-09-12

Re: Loss of control

Pinkrlyq wrote:

Baron, I was wondering if you remembered dreaming anything before you woke up to find your hand tingling, or is it the tingling that woke you up?

Well, (just to cover 'all the bases') I'm guessing you haven't had any brain surgery or trauma to the head lately, have you?

A thought just occurred to me... I wonder if it could have been some sort of post-hypnotic suggestion, either from your subconscious or from something in the astral/dream realm?  Have you been noticing any other strange sleep disturbances lately, Baron?  Or anything else that might fall under the 'paranormal' classification?  Or your friend (his house?)?  Maybe the point of it was to distract your waking mind with something bizarre so that you wouldn't remember what had just being going on?...

I haven't had any brain surgery or head trauma, though that alien hand syndrome is interesting.
I had a lot of strange dreams that night, but unfortunately, I can't remember any of them. I'm really bad at remembering dreams.
Strangely, I can't remember anything else about the experience. I can't even remember if it was light or dark out. I never checked what time it was.
I can't recall any sleep disturbances, or anything else paranormal recently. The only thing that was different with my friend/his place was that his cat was sick (bad omen?).
I like your idea of a distraction. I sure can't remember what was going on, so if that was the plan, it worked.

5 Reply by Pinkrlyq (edited by Pinkrlyq 2006-09-24 16:05:38)

  • From: IL
  • Registered: 2006-05-24

Re: Loss of control

Baron, it does sound like something was trying to prevent you from remembering your dreams.

If you're interested, there's a good thread about how to better remember your dreams here: http://forum.noblerealms.org/viewtopic.php?id=3266

I hope your friend's cat is feeling better! smile

"Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." ~ Mark Twain