Preface

I’ve encountered sleep paralysis multiple times, struggling to wake up until I found that shaking my head vigorously can break the spell.

Liu Cixin once said: “Imagination is an ability humans possess that seems like it should belong solely to gods. Its significance far exceeds our understanding.”

In dreams, your imagination becomes extraordinarily powerful.

The Dream

It didn’t feel like a typical dream—I was fully conscious, even hearing voices outside the window clearly. I knew I was dreaming. I tried to sit up, but an invisible force pinned me down. The harder I struggled, the stronger the restraining force became. Then I remembered an old trick: shaking my head. A slight head movement almost woke me, yet part of me wanted to linger in the dream state where I had absolute control. Returning to the dream, I kept attempting to rise but failed repeatedly. Finally, a forceful head shake jolted me awake. I suspect this works because physical movement (unlike trying to sit up) disrupts brain activity—possibly shifting the pituitary gland’s position—interrupting the dream state.

Conclusion

Research suggests this was a lucid dream. While some articles mention counting numbers as a wake-up method, I’m convinced that head movement triggers faster awakening. This might relate to physical repositioning affecting brain functions.