Last night — or more accurately, early this morning — I woke up around 3:30 a.m. from a nightmare that left me frozen in fear. It wasn’t just a bad dream. It was sleep paralysis. That terrifying in-between space where your eyes are open but your body won’t move, and something in the dark watches you like it knows you’re trapped.
In the dream, I was in what felt like a hotel. There were women and little girls everywhere, but something about the place felt off. Not just unsettling — wrong. My gut kept whispering, something isn’t right. Especially around one woman.
She wasn’t human. Or maybe she was, but something in her presence told me otherwise.
She was pale, with a distinguished nose and long brown hair. Her eyes were light brown, almost hazel. On paper, she doesn’t sound terrifying. But it was the way she looked at me. Stared. Silently. It was like her stillness was the threat. She wouldn’t let me leave. I kept saying I needed to get to my room because I forgot something, trying to remove myself from whatever was happening. But she blocked me — and soon, I was on the ground with her hovering above me.
Not walking. Not leaning. Floating.
I asked her, “How did you get above me like that?”
She simply said, “I don’t know.”
That answer — quiet, calm, and empty — scared me more than if she had screamed.
When I finally broke free and woke up, it felt like I had to crawl my way out of a pit. And even after I opened my eyes… I still saw her. I don’t mean I imagined her. I mean I saw her. Her image stayed, clinging to the corners of my room, just like the fear did. It’s now hours later, and I’m still trying to shake the feeling that something followed me out of that dream.
Dream Interpretation: Who Was She?
Dreams — especially sleep paralysis visions — often bring our unconscious fears to life in the most intense and surreal ways. Here’s what I think my dream might be trying to tell me:
The Hotel
A hotel is a transitional space. You don’t live there. You just pass through. This might symbolize a period in my life where I feel in-between things — not grounded, not fully settled. A place where I don’t feel fully safe.
The Woman
She wasn’t overtly violent. She didn’t hurt me. But she denied me freedom. Her hovering, her silence, and her refusal to let me return to my room suggest a presence in my life (or mind) that represents control, suppression, or quiet dominance. A figure that may not raise their voice — but still takes up all the space.
Her being almost human but not quite may symbolize a situation or person in waking life that seems fine on the surface, but instinctually feels “off.” Like something is wrong beneath the calm exterior.
Sleep Paralysis and Powerlessness
Being pinned down in a dream — especially during sleep paralysis — is often the subconscious’s way of showing how trapped or powerless we feel in real life. I wasn’t just scared of her — I was scared of having no agency. Of being watched, judged, frozen.
Final Thoughts
This wasn’t just a nightmare. It was an experience. One that left an imprint. But I believe dreams don’t show us fear to punish us — they show us fear so we can name it, face it, and eventually release it.
If she comes back, I’ll try to meet her differently. Not as a victim. But as the one who woke up.
And maybe that’s the most powerful part of all: I woke up.
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