Punching people in dreams?

[NickisDank]

Ive had so many dreams when i get into fights with people, or acting in self defense; when i try to punch them it feels as if im trying to swing my arm through water. every time i hit somebody i dont feel the impact of a solid blow(feels like i hit basically nothing). This has happend to be all my life and im just curious, it seems when i try to act violante or even have to, i cant?

Has anyone else had this happen, im trying to not have this happen anymore and be able to actually win fights and help myself more so. It doesnt feel to good waking up from a dream which you lost a fight in due to the fact when you tried to fight, nothing works.

[Nomesb69]

Ive had so many dreams when i get into fights with people, or acting in self defense; when i try to punch them it feels as if im trying to swing my arm through water. every time i hit somebody i dont feel the impact of a solid blow(feels like i hit basically nothing). This has happend to be all my life and im just curious, it seems when i try to act violante or even have to, i cant?

Has anyone else had this happen, im trying to not have this happen anymore and be able to actually win fights and help myself more so. It doesnt feel to good waking up from a dream which you lost a fight in due to the fact when you tried to fight, nothing works.

Now that you mention it. All the dreams I ever had where I had to punch or kick someone it felt the same way. It felt like I was under water and was hard to make solid contact and with great resistance. Never really thought much about it till I read your post. I always thought it was my mind taunting me as I have done martial arts for around 15 years and know I can throw a punch or kick in waking time.

[Jarrod]

Fighting in dreams is the same way for me.  I exert so much effort but it has no effect.  I don't think the person I'm fighting even reacts at all either.  This my be a common dream symbol among people who have fighting experience.  I can't be sure but I think I usually dream of this when there is some frustration in my life.  Maybe it's a symbol representing the futility of fighting/resistance, or maybe it's just an emotional expression of frustration at a task or situation.

[Fourthdimension]

I had this too it feels like when i hit them it does nt have any effect as if i cant fight etc. I also have done some martial arts and can fight but i considered this dream symbol to be an expression of some sort of weakness i had and it actually affected my physical fights because when i was a child i use to find it hard to tell my dreams from reality and aot of them just got all through into one pot inclding that of the punching dreams and so when i was about to have a fight i would feel demoralised as if i am weak and can do nothing cause my punches wont hurt them but then when i actually win i felt much better

i dont really know what this dream symbol means

[Jarrod]

Yay!  A dream symbol unique to people who can fight.  I feel special.  Haha

[Fourthdimension]

maybe its a mindset tht we all share . the worry of not winning and not hurting the opponent when using as much effort as we can. aybe its the feeling of been powerless and out of control in an enviroment where both is needed.

[Xanth]

I've had MANY a dream where I've been trying to run... and it feels all slow-mo.
I've also had "fighting" dreams where everything feels slow-mo as well.

Not sure why.

Strangely, when I'm lucid or astrally aware... those particular limitations seem to be gone or vastly reduced.

[Stookie]

It's a common dream thing, like teeth falling out. I remember seeing a Popeye cartoon when I was a kid where he was fighting bluto in a dream and his punch was in slow-mo like that. My guess is that it's a feeling of helplessness being expressed in your dream. Feeling helpless in life?

[CFTraveler]

Perhaps this is an indication that you should figure out why you are fighting in dreams, see what the symbology tells you, and take steps in waking life to avoid the need for your subconscious to keep giving you this message?  Just a thought.

[Jarrod]

Actually it hasn't happened to me in years.  I just remember it used to happen when I was younger a lot.

[i smoke and drink coffee]

Yeah, same thing has happened to me.  Walked up to this kid (I was a kid too)  and tried to fight him down.  Threw a punch that was so hard that it just kind of dribbled of his chest, so I tried again, and threw a different punch, still no effect.  He was laughing at me.

Now that you mention it, I had a dream fragment the other night, few nights ago, where I had to punch someone and it didn't do anything.  Apparently, trying to bring in physical means into the dream state is futile.  As a child, it was possible to fight my enemies with psionics or magick, I could throw bolts of lightening or fire, usually powered by some sort of magical staff.

It definitely seems that is some frustration in life, perhaps it serves as a warning that 'no matter how hard you try to win, some people will not respect it even if you do win'.

[NickisDank]

Ya Ive just had to many odd situations where either someone just out of nowhere tried to punch me, or I've gotten mad at a person and it escalates to us trying to fight.

Also I saw someone say something about teeth Falling out in dreams? Ya I've had that one happen a lot to. Each time I have a dream about fighting someone though it's usually something really random, like a person I've never meet.

For instance I had a dream last night that was just completely random, I was with a coworker I've never even really talked to and we were at a supermarket sitting on a bench. Then out of nowhere what appears to be a bum walks up to me and starts yelling about how he's going to kick my butt? Like wtf

[justin35ll]

Gah, this is so frustrating I have had this my whole life. So annoying wish I could just beat the crap out of them lol, but it never works just feels like it takes so much effort to punch and when my arm finally gets there it doesn't affect them

[WASD]

Here is an explanation I found:

It's because punching (like running) is a highly-coordinated activity that relies on proprioceptive feedback throughout the motion to work. Since the thalamus clamps down both on the transmission of the motor signals you'd need to effectively complete the motion and the perception of joint-motion data while you're asleep, everything feels bogged down and slow.

Compare that to 'flying', which is a), something we can't do normally, so we have no basis for comparison to see if it feels right or not, and b) superman-style flying about doesn't require significant body motion anyway.

source: http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/gg3dj/why_cant_i_throw_good_punches_in_my_dreams_i_cant/c1nbibg

[Athymari]

Interesting.

I am no martial -artist (karate age 13 doesnt count) and I have same, slow-mo tapping their chin. Frsutrating as hell when you know this person wants to hurt you and you know they will probably hit you for a mile.

I have not attempted this for awhile now so I think it sunk it it will not work!

I think when not physical - stick to the non physical. I control elements in my dreams and I use them when I can. Airbender style... though this was before the cartoon actually came out!

[Jarrod]

I think when not physical - stick to the non physical. I control elements in my dreams and I use them when I can. Airbender style... though this was before the cartoon actually came out!

What a cool idea.  That's sounds like a really fun thing to do if I find myself lucid dreaming, see what element I feel most comfortable manipulating.

And on the original topic of the thread, about a week ago I had a dream in which someone was being very menacing in a psychotic creepy way, standing in my doorway and not going away and smiling at me all crazy and evilly.  I kept striking them but no matter how hard I thought I hit them it had no effect.  He just wouldn't move.  He went away and came back a couple times and the last time I just stabbed him.  I guess that was unexpected because he did react to that and I was able to push him out the door.  I don't think it ended it though because I remember running from him at some point after that.  Haha 

[Rudolph]

Stookie's comment is closest, so far, I think.

It is a reflection of a feeling of impotence. Effort being made is not moving one any closer to the goal. Good intentions and well motivated actions seem to go awry. A solution is to change one's habit patterns a little and try a new approach. Pick a short term achievable goal and do what it takes to make it manifest.

Once we get good at this the dream state becomes the opposite. A young man might find himself wielding an automatic weapon and firing at people and the degree to which the targets are being destroyed there is a reflection of one's self image of strength and power.

I knew one young man who came to me for a dream interpretation that had him very worried. He was concerned that he might be turning into to some kind of a mass murderer. I asked him if he had recently been through an ordeal or had done well in some sort of test. His face lit up and a calm look of self satisfaction spread across his face. His companion was nodding vigorously. I told him  not to worry and it was just his subconscious crowing a little. Both were very relieved.

Now the other condition of the thalamus clamp down mentioned here plays into this too. Trying to move underwater is often part of the dream image presented when one is transitioning to a Lucid Dream state or even an outright OBE. It is a sign that waking efforts and practices are at least helping with a little progress. The fighting scenario combined is just the dream state doing double duty - high efficiency in self training -- multi-tasking. Trying to run or swing punches underwater would be a little of both of the elements I've mentioned here.

These problems are all good problems to have.

Well done, people.

[Pharoah]

Just thought I'd chime in and add another penny to the "OMG I GET THIS TOO" jar.  Any attempt at any act that I consider to be physically violent is just a complete waste of time in dreams.  I find that when I try to punch or kick someone/thing it's as if I'm just reaching my arm forward to touch it lightly.  The whole swing + impact is so light and ineffectual it's almost an affectionate gesture, lol.  I do however recall having one dream when I was in high school where I punched a kid in the face.  It was so raw and powerful; felt amazing. It was the dream equivalent to me (all 105 lbs of me, so, not very strong) punching an egg with all my strength in waking life.  Bones shattered, blood sprayed, etc.

Good times...

[Jarrod]

When I used to have this a lot kicks would have full effect but punches would be weak and useless.

[Lizelle]

Well, I DO hit people in dreams, on rare occasions when I have to defend myself. I actually broke my toe once when the "kick" turned real. OUCH!!! (we have strong plaster walls, almost like rock) One hell of a way to wake up! I guess the paralysis failed. Normally I don't flail about.