Phenomenology of lucid dreaming, sleep paralysis, and false awakenings: Encounters with the Self

Abstract

Lucid dreaming (LD), sleep paralysis (SP), and false awakenings (FA) are liminal sleep phenomena that are often studied independently, despite evidence suggesting that they may arise from overlapping states of consciousness. Within Filipino cultural contexts, such experiences are frequently interpreted through folklore and superstition, such as bangungot, rather than through scientific or phenomenological frameworks. This paper presents a qualitative, phenomenological analysis of LD, SP, and FA through the first-person account of a Filipina dreamer, integrating personal experience with existing sleep research. Drawing on dream journaling and subjective interpretation, the study introduces the concept of the false awakening loop as a proposed theoretical framework describing consecutive false awakenings occurring within a single sleep episode. The findings suggest that LD, SP, and FA may form an interrelated sequence rather than isolated phenomena, particularly during intermediate states between REM sleep and wakefulness. By situating individual experience within both cultural and scientific contexts, this paper highlights the value of phenomenological approaches in understanding liminal dream states and underscores the need for further qualitative research on false awakening loops and culturally situated dream experiences.