u/Size-8

It’s 2:21am EST rn and I just awoke from what was such a surreal dream that I feel was astral projection. It had to be, I think, but it was weird.

Context: I’m 25. Live with my family in an apt. I had a long nap yesterday after getting home from work around 4-9pm. Stood up texting my gf and studied for an exam I have on Friday for a state certification. Then went to sleep around 1:15am again for work today. Nothing unusual. I wake up at around 6am for work, my body is used to this.

Extra context: growing up I’ve had horrible sleep paralysis and stories with it. When I moved it went away and came back until I surrounded myself with “positive energy” methods. Sageing the house, wearing a red bracelet, having a dream catcher. Whether it works or not I have no clue, but haven’t had sleep paralysis since. Anyways, to the dream

Dream: I fall asleep (in real life) and wake up (dream) on the side of my bed. I felt extreme fear for some reason and was hyperventilating to as I was in sleep paralysis. It’s shitty but going through it enough times I’ve learned ways to get out of it. I controlled my breathing and forced myself to sleep (dream) Then I wake up again (AP/OBE)

OBE/ AP dream: I stand up and turn around and there it is, I see myself. In full detail sleeping. My sleeping body was on its back, right arm up behind my head and I was snoring. It was like looking in a mirror as my entire appearance was 1/1 of myself. I look at myself and suddenly I’m like a shadow, or gas or something like that. My hands weren’t fully formed but they were so strange to look at. I’m fully conscious and aware of what I believe is going on, that THIS has to be astral projection. My entire room and apartment was an odd looking darkness. Not dark like looking into pitch black, but very noir esque. Had an estranged white dark glow that I could see a bit more than I could with all the lights in my apt off at night. I stayed put in my room looking at my stuff, which everything was surprisingly in the right place, my phone drawers desk etc, but I was extremely hesitant to leave my room and explore the apartment to check on my family. I’m always reminded of insidious and how that went lol. So I get a little nervous and try to wake myself up, to end this “projection”, but my hand is going right through my sleeping body. After what felt like an hour of trying to use my right hand to pat my chest to wake myself up, I give up. Went from standing to sitting on the floor, leaning on the side of my bed passing my hand through my physical body knowing I can’t do anything except wait out however long this takes. My head was facing down leaning on the side of my bed as I got bored of this as it felt like an endless wait. But then my body finally felt solid and looked up as it was such an abrupt change it wasn’t me anymore… a solid black being in my was in place. No features anywhere on its body, just a solid black humanoid body with a wide mouth that was closed. The moment I realized it wasn’t me it grinned and I went to choke it out. I suddenly wasn’t able to see anything anymore, almost as if I was blind. I tussled with whatever that thing was as I felt my grasp on it. After some time fighting it I awoke (real life).

Was this astral projection/ out of body experience ? Or just a bad dream ?

Some things I noted

I didn’t fly as I’ve read is a popular experience, I only stood
It went from a dream to astral projection, is that a thing?
The black figure at the end made me feel like that wouldn’t happen in an OBE/ AP as it was very nightmare worthy, but I also don’t know what’s supposed to happen in one.
The position I awoke in was different than how I saw myself sleeping. I awoke on my side wrapped in my blanket like a burrito. In my dream I was on my back as I described earlier. Discrepancy?

I’d love to know your takes. Thank you guys!

Military service

I astral projected?