I used to have dreams all the time that I was being attacked or chased and could not fight back effectively. In some, they were full on night terror territory, where I’d be crying out, and others could not wake me.

Then the weirdest thing happened – for a very brief period I did boxing as fitness (instead of like, actually boxing). And I discovered that I can actually throw a hard punch (you know, when I’m prepared for it and jabber my hands wrapped ands am wearing boxing gloves).

But for some reason that knowledge broke my suspension of disbelief as it relates to dreams. If something attacks me in my dreams, I know that the inability to punch means I’m dreaming, so I semi-lucidly just wake up now. If something seems too shitty to be to true, my brain just pulls the escape hatch and I wake up.