--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The really strange thing about being…" description: "\"“The really strange thing about being awake isn’t being awake; it’s the people that aren’t. They’re walking and talking in their dreamstates; some of t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e7/jed-mckenna-15841_sleep_the-really-strange-thing-about-being-awa_1199860.jpg" --- # The really strange thing about being awake isn’t being… ![“The really strange thing about being awake isn’t being awake; it’s the people that aren’t. They’re walking and talking in their dreamstates; some of them declaring their deep commitment to waking up while doing everything possible not to. Have you ever been around a sleepwalker who had their eyes…” quote by Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e7/jed-mckenna-15841_sleep_the-really-strange-thing-about-being-awa_1199860.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e7/jed-mckenna-15841_sleep_the-really-strange-thing-about-being-awa_1199860.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e7/jed-mckenna-15841_sleep_the-really-strange-thing-about-being-awa_1199860.jpg) > ““The really strange thing about being awake isn’t being awake; it’s the people that aren’t. They’re walking and talking in their dreamstates; some of them declaring their deep commitment to waking up while doing everything possible not to. Have you ever been around a sleepwalker who had their eyes open and was performing a task, even speaking? It’s pretty eerie. Now imagine the whole world is like that. It’s eerie and it’s lonely, but more than that, it’s dubious. It lacks credibility. It’s not believable. Even at the level of consensual reality, it’s hard to accept that these people are all really asleep. I’m able to interact to some degree with sleepwalkers, but they’re speaking from within a dreamstate world that I can’t see and only barely remember. They might say they want to wake up, but it quickly becomes apparent that they have some dreamworld notion of what awake means that might involve anything so long as it doesn’t disturb their slumber. Ego’s guard dog is ever-vigilant, and it bites. They say that sleepwalkers get violent if you try to wake them; a curiously apt parallel.”” [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote describes how many people operate in a half‑asleep, unexamined state, claiming awareness while remaining trapped in their own delusions. **In simple terms:** People often act awake while actually dreaming. Key Takeaway Question true awareness beyond superficial wakefulness. Themes consciousness illusion authenticity Mood eerie lonely thoughtful Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - personal reflection - group dynamics - leadership - mental health - spiritual practice Key Concepts awakening ego social conditioning Questions to Reflect On - How can you tell if you are truly awake? - What habits keep you in a dreamlike state? A Different Perspective The metaphor may oversimplify complex psychological states. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) [Whole world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-world/) ## Related quotes > [“I would know that in any city, at an hour like this, there are people sleeping. 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Be filled with wonder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/always-keep-your-eyes-open-don-t-block-your-own-sunshine-be-filled/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [“For a long time before I met you, I felt my life was this kind of test. I was in deep, cold water, swimming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-raeder/for-a-long-time-before-i-met-you-i-felt-my-life-was-this-kind-of-test/) [Leah Raeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-raeder/) > [“Logan thought about it for a moment and then asked, “How about Whipped?” Tate’s eyes opened and he looked slightly shocked. “I know I’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-frank/logan-thought-about-it-for-a-moment-and-then-asked-how-about-whipped/) [Ella Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-frank/) ## More by Jed McKenna > [“The American dream of freedom and abundance is just a child’s rendering of true freedom and abundance, and serves only to convince people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mckenna/the-american-dream-of-freedom-and-abundance-is-just-a-child-s/) [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) > [“I don’t see it as my role to save or rescue anybody any more than regular people feel the need to rescue each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-mckenna/i-don-t-see-it-as-my-role-to-save-or-rescue-anybody-any-more-than/) [Jed McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-mckenna/) > [“Before enlightenment I believed my ego was me, then enlightenment comes along and no more ego, only the underlying reality. 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It really was like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannyn-sossamon/i-went-to-a-slumber-party-in-a-hotel-the-whole-hotel-was-rented-out/) [Shannyn Sossamon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannyn-sossamon/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [When we are apart you are all I think about I think about u when I am awake and when I go to sleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/superman/when-we-are-apart-you-are-all-i-think-about-i-think-about-u-when-i-am/) Superman > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. 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Have you ever been around a sleepwalker who had their eyes open and was performing a task, even speaking? It’s pretty eerie. Now imagine the whole world is like that. It’s eerie and it’s lonely, but more than that, it’s dubious. It lacks credibility. It’s not believable. Even at the level of consensual reality, it’s hard to accept that these people are all really asleep. I’m able to interact to some degree with sleepwalkers, but they’re speaking from within a dreamstate world that I can’t see and only barely remember. They might say they want to wake up, but it quickly becomes apparent that they have some dreamworld notion of what awake means that might involve anything so long as it doesn’t disturb their slumber. Ego’s guard dog is ever-vigilant, and it bites. 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