From what I learned in psychology once upon a time is that those jerks are natural reactions of your body to your dream. For example when you see a ball or something coming at you, you flintch to dodge it. But the reason your body moves still is because when you start going into REM sleep (rapid eye movement), your body takes on a paralysed persona, as in your body just becomes paralysed.
Now when I was a child I had the ability to wake myself from my nightmares, however I used to wake up in a paralysed state. I could only, very slowly move myself. It took me a while to sit up against the wall at the top of my bed, couple that with trying to identify your surroundings when you conscious brain isn't working proporly, well I was probably better off asleep; I couldn't even scream for my father.
To top that off I've even been awake and in a dream at the same time with the two images overlapping. 1. I could see my bedroom window, and the green curtains at the time, and 2. in the other I could see myself moving through a maze where I was being chased. Kind of strange huh?
Oh, in another of these 'wake yourself up' moments. I saw a black figure stood next to my television, about 5ft tall. He was cloaked and hooded. I fully regained consciousness and he vanished. But that is not the first time I have seen him; he has been in many dreams out of place and I've seen him in reality before as well. Kind of ironic that I see the same figure and none any different. Years and years and years later I saw a spiritualist, so to speak just in general and appranentely my spirit guide is exatly that what I saw. I didn't even say what I'd seen as a child. Pretty wierd.
