What causes False Awakenings?

Answer 1

False awakenings, like any other sort of dream, often carry symbolic meaning for the dreamer. When a sleeper seems to wake up, only to realize they are still asleep and dreaming, the clear message is, "you are dreaming!" The dreamer's mind is alerting the dreamer to the fact that something is happening in real life that the person is not facing realistically. For example, perhaps a fellow thinks that all he needs is a weekend in Las Vegas, where he can win enough money gambling to pay all his debts. In this case, his own mind could create dreams of false awakenings, with the message, "You're dreaming, and you had better wake up!"