Why Do Headaches Occur After Forced Awakening from Dreams?

Question: Why does one get a headache when abruptly awakened from a dream, but not when naturally waking after the dream concludes?

Answer: Dreaming is performed by the manas (the mental faculty). When the manas is unsettled by mental preoccupations, it manifests them in dreams. If a dream is forcibly interrupted, the manas has unfinished mental activities, causing distress. This distress then induces a headache. This demonstrates how the mind influences the body: whether the manas is pleased or displeased, it acts out and manifests physically—such as dancing for joy, beaming with smiles, trembling all over, or bristling with rage. From these phenomena, it is evident that the manas experiences sensations (vedanā), and not merely neutral feeling (upekṣā).

When a dream is abruptly interrupted and one awakens immediately, the headache is felt instantly. This headache is unrelated to consciousness (vijñāna); consciousness merely perceives the pain. What induces the headache is the manas itself, which, dissatisfied and unable to bear the incompletion of its intended activity, seeks release.

By regularly reciting mantras or the Buddha's name, one purifies the mind and remains free from mental disturbances. Consequently, dreams cease, and the quality of sleep improves.