I had a particular dream a few years ago that really scared me, I mean I still get goosebumps and teary-eyed just thinking about it. That's sort of saying a lot too because I often have disturbing and pretty graphic dreams and they never really get to me.

Ok, so, it was a short one. I basically dreamed that I woke up and there was a human-sized figure standing over me. It was wearing a mask with numerous vertical slits so I couldn't make out any facial features. I just laid there on my side, just staring at it, and it stood there motionless for a few moments. Then it said in a soft whisper "His dark legions". I then just calmly shut my eyes and went back to sleep (in my dream of course) while the figure just stood there and stared.

I don't know why this one got to me so bad. Its really the only dream I can remember in the last 15 years that really freaked me out. Like I said, it was the most convincing dream I've ever had, like one of those that you have to think hard as to if you dreamt something occurring or if it really did happen in real life. I guess I'm still not 100% sure that it didn't happen. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I've experienced some really amazing things that just don't make a bit of sense. We used to go ghost hunting at an old military fort, and we ran into some really crazy stuff. I've also experienced many things in my house that have no plausible explanation, so I guess that particular dream hit me hard because I have experienced the "paranormal" and that stuff can be really intense.

Anyone else have dreams of someone or something menacing in their room with them? That's the only one i've ever had.

Actually, the experience of having a frightening or evil creature in the room with you is quite common. It is associated with sleep paralysis and hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations. - These are the hallucinations that you have when you are in between sleeping and waking. You have hypnagogic hallucinations when you are falling asleep and hypnopompic hallucinations when you are waking up.

Sleep paralysis is especially associated with feelings of being frightened. It seems to be related to the part of the brain that is associated with fear.

The reason you felt like it was real could have been because you weren't 100% asleep. It could have been more like a hallucination than an actual dream.

The details of what the creature looked like and what he said were probably just a mixture of different bits and pieces of things from your memory.

Sounds like something I'd dream about. The mystics would probably tell you something about a demonic force or a "spirit guide" if you're at all curious. As for me, I have nothing helpful to contribute beyond what Marcia already has. Good luck.

simular dream when I was young

When reading your post, I got goosebumps and teary eyed. It reminded me of a dream, or actaully I always remember it as acutally happening, I had when I was probably 7 years old. I woke in the middle of the night and saw a silouhette of women kneeling at the end of my bed. The fear froze me. I then looked out my bedroom door at my mom's bedroom door and seen her leaning on the door frame but I knew it wasn't her. I jumped out of bed and darted into my moms room and slept on the floor next to the bed. It's not exactly the same dream as yours but the waking fear is very simular.

This more "mystic"-oriented article on lucid dreams refers to a spirit guide.

Kuchuchili (How to Have Lucid Dreams)