This question is similar to Robby's but isn't soley about other people if that even makes any sense.

Much of what we dream is internal, but from my understanding they can have astral qualities. Most of it I can't recall, but a few days ago I had a dream somebody or a group of people were trying to kill me. Why, I don't know. The pain I felt from being stabbed in my side was so real though. And yes, I know that dreams always feel real blah blah blah. Could those who tried hurting me in my dream have been real? And how do you distinguish between your mind and the astral?