I began to grow more sensitive to the world around and within me at the age of 44. This was also a period when I had begun to suffer from severe anemia and chronic fatigue. I do not know whether this was a mere coincidence or a trigger for the latent abilities to begun to develop in me. It was not all like the dramatic accounts of sudden development of clairvoyance among people, which we come across in books and other media. It was slow and gradual, and in bursts. During this period I was living alone in Delhi with my two sons. My husband was away on a foreign assignment. So apart from the health problem there were other stresses and tensions that I had to deal with. It started with very vivid visual hypnogogia and hypnopompia (please see the Appendix page for explanation of these terms). I would see outdoor locations, landscapes, inside of houses. One incident of hypnopompia that I can still visualize in detail was an old European- mansion like building. I seem to be looking at it from the top, as if my consciousness was floating above it and I could look at it from various angles. The image was crystal clear and life like. In fact it would not be an exaggeration to say that it appeared more real than real life!! I started seeing these images quite often – almost twice or thrice a week. There was no pattern to it. Nor was it under my control. Sometimes it would seem as if I was looking through or telescope/tunnel. Sometimes the images were in miniature. Some times strangely illuminated faces seem to materialize in front of my closed eyes just before I fell asleep.
Fascinating, if even a bit scary! This experience of incredibly strong hypnogogia/hypnopomia – did you find it overall correlated with overall stress levels in your life at the time? Do you notice a corresponding drop as stress dropped too? This is the first I’ve heard of a relationship between the two.
When is it was happening did you know what it was or did you lose yourself to experience?
By: Ben on October 30, 2007
at 1:17 am
Dear Ben,
To answer your first question, I think that both emotional and physiological stress was the initial triggering factor. However with time, just physiological stress like fasting or insufficient sleep was enough to trigger this off. Off late, I have begun to realise that some amount of meditation, not your typical yogic meditation, but quiet moments spent in contemplation in the company of music and nature appears to be favourable for these and other so called, paranormal experiences. This is my personal experience, it may not be true for other people.
Regarding your second question, I am very much aware of these experiences when they are happening, and I am at the same time aware of the things going on in the room where I am lying down. The images dissolve if there is too much distraction in the room. That is the main difference between normal dreams and hypnogogia, in the latter case you are aware that you are experiencing hypnogogia.
By: duskfalls on October 30, 2007
at 4:52 am
Hi, I found this blog entry via google. I share the hypnogogic appearance of faces while falling asleep and have at one point in my life had ultra-vivid hypnopompic hallucinations of landscapes. My typical hypnopopmia, though, isn’t as vivid as yours appears to be. Anyway, just thought I’d share that info. You can see a description here: http://hypnopompiac.blogspot.com/2008/01/introduction-and-purpose.html where I’ve recently begun blogging about my attempts to eradicate hypnopompia.
By: Sleep blogger on January 7, 2008
at 6:31 pm
For a good many years I have been trapped between sleep and being awake. I am very much aware of my bedroom, only I see things in it. Shadows, people, some things Id rather not say else you would think I was nuts. I even rolled over one night to see my husband stairing at me with block eyes and a sinister grin on his face lol…I nwoke up completely as I was knocking the heck out of my poor husband while he slept lol. I just discovered tonight about the term hypnogogia and found this blog. I am not a fearful person. I am quite courious of it all lol. But i am seeking answers.
By: Beloved Isis on April 10, 2008
at 2:25 am
Beloved Isis
Thank you for your comment on my blog. I am looking for some answers myself. For starters, I have begun to watch my thoughts during waking hours. It is not easy, but worth a try to understand your conscious mind, and find a link to the images and sounds that we see and hear during hypnogogia and hypnopompia.
best wishes
By: duskfalls on April 10, 2008
at 4:54 am
I was falling asleep the other night, aware of my surroundings with my eyes closed and was drifting off to sleep when I heard a voice that called out the name David, and then the same voice said that he had passed over. Not startled but surprised I immediately opened my eyes and there was no one around me. I was all alone with total silence. I again closed my eyes only to hear a quick swooshing sound in the bedroom, alittle more startled this time I opened my eyes, and again nothing. I have been trying to make sense of this and am feeling that I may have been contacted from a spirit guide with a message for me. Can anyone give me insight of any kind?
By: Lori on June 15, 2008
at 9:41 pm
Dear Lori,
I would suggest that you go throught the following research paper :
Relationship between the hypnagogic/hypnopompic states and reports of anomalous experiences, Simon J. Sherwood, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh,Edinburgh EH8 9JZ
This is the most balanced and extensive study on hypno. states that I have come across so far. It is available free online on the net.
If you were to ask for my personal opinion, well, based on my past experiences of hypnopompia/gogia and dreams (I very frequent hypnogogic and pompic experiences and also have very vivid dreams) I think that we all live in three realms or states at different points of time and some times simultaneiously – the conscious (waking state), subconscious (dreaming while asleep) and the supraconscious state which normal people like us can only rarely gain access to, and if we do it is by accident. However, during the two short phases i.e. just before falling asleep and just before waking up, we tread through what I call the ‘threshold’ area which is the meeting point or overlapping zone of the three states. So, some of us are able to access the supraconscious realm during this phase, but often it overlaps with dreaming and half awake states, consequently what the mind registers is a mixture of all three states. This results in confusion, not knowing whether we are dreaming or awake or experiencing some paranormal/spiritual phenomenon.
The mystics were able to access the supraconscious realm while fully awake and recieve divine inspiration. However some of us get only a partial glimpse of this state and its quality and content depends on the level of our spiritual growth.
Finally just as a dreamer is the best interepretor of his/her own dreams, you are the best interpretor of your hypnogogic/pompic experiences.
By: duskfalls on June 16, 2008
at 11:06 am