Originally posted by intent
the hypnogogic imagery is just a phase that comes and goes. it is basically you shifting levels of awareness and the side effects that come because of that. same thing happens when you to sleep, move your arm in a semi-dream and then *shock* wake and actually move your arm. key to the concentrating on your breathing is that you get really really in tune with yourself and what is going on. that leads to an oobe or a lucid dream.

my recommendation is no to have any mental phrase, in fact in my experience it is counter-productive. just simple clear your mind of thoughts, instead try to hold a visual image in your minds eye, like your hands for instance. keep trying to hold that image while you are breathing. eventually you will see your hands for real in the dreamstate or obe state and *bamn* you are lucid dreaming.

dragon - you didn't do anything wrong at all, grats to you! you got to the first stage underneath normal conscious awareness. the keep is to keep still, keep breathing and keep going on, even if the imagery or sensations go away. don't give up. don't think of the flashes of light as *the* pre-cursor to a lucid dream or obe. just relax, keep breathing and go through it. eventually you will really shift into the dream state and it will happen.
yeah I get HI all the time, almost on command when i'm trying to sleep. I've noticed though that it goes away after a while. I was wondering if that was normal.