Thread: Hypnagogic images always disappear :( What to do?

I've now able to enter into a meditative state where I have hypnagogic images. They are often very vivid and everything. But for some reason, they always disappear after I consciously look at them. What should I do to "keep" them? I think I am quite close to LD and would want to advance even more from this point.

Try not to focus on them... that's what makes them disspear. You have to "look through" your eyelids, without focusing on the HI. While you're not consciously focusing on it, you should still be able to see it.

Originally Posted by Webmaster

Try not to focus on them... that's what makes them disspear. You have to "look through" your eyelids, without focusing on the HI. While you're not consciously focusing on it, you should still be able to see it.

Sorry about being intrusive. I would like to improve my normal imagery skills. But it seems to work exactly the same way. I am bad at visualisation at all. At least in my opinion. What do you think? Could be too much focusing also cousing my normal imagery to dissapear?

Agreed, you're focusing on them. Just look at them passively.

I would initially pay attention to the visuals, and work with them, building in what you want to but then i they change go with them, not fight them to be what you want them to be.

Usually this is a good way to enter SP fast by creating your own HI in your mind then letting your mind take over and not going with it

Adam

Don't look at them, but observe them passively. You can't see hypnagogia because it isn't physical. You don't see hypnagogic imagery, it's in your mind, thus the observation must be passive but also completely disassociated from the eyes. No looking; just taking it in, analysing it, thinking about it, that's all fine, just don't bring attention back to your physical body by focusing on your physical sense of sight.

Originally Posted by Webmaster

Try not to focus on them... that's what makes them disspear. You have to "look through" your eyelids, without focusing on the HI. While you're not consciously focusing on it, you should still be able to see it.

I have heard about it before, but how is it actually done? Should I think of some kind of imaginary point where I look "through"?

Originally Posted by Rodent

I have heard about it before, but how is it actually done? Should I think of some kind of imaginary point where I look "through"?

Gaze into the distance.

Not quite. Don't gaze anywhere.

The point is to use introspection and see hypnagogia for what it is. You don't actually see it. You think it. So, in essence, when you do "see" it, when you realise it's appeared, just think about it. Analyse it, think of how curious it is, of the shapes it's forming, etc. -- it won't break that way because, in essence, that is passive observing, since thought is passive enough as it is. Where as if you try to focus visually on it...you'll wake up, lift to the surface from the meditative trance that is sleep onset.

At least that's how I see it.

I still suggest gazing. Just look and take in the whole picture, without looking at something specific. The best thing to do is experiment, the imagery will come back even if you distrupt it for a second.

I don't really understand what you are trying to say Merlock. Perhaps we mean the same thing, at least that's the impression I got.