Thread: Is (HI) achievable for all?

I think everyone can reach a HI. I havent yet, but who knows, maby I will. I think its just a transitional stage that some people are aware of, whiel others might not be? It sounds interesting and I always watch out for it, but If i dont get it I htink its beacse i am not aware of it, nto that i cnat do it. Does that make any sence?

I think ive expernced this, sometimes when i medditate i hear faint voices but i always try to block them out because they usaly dont sound to friendly.

Well, considering that hypnagogic imagery happens every time one goes to sleep I would have to say that I think anyone can experience it simply by training a state where they remain aware enough but passive enough, the first to not drift off and the second to actually initializa the HI.

Now, I myself am practicing WILD every night right now, yesterday I was drifting off and was seeing hypnagogic imagery (no longer depending on my own thoughts as those that I had in my mind while still more or less conscious). Unfortuantely I jerked myself out of that drowsy state and thus lost it, after that I attempted again but simply drifted off to sleep.

It seems it takes effort as all things to stay aware enough and yet passive to a certain extent and then I believe anyone can experience HI.

I can't quote you any specific studies, but I know that while in college I took courses in psychology that taught there are several ways to learn and some relate to the senses. Some people are very visual such as myself. I can, in a meditative state, acheive HI and do so on a regular basis. Whether or not everyone can learn to do this? Perhaps in theory it is possible.

Although it may be different for everyone, I dont see a reason why a person after enough awareness training wont be able to recognize HI.

People may have misconceptions of what HI actually is, and thus may say they dont experience it, while they actually do....

I think that everyone achieves HI at some point of their sleep cycle, but the length of the event may vary greatly. For some it will be a split second, others can stay in it for minutes...

I seem to experience it when I attempt WILD. They are brief however, I would say a few minutes really. They are akin to "Pressing your fingers over your closed eyes" if that makes any sense. As someone said earlier, everyone experiences them, it's just training to get to it.

I think everyone can but not everyone really relizes it, like when they are just relaxing with their eyes shut and patterns start to form and they don't think anything of it so they don't really think taht that could be HI since it seems HI is like really complex images.

Originally posted by JEBOman
I think everyone can but not everyone really relizes it, like when they are just relaxing with their eyes shut and patterns start to form and they don't think anything of it so they don't really think taht that could be HI since it seems HI is like really complex images.

I am not necessarily trying to point out the fact hat many people don't realize what HI could lead to, they claim to have never seen any images.
You would think at some point it would be likely that they had seen a few images over their entire life through happenstance if nothing else.

most of the time I see swirling colors, but sometimes I see the most ramdom images.

Yea thats what I'm wondering about all the time. I am trying to WILD and using the HI technique but I never actually "see" anything. The same goes for any visualization exercise, for example when I'm supposed to visualize a flame I don't see it in my mind, i can only imagine it. I find it highly strange that some people seem to be able to see things in the mind as if their eyes were opened and the were really looking at it.
The more I try, the more I get the impression that I really can't see HI (at least not before the dream stage), although I have experienced some LDs before and my dreams are like everybody else's.

Indeed, from my recollection of hypnagogic imagery, it is not some form of visual hallucinations but conceptual thought just like dreams. When drifting off to sleep one experiences HI during sleep onset but apparently in most cases no one pays attention to it being HI because at one point before it one's mind is focused somewhat on different thoughts and imaginations (that one's mind creates willingly) and those thoughts slowly and unwillingly morph into HI (independant of one's will) as drowziness sets in...

Whenever i try WILDing i always hit the HI phase. My eye screen turns in a form of orange, and image appear, sometimes moving sometimes still. And they look very flat as in looking at a tv. The most intense HI i ever experienced when i was trying to sleep during the day in a car while i was suffering from excruciating migraine.. i just laid on the rear seat and all of the sudden out of nothing it popped up. I did a RC but no LD and i was still aware of everything around me. But the HI movie kept playing for like 10 minutes, and also had minor audio reception of something i couldnt identify.
Best way to get to that phase indeed is i think so try and WILD, but do it when you go to bed for the first time when it is easy to keep your thoughts straight.
And it is very important to remain passive about it. To much excitment will make them go away, not enough concentration will make you fall asleep.

I've always found HI hard to achieve when I'm WILDing or meditating, this is due to me not being a very visual person. I do get HI when I go to sleep, but hypnogagic sounds seem to be more common for me (I suppose due to me being musically minded). Someone else posted this link: http://www.toteg.com/concentration.html in a thread somewhere, and I reckon it's pretty useful. It's got a heap of exercises for aiding visualisation for people that can't do it very well. I'm practicing some of them myself now, and i reckon it should help me a fair bit, especially when trying to WILD.

Originally posted by Roller
I've always found HI hard to achieve when I'm WILDing or meditating, this is due to me not being a very visual person. I do get HI when I go to sleep, but hypnogagic sounds seem to be more common for me (I suppose due to me being musically minded). Someone else posted this link: http://www.toteg.com/concentration.html in a thread somewhere, and I reckon it's pretty useful. It's got a heap of exercises for aiding visualisation for people that can't do it very well. I'm practicing some of them myself now, and i reckon it should help me a fair bit, especially when trying to WILD.

Roller, Thanks for the link.
What you said got me to thinking. I have a post out there about HS. Hypnagogic sounds. As for many they are accompanied with HI. Maybe you can alone use HS to introduce your mind to the dream?!

I dont think i have ever encountered HI, but then, maybe i just don't know that that is it. It oculd be me getting some HI, but just thinking that is me tihnking before i go to sleep. MAybe its just a matter of understanding what HI is.

Wow......they actually have a name for this? I just thought it was something my eyes did out of boredom while waiting to fall asleep. I see HI alot and sometimes I have what I like to call "pre dreams" kind like a daydreams but NOT lucid dreams cuz I am fully awake but have my eyes closed. I like to say its something I'Il do for the first few minutes before I fall asleep. Some nights, the imagery will be as clear as my own vision during the day. Sometimes not. It usually lasts only a few minutes before I fall asleep.

Originally posted by Tabasco
Wow......they actually have a name for this? I just thought it was something my eyes did out of boredom while waiting to fall asleep. I see HI alot and sometimes I have what I like to call \"pre dreams\" kind like a daydreams but NOT lucid dreams cuz I am fully awake but have my eyes closed. I like to say its something I'Il do for the first few minutes before I fall asleep. Some nights, the imagery will be as clear as my own vision during the day. Sometimes not. It usually lasts only a few minutes before I fall asleep.

Yes Hynagogic imagery and hynagogic sounds.
These are images or sounds that come as impulses during the onset of a hallucinigenic state. Usually before or after sleep. Sometimes through meditation. These images & sounds are random and can somtimes lead to HIT. The Hypnagogic Imagery Technique.
You should try the HIT technique

I don't really see HI. I sometimes see some patterns (squares and such), but I can allso sometimes see those anytime when I close my eyes and focus.

Images while trying WILD, I more like see blurs, or even see toughts. Never somethings I can really 'see'. Then again I tried to WILD only once, this night ^__^
it failed btw ^___^

Originally posted by Neruo
I don't really see HI. I sometimes see some patterns (squares and such), but I can allso sometimes see those anytime when I close my eyes and focus.

Images while trying WILD, I more like see blurs, or even see toughts. Never somethings I can really 'see'. Then again I tried to WILD only once, this night ^__^
it failed btw ^___^

This seems to me that you have not gone far enough. You need to be more relaxed and closer to a dreamstate before images or image/thoughts can project them selves to be more vivid.

I got these all the time for a few months. I still get them from time to time. I don't personally like them, though. Seem too easy to come by for me. Plus they're scary and disturbing, which is nice if I'm in the mood, but I'm not always.

[quote]

This seems to me that you have not gone far enough. You need to be more relaxed and closer to a dreamstate before images or image/thoughts can project them selves to be more vivid.

But isn't the 'hearing wacky sounds' part the part after the 'funny images' part? But I''ll try anyhow this weekend, I'll be more relaxed for sure.

Originally posted by Neruo


But isn't the 'hearing wacky sounds' part the part after the 'funny images' part? But I''ll try anyhow this weekend, I'll be more relaxed for sure.

Not necessarily Neruo. I have experience HS - Hypnagogic Sounds, without experiencing HI at all.
You do not absolutely need both to achieve HI.
I have, but only once, achieved a WILD via HS only.

[quote]

Not necessarily Neruo. I have experience HS - Hypnagogic Sounds, without experiencing HI at all.
You do not absolutely need both to achieve HI.
I have, but only once, achieved a WILD via HS only.

Yes, but if you have HS, does that mean you are further along going into the dreaming state then when you see HI? So maybe some people just 'skip' HI...? Just don't see it.

Might be wrong But those freaky sounds seemed like something less wake-state-like then seeing weird images. But I am a WILD-beginner.

Originally posted by Neruo


Yes, but if you have HS, does that mean you are further along going into the dreaming state then when you see HI? So maybe some people just *'skip' HI...? Just don't see it. *

Might be wrong * * *But those freaky sounds seemed like something less wake-state-like then seeing weird images. But I am a WILD-beginner.

I am not so sure that you are farther in one case than the other. It all depends on whether you mind begins to manifest auditory sounds or visual images. Both you can lead into a lucid dream.
So go with whatever works. IN you case you may have bee nat that point closer to a WILD. None of these techniques are set in stone. There are to many variables for that.
If you enter the dream state via HS, then images will no doubt soon follow.
I have experienced 4 times, a total auditory dream. It was fascinating. There are never ending limits to what can be experience it seems.