Thread: Confused on some points of Hypnagogia.

Originally Posted by TofuBitz

What I know about Hypnagogia from reading Stephen LaBerge's book is that it is the transition from awake to sleep, and sleep to awake. I'm trying WILD now, and a lot of the techniques tell me to observe the Hypnagogic hallucinations, such as light and other shapes created by the state. But I don't really understand what they look like, so I find it hard to determine if it is hallucinations, or just my imagination creating light and other shapes in my minds eye. Does anyone have ways of determining hypnagogia from imagining things?

You don't really have to do anything. Don't try to see or imagine. Just observe. Like going to the movies. Watch, don't analyze and enjoy.

Even if you can't tell if you just imaging it or if it's HH, just stay with it and once you see HH, you will know.

At first, when you start observing the back of your closed eyelids, you will see just grey 'fog' swirling around. Little later you may notice some shapes in this fog. For me, most frequent shapes are faces. But they are not real images yet. More like when you looking at clouds and part of a cloud resembles something. There could be also some colors. I sometimes see a yellow-green planet like sphere.

Later yet, you may start seeing some simple objects. These will not be formed from fog anymore, but they will be well defind. Or you may see some geometric shapes. Like whole field of view is filled with small triangles arranged in a grid.

Sometimes I have 'lights turning on". As if someone put the lights on in my room. So my whole field of view turns white.

You may also see some animations. Like I have seen a stick figure walk out from right side, take a bow, do something, and walk off again. This was like watching a cartoon.

Later you may start seeing some movies. Like I saw a man and a child decorating a christmas tree. It was like watching a real movie.

And when I start seeing these movies from a birds eye view, I know what I see is a dream and I enter it.

Please take into consideration, that you may not see what I saw. That some parts of these steps will be not there for you. Or, that you will not see any images at all.

Entering a lucid dream via images/dreams formed is just one of the possible methods of entering.

You could also enter just by realizing, that you can suddenly see your room through closed eyelids. Or you feel as if you were flying at very high speed. Or you just see darkness.

Here is more about Sensations and types of entry into WILD.