Thread: Hypnagogic control help?

Hi everyone.

I know this will sound like lucid dreaming, however it's not what I'm after. I'd like to control my hypnagogic imagery in the sense where I can control its content and extend its time as I only have flashes and half the time they are, well, bad.

Does anyone know how I can achieve this? If it doesn't require another person as a guide like in some meditations that's even better.

Many thanks,
Lloyd

Consciously staying in hypnagogic state and controlling how long you stay there is a bit tricky. Hypnagogia doesn't mean only imagery, it includes auditory, visual, tactile, and other sensations as well. I practice getting into a trance state to interact with my deceased significant other quite a bit and I have yet been able to stay in a hypnogogic state too long. Sometimes it's sort of a hit and miss. The longest I stayed is perhaps roughly 10 minutes. I'm not experienced enough to teach you how to do it, it's one of those things you have to feel through it. It will require a certain level of mental discipline though, I am sure of that at the very least. If I'm to advise you something to achieve this I'd say to practice deep states of meditation while maintaining alertness. ^^

Originally Posted by lucidbunnie

I have yet been able to stay in a hypnogogic state too long. Sometimes it's sort of a hit and miss. The longest I stayed is perhaps roughly 10 minutes.

10 Minutes! At best I see a full second, if not just a fraction of one. I get to the point of moving it I direction I want but not nailing it.

I'm sorry to hear about your partner. They are lucky they hold a genuine place in your heart that keeps them alive.

I meditate a fair amount. What kind of meditations and exercises for mental discipline do you do?

I have heard of good results using a hypnotic script, either reading it or listening to it using headphones.

Shamans have been known to use drumming, erratic dancing, and chanting to induce trance states.

Benjamin Franklin held metal balls in his hand while dosing in his chair to keep him partly awake in a hypnotic state, when he fully lost consciousness he would drop them and the sound would wake him up.

There are several 'brainwave entertainment' recordings which are said by some to help one enter nearly any brain wave state one can think of, from Gamma to Delta, most can be found for free on various websites. I have used a Theta version several times during meditation and during WILD attempts, it is hard to say how well they work in they way they are designed to, at the least they work by drowning out other noises so one can concentrate better. It is worth trying.

Does anyone know how I can achieve this?

Hypnagogic state is what is made use of in yoga nidra (the yogic practice where you lie down with closed eyes and listen to someone tell you what to visualize). You can do this by yourself, and there are a few ways you can "ease into it":

1. Use a sleep mask, and lie down with your eyes open. Keeping your eyes open will help your body start to fall asleep but your mind stay awake. This can help you ease into hypnagogia. Once you feel sufficiently relaxed (but aware/awake), you can gradually close your eyes, but maintain a sense of being awake.
2. As Valis said, use earphones. You can record your own script telling you what to visualize, and offering a reminder to not fall asleep. I would base it off of a yoga nidra style script starting out, with relaxation techniques and so forth.
3. Entertain a visual scene that is engaging to you. Continue to visualize and follow the scene in your mind. Don't worry whether or not your are asleep or awake, just engage the scene mentally.
4. Lie down, and focus on your different senses in a circulating pattern (like SSILD). This can hep ease you in as well.
5. Perform the beginning relaxation techniques of yoga nidra (focusing on one toe, two toes, three toes, five toes, top of foot, bottom of foot, whole foot, etc.) until you feel relaxed. This can also help you enter hypnagogic state from the get go.