Lucid Hypnagogic Imagery

any of you have noticed that I tend to be very skeptical, and even a little sarcastic when it comes to airy-fairy-Californy-new-agey things. That is because I tend to see 99.99% of this stuff as psychological phenomena (extremely valuable in itself, don't get me wrong) rather than alien beings, demons, otherdimensions, etc.

My area is lucid dreaming, which I tend to do a couple of times a week, and which I believe is the premier tool for self-psychoanalysis. Why do you need a shrink if your conscious and subconscious minds can be put in direct contact? I believe that complete merger of the "two" portions of the mind would constitute complete mental health and human integration, and would go a very long way toward complete physical health as well.

In short, I think lucid dreaming is the way to what the yogis call enlightenment, and what the Christians call salvation. “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)

Now, on to something more specific.

Most of you who know anything about lucid dreaming probbably understand hypnagogic imagery. These are the visual or audial hallucinations that sometimes flash before you on the verge of sleep. They can often be quite detailed, though brief, and are a sign that the mind is entering an altered state of consciousness, or, if you will, that the subconscious mind is becoming active while the conscious mind yet remains active. I have seen a dancing king, a man with a blue robe and the head of a bear, a conclave of sorcerers, a beautiful Roman style city complete with aqueducts and done up in pastel colors, as well as many other strange sights.

However, the major usefulness of hypnagogic imagery (H.I.) is that, you still have conscious control while the subconscious stands before you. You can request things from the subconscious, like a lucid dream, or the answer to a problem, or improved health, if you simply do so consciously before you drift off. Sometimes the results can be quite remarkable.

Recently, I have had few actual lucid dreams, but several experiences of what I will call "Lucid H.I." These are experiences when I have had a hypnagogic experience, and been able to thrust my consciousness into it and control the scene to some extent.

Just last night, the hypnagogic image of a dungeon setting (like the game Dungeons and Dragons, or the Mines of Moria in the Lord of the Rings) arose. I saw it before me, strangely, in whites, reds, blacks and browns, and was aware of myself as a point of consciousness within it.

I found I could navigate through the "dungeon" by simply willing myself to move forward, turn right or left, etc. At first, the control was sluggish, but when I told myself I could do this, it improved. The whole experience lasted perhaps 15 seconds.

Though that doesn't sound like much, and it is certainly very short compared to some of the lucid dreams I have experienced, it is nonetheless a communication between the conscious and subconscious, which is, as I believe, extremely valuable, however brief.

As I said, I have had a few of these recently, and am curious about the possibilities. I wonder if anyone has had the experience, perhaps through meditation, of being able to call up H.I. at will, maybe during the daytime, and thus communicate directly with the subconscious almost at will.

Anyone tried this? What result? Or just general opinions on this issue?

Regards.

When i reach HI it's generally just very detailed images and sounds and heightened senses but i've never thought of asking my subconscious questions and watching it form the answer during HI, I think that has a lot of potential. Thats as far as I've gone with HI tho, always assumed it was a middle step. I like this idea tho. And btw, I think skepticism is good but I also think finding a balance between logic/instinct, analytical/emotional, conscious/subscious, science/faith would be more beneficial to you. Especially with how aware you are of your need to be one with your entire mind. Anyways happy dreaming and keep thinking :).

When I first got into LD and was attempting WILD I would experience everything some folk say you're supposed to experience when you reach the transition: Strange lights, sounds, big vibrations, body distortions. Over time I've come to suspect that when I experienced these HHs I was actually in a lucid dream and the HHs were just matching my expectations on what happens in the transition.

Both of you fellas have referred to this as a middle or transitional step. I wonder, though. The Dzogchen Buddhists say that we have potential for enlightenment in what they call a 'bardo' or 'gap' state. That may or may not be true, but if this is a state that we can call up more readily than the full LD state, I wonder if it has great potential just on that basis?

Who knows? Good dreaming to you all.