Date: 19/06/2021
Bedtime: 2.30am
Awakening: 8am
Return to bed: 9am
Method of entry: deferred direct
Attempt: successful
Awakening: 1pm
Phase experience: peering clouds underwater
Duration: 45 seconds

WAKING STATE

I wake up hungover—undoubtedly paying the price of drinking beer during the England vs. Scotland match— and desperately needing to use the loo. Still tired, I return to bed an hour later, cuddle my sleeping wife and close my eyes with 'Heaven' by Bryan Adams playing in my head. Thinking about the song leads to imagining flight above clouds; eventually, I notice mild and suggestive hypnagogic imagery apparently reifying my imagination.

PHASE STATE

'My God, it's happening!' I passively think to myself as I contain my excitement lest the hallucinatory forms dissipate. Before me, wispy clouds materialise and begin to visually define space as the dark void gradually turns blue. With alcohol in my system, I wasn't expecting this; the environment keeps getting brighter and I resist rubbing my hands together—like I usually do in order to deepen this state—opting for the peering technique instead, as I begin counting the fifteen seconds as instructed by Project Elijah.

The more I closely examine the pale wisps, the more they turn into fizzy strands. More realism is spontaneously added to my experience as I'm now moving through fluid—as opposed to airy—space which offers some resistance. The illusion of moving through celestial space is shattered and totally replaced by aqueous submersion. Since entering the phase directly, realism went from nought to around 90% in a few seconds. I look down and see my bare feet walking on blue mosaic tiles and the impression that I'm submerged in a vast swimming pool is almost complete; I look at my hands and see a confusing superposition of digits over wide, spade-like palms which seem to correct themselves the more I peer at them.

I am surprised at the fact that the peering technique has worked well in deepening the phase. The environment feels 100% realistic and I even squat to feel how solid my toes and legs are. I feel completely naked as I walk and breathe underwater. The blue vista that extends beyond me is adorned by near-static, humanoid figures. Upon closer inspection, they appear zombie-like and female; they are wearing swimsuits and I wonder if I'm still naked. As I look down to inspect my genitals, I discover a gap between my legs and my torso, as though I'm wearing invisible underpants—the variegated blue ceramic that makes up the floor can be practically seen through my crotch.

I immediately look up from this anomaly to see where faint beams of light are coming from only to have my vision severely impaired by dark stains—as though mud is suddenly covering my eyes. I know there is no point in wiping my eyes because I'm in the phase, so I fly upwards like a rocket, imagining that my sight will be restored once the surface of the swimming pool is reached. I jump out of the water to find a bright hall displaying a peculiar architecture: the floor around the pool is a light-brown tiling; the ceiling and surrounding walls make up a single brick and glass dome resembling a giant, enclosing spider; and the vertical glass panes reveal an urban nightscape.

I run towards a wall and pass through it to find myself in an inaccurate replica of my bedroom, stopping for only a couple of seconds before deciding, without a plan of action, to run into another wall; this time, only a chunk of this illusory barrier goes through me while a great portion of it gets knocked down—making a mighty mess before I arrive at my son's pseudo-bedroom. I go through another wall and emerge on a fast-moving train, running through a gangway and noticing that the carriage is packed with sitting passengers on either side. I sit with a few characters, hoping to get some information out of them, but I end up losing focus and fall asleep.

DREAM STATE

I'm on a train, sitting with strangers but I know them because I'm in a plot involving spies. I have come to warn a group of travelling Native Americans that they are all being spied on. 'Look around you!' I tell them in my paranoia. I spot a suspicious man staring at us from under his hat from another seat. He realises I have got him sussed and seems to be reaching for a weapon. I wake up.

WAKING STATE

I get up and record my sleep experiences, feeling less hungover and surprised at the unexpected phase experience which had more mnemonic impact than the vague, spy dream before awakening. I will be using the peering technique more in the future as it seems to work.