Consciously controlling auditory+partial image pre dream state.

Ok I dont fully understand the mechanics of how the brain allows the dream state to initiate but I have been going through an interesting expirience. This usually works if im intoxicated(I am not promoting drinking, alcohol should be handled resposibly). When I have a day off and I go out drinking with friends I would get a buzz, this also makes me sleepy. I would come home and I would wanna go to sleep, I would go on the computer and watch a movie or something. Here is where it get interesting. During a movie I would feel myself dozing off, being naturally stubborn I would wanna finish the movie and fight my body against its wishes to go to sleep. In this case I would start dozing off in front of the pc, as I doze off but make a conscious effort to stay awake my eyes would start to close, during this process I would begin getting auditory and visual input with me eyes closed. I would start to hear voices talking and in some cases even vivid images. Upon shutting my eyes I would make the conscious effort to stay awake and open my eyes again ending the effect. Once my eyes start to shut again I would begin expiriencing the vocal effect again. In some case the images would become very vivid and the voices become loud enough as if in the same room.

Any thoughts?

Hi Snkeyez127,

Sounds like Hypnagogic Imagery (HI) to me which is perfectly natural. It is usually the transition state between waking and sleeping. Usually not many people notice it. Visual and auditory hallucinations are the commonest.

The Hypnopompic state is the reverse term for the transition between sleeping and waking. It is still called HI however.

You got more of it as your body was really relaxed whereas you forced your mind to try to stay alert.

I think it is an amazing state myself. I don't think many people give it the respect (if that's the right word to use) it deserves, as it is a fascinating and very poweful state in its own right, albeit a very fickle one sometimes.

I usually get alot of strong HI during migraines or sickly fevers myself. This is apart from the usual (sporadic)transition stuff usually everybody experiences upon retiring or waking up, etc.

Regards.

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Originally Posted by RobStar

Hi Snkeyez127,

Sounds like Hypnagogic Imagery (HI) to me which is perfectly natural. It is usually the transition state between waking and sleeping. Usually not many people notice it. Visual and auditory hallucinations are the commonest.

The Hypnopompic state is the reverse term for the transition between sleeping and waking. It is still called HI however.

You got more of it as your body was really relaxed whereas you forced your mind to try to stay alert.

I think it is an amazing state myself. I don't think many people give it the respect (if that's the right word to use) it deserves, as it is a fascinating and very poweful state in its own right, albeit a very fickle one sometimes.

I usually get alot of strong HI during migraines or sickly fevers myself. This is apart from the usual (sporadic)transition stuff usually everybody experiences upon retiring or waking up, etc.

Regards.

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I just read up on Hypnagogia. Looks like you hit the nail on the head. Looks like very interesting stuff. I even sometimes expirience a hypnic jerk. Which is defined as "A hypnic jerk, hypnagogic jerk, sleep start, or night start, is an involuntary myoclonic twitch which occurs during hypnagogia, just as a person is beginning to fall asleep, often causing them to awaken suddenly for a moment. Physically, hypnic jerks resemble the "jump" experienced by a person when startled,[1] often accompanied by a falling sensation."I always attributed that to some neurological event. I do have very bad sleeping patterns. This was also a problem when I worked a shift with 2 different time frames, one day I would go home at 3pm another I would leave at 12am. During the trips home I would constantly be dozing off on the train which was an hour ride coming home at 12am and staying up till 5-6am.

I know what you mean about the 'hypnic jerk', although I don't experience it that often. It can startle you 'awake' like you say.

For example: Last week I was doing a relaxation exercise, lying on my back, just resting in the afternoon where after 15 mins or so, I saw some fleeting HI. However I must have gone a bit deeper or dozed off a little as I remember having some sort of weak dream or visual imagery where I was driving on a road, when I swerved slightly to the left. As I hit the kerb I got this 'jolt' which made me conscious.

That hypnic episode seemed to get incorporated in the dream type imagery. :roll:

Regarding shifts. I used to do a 6am - 2pm (mornings) or 2pm - 10pm (afternoons) which was a rotating (weekly) shift. However it wasn't too bad, except getting up before 5am for the morning shift in winter, which I used to dread.

I have never done 'nights' although my brother used to be on permenant nightshift and he preferred it.

I do like a regular sleep pattern myself.

I agree with this thread.


I don't know if that helps. My second opinion merely echoes the first. :)