Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!
Hypnagogia: A Bridge to Other Realities
Biology 202
2000 First Web Report
On Serendip
Yun-Wen Shaw
" To dream and altogether not
to dream. This synthesis is the
operation of genius, by which both
activities are mutually reinforced."
The phenomenon of the hypnagogic hallucinations which occur in this
period are characterized by a slideshow of highly condensed,
discontinuous, and bizarre imagery of faces, figures, animals, print
and writing. Also accompanying this is often hearing one’s name being
whispered, hearing music, and undergoing temporary physical paralysis (4, 7).
These visual, auditory, and physical stimuli, have been known to
cultivate intuition, bring flashes of inspiration, and offer creative
insight to those who experience them (1).
During this fleeting psycho-physical state, people report randomly
occurring visual and auditory experiences which are relatively more
disconnected and short-lived when compared to dreams characteristic of
REM sleep. Hypnagogia is in fact very common, occurring in 72 to 77
percent of the population, many are unaware of the phenomena (1).
A possible physical explanation for Hypnagogia is rooted in the discovery of magnetite crystals in cells of the brain and meninges. It has been found that there are five million magnetite crystals per gram in the human brain, and twenty times that number in the meninges (2). These ‘biomagnetite crystals’ are oriented in the brain in a manner that maximizes their magnetic moment, thus allowing the crystals to act as a system, and marking the ability of the brain to sense energy fields (4). These crystals could very possibly be the cause and explanation behind psychic abilities, as well as the feelings of intuition during states of hypnagogia.
Let us further explore how this phenomenon may be possible. Studies that show the proximity of the crystal-containing brain cells to the pituitary and pineal glands, have led researchers to propose that these glands may use information from the earth’s magnetic field to regulate the release of hormones in the brain, thus directly controlling conscious awareness levels (2).
However, there is still no way to ’read’ the signals that might be carried by the brains magnetic emissions. Despite this being so, the evidence indicating the existence of these signals and their possible constitution of a means of communication between various parts of the brain, is very compelling. This is the system that many speculate to be that which selects the neural areas to be recruited, so that the appropriate state of consciousness can elicit the suitable phenomenological, behavioral, and affective responses (4).
Studies have been done to show that various low intensity magnetic signals delivered to the temporal lobes indeed have a positive effect of producing various hallucinatory effects in the subject . Such effects include vestibular feelings in which one’s normal sense of balance is replaced by illusions of levitation and vertigo. Also experienced are transient ‘visions,’ whose context include motifs that appear in near-death experiences and alien abduction scenarios. Another neuromagentically elicited experience is bursts of emotion, most commonly fear and joy. Interestingly, all of these experiences very closely approximate those in the hypnagogic state.
Further experimentation performed on monkeys has determined the temporal lobes to be the part of the brain which mediates various states of consciousness. EEG readouts from the temporal lobes are markedly different when a person is asleep and undergoing a hallucinogenic seizure, or on LSD. In this case, seizural disorders confined to the temporal lobes (complex partial seizures) were characterized as impairments of consciousness. In the study, monkeys were given LSD after having various parts of their brains removed. The monkeys continued to ‘trip’ no matter what parts of the brains were missing. Only in the case where both temporal lobes were removed did the substance seem to have no affect the monkeys at all. The conclusion inarguably shows that the temporal lobes, in addition to all their other functions (in aspects of memory, language, music, etc.), also function to mediate states of consciousness (4).
The interpretation of hypnagogic images in some studies have seemed to provide striking examples not only of the existence of various states of consciousness, but also of clairvoyance and telepathy (7). In his book Hypnagogia, Andreas Mavromatis declares that "…hypnagogia gives rise to the insight that there are many realities and that what we call wakefulness merely constitutes one of them…hypnagogia suggests the evolutional possibility of a further expansion of consciousness, and poses a serious question concerning the nature of reality" (7). People have applied many different strategies to channel into the "powers of the hypnogic’ by means of meditation, hypnosis, spiritualism, hallucinogenic drug use, and others. Many hypnogists report states of instantaneous intuition, exhilaration with an inspired poem, mystical insights, and exquisite peaceful joy. Occultists believe they can tap into clairvoyant experiences in the hypnagogic. Others feel that they can engage in self-hypnosis so that they can achieve things they thought impossible or too difficult, by hypnagogic visualization (5).
Hypnagogic stages of sleep, with all its hallucinatory imagery, tends to act as compelling explanations for many claims of alien or supernatural encounters. It is easy to imagine how an individual who has had a hypnagogic experience with sleep paralysis, who is not familiar with the neurological explanation, to likely interpret their strange experience in terms of their cultural beliefs or in other bizarre supernatural terms (2). Hypnagogia presets new dimensions of a true New Age exploration, waiting for us all to travel together into this New World. And if any are skeptical, we can gain confidence in our hypnagogic pursuits from the realization that we are following in the footsteps of some of the most creative, intuitive and influential human minds in history. After all, Aristotle and Einstein can’t be wrong.
WWW Sources
1) Altered States2) Mind Whispers - Psychics and Scientists ; Patrick Marsolek
3) Hypnagogia ; Robert Novella
4) The Production of Consciousness out of States of Consciousness
5) Psychic Syzygy: Hypnagogic Antilogic
6) Paradigms of Consciousness During Sleep; Donald J. DeGracia, Ph.D.
7) Hypnagogia: Bridge to Other Realities
i noticed your link to my article "Mind whispers..." on your page on Hypnagogia:
/bb/neuro/neuro00/web3/Shaw.html
needs to be updated.
The correct link is now:
http://www.innerworkingsresources.com/articles/mindwhispers.html
Warm regards ... Patrick Marsolek, 13 June 2006
I was reading ur article on Hypnagogia. I've have had serious Sleep paralysis before falling asleep for the last 10 years. I am 27. I just wanted to share that it's incredably terifiying. When this started I guess I had hypnagogic hallucinations for the first 3. And it's not fun. I think that people who don't have think of it as romantic. (p.s. I'm not insulting you guys) But sometime it feels like i'm going to die. Maybee because i was always scared I did not understad it. I have done 3 sleep tests. And nothing wrong was found. I went to see a neurologist at mount sinai hospital in toronto. They did a cat scan and my brain was 100%. But that i might have a cross between epilepsy and narcolepsy and that they could do nothing to help me. I told the doctor to go f-himself, and left. Who can I talk to about this? I would love to share my experiences and maybee understand them beter? Any help would be greatly appreciated ... Anthony Lorusso, 30 December 2007
Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities
Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities has 50 remote-ready activities, which work for either your classroom or remote teaching.
About Student Papers
| This paper reflects the research and thoughts of a student at the time the paper was written for a course at Bryn Mawr College. Like other materials on Serendip, it is not intended to be "authoritative" but rather to help others further develop their own explorations. Web links were active as of the time the paper was posted but are not updated. |
What's New? Subscribe to Serendip Studio
A Random Walk
New Topics
-
3 weeks 6 days ago
-
4 weeks 2 days ago
-
4 weeks 2 days ago
-
4 weeks 3 days ago
-
4 weeks 3 days ago
Comments
my story...
I am 29 years old, and through out my life I've experienced these "episodes". For me these have always been terrifying.
It starts right before I fall profoundly asleep, and for some weird reason I feel as if I've provoke them, because I begin by feeling anxious and afraid of these nightmares and every single time I begin to feel this way and think about them before closing my eyes, I always undergo these "episodes".
They always start by me being elevated off my bed to the point of almost touching the ceiling of my room with the tip of nose. Then I am able to see my entire room, every single detail about it, my husband lying right next to me, everything the way it was right before i felt asleep.
Then my entire body begins to slowly spin around in the same paralyzed position, I begin to feel terrified as I am unable to control my body, inside my mind I am screaming for help, but I know my mouth is not moving, I know my husband cannot see me or hear me. As my body spins around faster and faster, I can even feel wind in my face, and I feel somebody or something is doing this to me. I feel a presence, I don't know what it is, I've never seen or even heard anyone else inside my room while I've experienced these things. But I can feel it, and I am so afraid.
I know I am "asleep" and I am begging myself to wake up, but I can't.
Until I finally wake up, gasping for air, terrified and sobbing.
I understand that this may sound like a complete joke, but unfortunately for me, this is not a joke! I feel that if I let this out and share my story then somehow I am finally accepting this and somehow will be able to control this and not feel afraid anymore.
Thanks for listening...
Re: My Story
My experience of hypnogogia is very similar to yours. I had frequent episodes in my 30's, but, thankfully, rarely have one now. (At the time, my sleep was frequently disrupted, which I believe contributes to the problem.) My episodes usually began with the sense of a profoundly evil presence standing behind me on my left side. Next, I felt my body rise from the bed and either spin in place or be propelled at a high speed throughout the house. One time I felt as if I had been dropped back onto the bed from a height of several feet and was amazed to see my husband sleeping peacefully beside me.
The episodes I experienced were terrifying in themselves, but the profoundly evil "presence" left me feeling as if I had been briefly possessed. The few people I talked to about these episodes had no idea what I was talking about. I can easily understand why some people interpret these episodes as true possession or abduction because they feel so real.
Learning about hypnogogia helped me greatly. What a relief to learn that others experience similar episodes! I have learned to use lucid dreaming techniques to control the terror and content associated with my hypnogogic episodes. You might do some research into that area.
Please be comforted in knowing that you are not alone. The fear you experience feels horribly real, but knowing that you have a sleep disorder should help a little. I know it helped me. You may want to consult a sleep specialist, but I would make sure they are familiar with hypnogogia or sleep paralysis. There may be medications or helpful techniques they know to help you.
I wish you the best of luck with this miserable affliction. I hope your episodes diminish with time and intensity.
SLEEP PARALYSIS
I TOO HAVE THIS SLEEP PARALYSIS AND PERSONALLY I FIND IT QUITE ANNOYING BUT ALSO QUITE INTERESTING.... I HAVE FELT THE PRESENCE, I HAVE HEARD FOOTSTEPS UP STAIRS WALKING AROUND ON MY HARD WOOD FLOOR WHEN IM LYING PARALYSED IN MY BED..NOT ALL MY EXPERIENCES HAVE BEEN SCARY...I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS..HOPEFULLY SOMEONE OUT THERE CAN HELP ME BECAUSE EVERYONE I TELL THINKS IM NUTS!!!!!! I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE HAS EVER TRIED TO TALK TO THE SO CALLED PRESENCE...DID ANYONE EVER THINK IT IS OUR FEAR OF WHAT IS HAPPENING TO US AT THAT MOMENT THAT IS CREATING FEARFUL ENERGY AT THAT MOMENT..WHAT IF WE TRIED TO FILL THE ROOM WITH LOVE INSTEAD OF FEAR..WHAT IF ITS REALLY OUR GAURDIAN ANGEL BUT BECAUSE WE ARE SO FEARFULL AT THAT MOMENT MAYBE ITS CHANGING THE ENERGY LEVELS..I JUST DONT KNOW WHERE TO GO,WHO TO TALK TO PLS ANYBODY ANSWER ME.
I ALSO WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE HAS HEARD...PEOPLE TALKING..ONE TIME I WAS LAYING THERE AND I HEARD ONE MAYBE 2 GUYS TALKING..I WASNT AFRAID OF THE VOICE.. IT SOUNDED FAMILIAR TO ME..AND THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE ROOM...AGAIN I WAS FROZEN.
Being someone else?
When I was little, I remember I was staying at my dad's house. And I remember being in my room while I went to sleep, but I had a "dream" of me laying in my dads bed, seeing the alarm clock, looking around and seeing everything in perfect detail. even the tv was on. But I knew something was wrong, and I had a BAD feeling. I started screaming and trying to talk and move and I couldnt. Somehow I woke up and ran to my dads room to find every little detail I just dreamed about in the room to be EXACT, even to the clothes that were scattered on the floor or the pillows in a exact position, the time was exact and the tv was replaying EXACTLY what I had just seen. But, my Dad was sleeping EXACTLY where I had been "sleeping" in my dream. He woke up to hearing me run in there freaking out. I know it sounds weird, but I feel like I was in my dad's mind before he woke up scared because he heard something crash through his room (me).
I always thought it was a weird dream, until this morning:
I took my brother to school, ate something, got in bed and tried to go back to sleep. In my dream everything is normal, i'm at work at whatnot...well then chaos happens. And the weird thing is, i'm saying to myself "WAKEUP!" and I couldnt! I knew something was wrong in my dream, and couldn't CONTROL myself in my dream. And I knew it, and I wanted to wake up. So in my dream, I "woke" myself up, (I was still dreaming) and somehow i'm standing outside my house and see my mom run up to me holding a baby saying someone is breaking in the house and shes scared. and then agian, I start screaming to myself (WAKEUP!!!!!!!!!!!!) I wake up "again", and im in my room. And this time I think i'm actually awake, and im not. Im scrambling to my door trying to turn my light on and I have NO control over my body, like its paralyzed. Im having to SLING myself around in my dream, I crash into my entertainment center and im like reaching for the light and I turn it on...
AND I ACTUALLY WAKEUP. I sit straight up BREATHLESS. and I realize that I actually AM awake... I hope. and I look over and theres DVD;s scattered all over my floor.??????????????
I dont know whats going on, but reading other people's stories helps calm me.
On hearing voices
Greetings, all.
I thought I'd share my experience with everyone, and maybe offer a slightly different perspective of hypnagogia. The way I see it, this is not a "disorder", not by far. And here's why.
For the last year and a half, I've had various 'episodes' where I'd hear voices (sometimes people I know, sometimes complete strangers) right before falling asleep. I didn't give it much thought at first, until I realized that some of these voices actually made sense.
I 'heard' my father telling me not to worry for him, and he later told me that in-person with almost the same words. This was the only occurence of supposed 'clairvoyance', so I'll just say it was a coincidence.
The names I've 'heard', however, are definitely NOT a coincidence. More than once, I 'heard' names of people or places which I had never, ever glimpsed before (trust me, I have the memory of an elephant). I was very surprised upon researching online, that not only did these people or places exist, but the names I 'heard' were VERY specific.
For example: when I lived abroad, I woke up with a title in mind. I Googled it and found that it was a musical piece by a very obscure composer. The university he'd graduated from was a mere half an hour away from where I lived, and they were having an "open campus day" in the following week. I didn't go, but I can't keep from wondering what would've happened if I did.
At any rate, I'm not scared of this. I don't know what to make of it, either. For now, I'll just deal with these episodes as they come.
Auditory Hypogogia
A few months ago, I was falling asleep, and I realized I was hearing a slew of voices, all loud, and it sounded like they were shouting. It woke me up more, and I shrugged it off and tried to go to sleep. But it happened again right away, and I was scared. I sat up and bed and tried to process what just happened: Was I hearing voices? Were they real? Am I mentally ill?
Last night, I was laying on my couch, and it happened again. This time, there didn't seem to be as many voices at once, and they didn't seem like they were yelling. I realized right away it was a man's voice. I can't remember what was said anymore, but it wasn't angry: it was more along the lines of "did I turn off the dishwasher?" I repeated it aloud, maybe to retain what was said. Then I started to doze off, and I heard a woman's voice. Same thing, talking about inane things, not directed at me. Then a child's voice. I repeated each thing that was said, but I wasn't scared this time around.
After reading comments on this site, I realized I've had the paralysis happen to me since I was a child--times when I felt like I was weightless and floating while getting close to sleeping, and that I couldn't move, but I never felt trapped. It never scared or alarmed me. I just assumed everyone had that happen to them.
Great to read other experiences. I actually am excited about it and hope that it happens again.
im 15 years old with possible hypnagogia?
so to start off im 15 years old at the moment and i just found this site by chance. luckily tho, i dont have something like a doctors approval that im paranoid schizophrenic but ive researched all about it and i have evrything occuring to me. ( always looking back , the feeling of someone always staring at me etc..)
about 10 years ago so i was approx. 5-6 years of age, i was lieng down on the couch and the couch is like up against a wall and the wall goes down and turn into the corridor anyways, back then one of the first movies of freddy Kruger was out and i was terified by it, anyways while i was looking around all of a sudden i saw the exact detailed freddy kruger with his head and claws stiking out of the corridor and smiling at me, i was so terrified i ran into the kitchen crying to my mum and they didnt beleive me.
anyways, coupla years later this time im in my bed, woke up in the morning and like fully woken up (not that dreamy state) and i saw 2 hands that looked very ugly grabbed my bed from the bottom and tried dragging me down and all of a sudden it vanished and when i looked under my bed there was nothing there.
few months later, at night i woke up while evryone else was asleep ( i usually always wake up several times during the night even now) and just to mention that my parents room and my sisters room is right next to me and right across me with just a corridor. anyways i was waken up by a voice and i was in a paralysed state i couldnt move and couldnt scream even tho my mouth was moving i didnt hear anything come out i was for some reasing, coughing so loudly i dont know why but i just was and the coughing was so different it was so loud like a very loud scream, and i was coughing like that for several minutes and neither one of my parents woke up.
i still live with paranoid schizophrenia as much as im concerned i dont tell my parents but its very very annoying and at times scary, is there a way to stop these from occuring?
sincerely, sinz.
Hypnagogia or demons
Ok i am 15 years old and i have experienced hypnagogia since i can remember but the scariest time was when i was eleven. Before i fell asleep i remember my brother went into the living room to watch a movie and i was all the way accross the house reading in my bedroom, well i fell asleep with the light on and woke up with it off after feeling something evil was with me, i was right, i heard my name wispered in my window and i looked and saw a pale, pale white face looking at me and i panicked and tryed to scream but i couldn't and in the blink of an eye a demon thing that had jet black hair and a long flowing black dress was on my bed looking at me and in a way i pulled the cover trying to get under it and it got to the end of my bed and started pulling on my feet, i felt the coldest chill ever run up my body and i couldn't move it was like i was paralyzed as i tried to scream for my brother i had no voice or movement but i could here my brother all the way on the other side of my house and it kept pulling me farther DOWN, DOwn, down to my closet and i started praying for god to help me please dont let whatever it was kill me and somehow i got my voice and screamed a blood boiling scream and my brother came and turned on the light and when he pulled the cover from my fingers he said i was pale and asked if the cat ran into my closed (our cat is black like the dress-coincidence? or not?) and i told him what happened and to this day no-one believes me not even him he said it sounded like a nightmare but it only happens when i fall asleep so tell me fellow hypnagogers is it hypnagogia or is it demons following us.
Hypnaogia more likely than demons
Hi, I've had a lot of experience in sleep paralysis/ night terrors and hypnagogia.
I've had similar kinds of experiences with 'evil presences' so I relate to the feeling of those dreams/ hypnagogic hallucinations.
I have been practicing lucid dreaming for 4 years now and have seen the intimate connection between hypnagogia and sleep paralysis.
Form your description, you probably had a brief episode of hypnagogia, which quickly transcended into a dream - this is not my "theory" of what happened, I suggest this as being the MOST LIKELY probablity because I have lucidly experienced such transitions.
Hypnagogia is literally the fence between being "awake"/ conconscious yet not dreaming and REM sleep (rapid-eye-movement sleep which is equivalent to dream sleep).
I suggest you look up what lucid dreaming is about -try out lucidipedia.com and check out his (Tim Post) videos on youtube. Building up knowledge and skill in lucid dreaming is the best bet against these kinds of things because if it ever happens again, you will already have such a large bank of understanding of these things that you'll either be able to fight them off and win or just force yourself to wake up.
God bless
hypnagogia
I have read many of these stories on this site and feel as though I have experienced some of the same things.When I start to fall asleep,sometimes I see people or bugs. They seem VERY real. I try to touch them occasionally,but then they vanish. I work third shift and sleep during the day. I keep my room VERY dark so I can sleep. when I "see" the people or the bugs, I realize that even if they were really there, I wouldn't be able to see them anyway because of the darkness.But that doesnt always stop me from believing they are absolutely real.
I also hear voices before I go to sleep sometimes. It always sounds like a radio or a newscast but I cant really make out what is being said. A bit creepy sometimes.
Learn to Control It
I have experienced many of these symptoms for most of my life... as long as I can remember actually. I would recommend to anyone else experiencing this to keep researching as there are ways to control it and to "take back control" of yourself.
One thing that I found really helped was to use brainwave entrainment products such as binaural beats before I went to sleep at night in order to essentially "control" what frequency my brain was experiencing. Just a thought that others may want to try.
I Am 15 years old and I am
I Am 15 years old and I am experiencing these paralyzing dreams. I am native american so part of me does believe in things like witches and things of that nature because I've had werid things happen to me and my family and recenlty I did stop believing in Christ now I do believe but after reading these other peoples comments I don't feel it is anything supernatural. It might be the stress Mid-terms are finally over and I forgot to study for some so I don't know how I did.
I'm not the most easily scared guy but about a year ago I had this dream where I woke up and couldn't move. Then out of the shadows of my room a guy jumps on to my bed bends down on top of me ( while this is happening I try to move and scream ) and tell me "Don't Do That Again!." I thought I was crazy and never told anyone about that until recently I told my best friend. Also I am going Christmas shopping with my parents and sister two days ago and they ask me if I want to go into JCPennys with them, I was tired so I said No. In the car I lay down and try to fall asleep or so I thought. I was actully sleeping but I didn't know it so I sat there paralyzed and I herd this ringing sound and I felt vibrations all over my body and it felt like they were in my brain. If I started to breathe regulary and tried to get calm then it would go away but if I held my breathe then it would get worse ( note this was in the middle of the day ) so in my dream I sat up tried to look in the front mirrot of the car to see if my eyes were red and my vision went irregular then I layed back down and it happened again until I herd the foot steps of my family.
Later that night I kept having these dreams that I couldn't move and something was doing this to me , like an evil spirit, and In my dream I thought of the exorcist girl tightly bear hugging me and she was laying right next to me in my bed laughing. even tonight I thought she came back but I realized it was nothing and began to shake my arms this happened after I had a dream of me going home late at night after hanging out with friends and after I got unparalyzed I ran to tell my mom about what happened ( in the dream ) and it was late at night all the lights were on and I run into their room and my sister is sleeping on the floor my mom is half way in her bed her head was on the ground and legs still in the bed and my dad was just laying there. My mom told me something and I woke up from my dream saying "WHAT?!?" pretty loud. I have always been kinda paranoid but this is driving me insane I feel as if I am being watched even as I am typing this. When I woke up for real tonight I seen that I was only a sleep for an hour but it felt like forever.
if anyone has any information for help or what is happening to me PLEASE contact me at this email adress
Reply
You are okay sweetie. You just have to remember that this is only a dream. There is actually nothing evil or malevolent about it. It is only your imagination running wild as everyone's does during regular dreams. Did you know that you can change the outcome of these hypnagogic episodes??? You can, all you have to do is tell yourself that it is not real, urge yourself to wake up, or begin praying. I have heard of incidents where as soon as people begin praying they become awake with their lips still in mid-prayer. Ask God to help you dear. He is the One who really can.
dreams
Hi, I read your post on the hypnagogia site. I have had dreams my whole life since I was very young. I understand every single detail that you are talking about. From my experience these dreams can be frightening and very very real. In some cases my dreams have become real, days and years later. I have been attacked in my dreams, and I have a lot to say about it. If you are interested, or have an questions about what you are experiencing I may be able to help. BTW, I am a youth pastor. I accepted Christ as my savior years ago.
Sincerely
Youth Pastor Drew
curious
i was wondering...
im sure it is hypnagogia
but still feel i should put my two cents into this
anywho
i am 18, and since i was 10 or so, ive had lucid dreams
and hpynagognia even when i get full hours of sleep..
even sometimes thru out my day, i will ahve breif hypnagognia
where i will become confused, ..
once i was awake, but my eyes were still closed, and i had my television on, it was a comedy chanel and the night before i had watched the same one that was replying as i was awakening..well with my eyes closed i saw the special..from memory..just by knowing his voice, i had very clear colorful images right before my closed eyes..only difference was he was in an astronauts outfit and the set he was standing behind was red and different
when i opned my eyes i was confused ...i opened my eyes because the fact that he was in an astronauts outfit made no sense
but when i opened my eyes he was not..so it took a moment but i realized it was a dream..
how could i dream, but still be awake, just with my eyes closed?
i thought hypnagogia was only before u fall asleep or as u wake up with open eyes?
can you still have your eyes closed and have hypnagogia.
liek i did, but the sound u hear be real
can hpynagogia interact with reality.?
that is just one of the many odd things that have happened to me
like seeing people in distances who when i turn back are gone.
ever since i was 10
hear my name beign called if im tired ....hearing songs playing ...fragments ..loud loud music
i have possible bipolar 1 or 2...i kno that can cause this..
jsut wondering if im alone or not?
or how i cry every night when i see the moon or stars...i look up and feel empty..not that i feel small or that the unvierse is so big i feel little..not that old bag of non sense..no it is more like i feel like im missing out m that im not where i am supposed to be..im nto saying im from outer space, just that...im not doing something i need to be doing..and the more time i spend not doing it the worse i feel.
i get paranoia
i have an underactive thyroid, but the last time i went for blood work it was gone
which cant happen soo i was puzzled and the doctor was so confused
so i get blood work every few months..and still no underactive thyroid
the doctor thinks i might not have bipolar...but it feels like i do...i mean i dnt meet the criteria for her diagnosis
cyclothymia..but for bipolar i meet the criteria...and people i kno who do have it..act just like me..soo its odd..
cause they have bipolar..and sometimes im worse then them..and my mom told me that my brother who has it and my sister who has cyclothymia..were nothing like me..im much worse.
plus i am 18 and she cant diagnose me with cyclothymia if it hasnt been 2 monitored years of symmtoms..and i only saw her twice so far.
all a few weeks ago
and the seroquel xr 50 mg i am on...is making me manic..giving me chest and heart pains and i feel sick alot..and im paranoid and hyper.. and i just get so mad..and its just for my sleep insomnia
so i am really confused
and she tells me this is normal..when so many medical sites tell me i shuldnt b getting these side effects and people whove had it who i kno did not get these side effects
there is sooo much mroe to tell you but im gunna stop here
so what do you think?
(ive had minor psychosis but she still believes i am cyclthomic)
just last night as I was
just last night as I was going to sleep someone said my name in my ear, I was so tired too tired to be scared I got up went to the bathroom and it sunk in what had happened and I became VERY afraid. I left the light on and it took forever to go back to sleep then I heard noise woke up again and and did the same thing< I decided something in my house ( I call him Bill-from AA, because alcholic drinks get flung off my coffee table) was messing with me. I am a Christian there are ghosts there are demons and I also believe sleep paralysis may be alien because I was led to believe that I was taken to my livingroom my head pushed forward and held in place and something looked into my mind, saw all the days of my life,knew my thoughts,feelings,everything about me, and I wasnt scared until afterward when my mind was processing what had happened. I dont know what is going on with all of us. Ive had nuclear dreams where blood is coming out of my ears and the light in my dream hurts my eyes. God Bless you and keep you for the remainder of your days, with love through this insanity
Sane
Dude, you are sane and over 18 now so you can stop these doctors from poisoning you with their meds. If you keep taking them, you will eventually loose all your sanity and the possibility of establishing a good conscious relationship with your psyche. Explore the things you see, hear, sense. Write them down in a journal. They are for you to better understand the nature of your unconscious. Good luck.
Going through the rabbits hole
Reading all of these descriptions really helped me, and each one is so unique, I figure I would add my own so if anyone is going through a hard time maybe this would ease their minds.
I have had this happen a few times, but il describe the sensations that occur most every time. My thoughts will be running free as im drifting asleep. Then my attention will get fixed on something. It will be a small ball of flashing light. The ball will start flashing more and more intensely until it feels like it has consumed my consciousness (for lack of better explanation.
If I her a sound it will do the same thing in the way of starting out low, but then it will grow in volume and intensity over time.
Lately I have experienced traveling through a tunnel. Il be traveling through it, and vivid lucid images will wither be shooting at me as im going through it, or il see a super vivid image at the end of the tunnel. Its not like imagining something, this feels like im really looking at a real object.
Il have a very real fear of death as this is happening. I don't know what’s going on so I just assume it’s a seizure and that if I don't stop it il die. My body will be paralyzed, and by forcefully willing some part of it to move il shake myself out of it.
I been studying meditation a lot lately etc, and I learned the concept of none resistance. One time I just let this feeling take over me and I figured il just follow it 100% where it takes me. At the end of it I experienced what Buddhist would call a brief enlightenment. All my thoughts secede and my brain stopped thinking. All I had was an understanding of consciousness. The best way I can describe it is that usually I live in a pretty fragmented reality, where my consciousness jumps between my thoughts and what’s happening. I have a mental interpretation of everything. But after this all the interpretations were off, and I had a brief moment of just vivid consciousness.
I just had a episode tonight but I was way to terrified to let it run its course. I live alone and no matter what I cant shake the feeling like im going to die, or like I might do something that I cant reverse later.
Awesome to know others are experiencing this to!
Controlling this change of states
many have experienced these effects as cited here, me too to an extent. I have been looking into control of the change in states as one falls asleep reaches alpha, delta...
the people frightened by this effects, understandably, could look at brain entrainment, brain music if you will as one accesses these states to minimize detrimental effects long term. I'd be interested in any studies disproving or proving effects to share with my readers.
I'm experiencing the same
I'm experiencing the same thing. I can go to sleep at night and as soon as I go to sleep, it feels like I am flying. Somtimes it feels like I am falling. Other instances I have though I was awake but I don't be. I have fought it in my sleep, trying to wake up but can't, then I would wake up. I have heard noises in my sleep, like radios, or the t.v. being on. I am just glad I am not the only one experiencing these things. It doesn't happen often, but when it does it's scary. Also, I would like to know if anyone out there experience looking at clocks, and everytime it's the same time. It's like dajavue. Everytime I look at a clock it has the same time 9:11. Almost everytime I wakeup or I can be doing something. If you've experienced this please let me know.
You shoul brainstorm and
You shoul brainstorm and write down all the things that come to your mind when you think of 9:11. Write everything down, sensical or not (better if not). From that list of things, brainstorm about the ones that you have stronger feelings about. Your unconscious is trying to tell you something about yourself, and you need to bring it to consciousness (ie become aware of it). Good luck!
hypnagogic hallucinations
Hello.
I totally agree with you. This is indeed a terifiying experience.
I am a swedish woman, age 67, who have had these experiences from time to time ever since I was a child, and lately, thanks to the Internet, I finally found the answer.
No doctor has been able to help or even explain it to me, and for many years I really believed I was crazy and alone.
My advise to you is, if possible, instead of fighting it, try to relax as best as you can when you feel these hallucinations occur, and you will snap out of it quicklier.
I hope you will find your method to cope.
Sincerly
Maria Forsberg Blomgren
Hearing things!
Right before I fall asleep I start hearing things like:Beep sounds,voices,dog barks,music,someone saying something,my name called out by weird voice and other weird things,but it doesn't happen too much and it never happens when I'm awake. Am I crazy or is it Hypnagogia?
hypnogogia
Yea, same thing, also numbers flash sometimes, voices names etc. Then eventually wake up, realize I had a dream about flying or whatever, and that before I dram a lot passed through my mind.
Spiders On My Pillow
I've had these experiences for as long as I can recall... mostly I wake in the night to see a spider or some other type of bug scurrying across my pillow in front of my face while I'm sleeping on my side. I will turn on my bedside lamp and look all over for the bug, but obviously can't ever find one. I will also occasionally see objects dropping from my ceiling and falling towards me...once I thought a giant cylindrical object was forcefully stamping down towards my bed.. I screamed and pushed my husband out of the way. That was a bad one. Left me shaking and soaked in sweat. Although the most terrifying one was when I saw a dark hooded figure at my bedside leaning down towards my face. I was completely paralyzed with fear. I've heard my name whispered just as I was to fall asleep too many times to count. I've even yelled "SHUT UP and LEAVE ME ALONE!" out of frustration. I've heard loud booms and banging noises that didn't exist. The saddest one was hearing my beloved dog Moxie bark weeks after she had to be put down. Speaking of dogs though - maybe this can help some of you who are unfortunate like me and experience only the unpleasant versions of these waking half dreams... I have two wonderful dogs that sleep on the bed and/or in the room with us. These dogs bark at every little noise - they are excellent guardians. When I'm seeing something and need to be pulled the rest of the way out of the dream, I will put my hand on a sleeping dog. If these two are asleep or at least unconcerned, I KNOW there is no way what I'm seeing is real. They are like warm, furry angels watching over us... That works for the big things, but unfortunately, the spiders on my pillow always get me. Funny thing is, I don't even hate spiders. I wouldn't even bother to kill one - I just set it free outside.. I don't however want to share my pillow with one.
You are not alone
As soon as I started reading your post the first thing that jumped out at me was the mention of seeing spiders crawling across your pillow, only to wake properly and find nothing there. I have almost exactly the same thing, except that it is normally a fly crawling across the wall in my bedroom, then when I wake I search frantically for the fly but can never find it.
All the things you mention here are classic hypnogogia and sleep paralysis symptoms that many many of us suffer from. The first thing to remember is that you are not insane. I'm interested to know whether or not you are paralysed everytime the hallucinations occur? I have heard my name be called just before falling asleep on a few occasions, once it was very loud and clear and haunting to be honest, but it occurs *just* as I'm drifting off and this is where our problem lies, in the transition into and out of different sleeping phases, in our case namely the REM stage of sleep.
From the research I have done so far, the paralysis comes from the mechanism or hormone that stops you from flailing around during REM sleep, it remains active instead of switching off as your brain becomes conscious, or kicks in too quickly before you fall asleep, so in effect you are awake, you can think and feel but cannot move. This can occur whilst falling asleep or whilst waking. In my experiences the most intense occurances tend to be whilst waking. As for the hallucinations, you mention the dark figure at the end of your bed, and obviously the spiders, the dog barks and auditory hallucinations, well I read somewhere about the pineal gland releasing a neurotransmitter called "nn-DMT" during REM sleep. "nn-DMT" is one of the most hallucinogenic substances known to man and if you are on the verge of going into or out of REM sleep this may explain the intense visionary and auditory hallucinations, this is a mere possibility however.
Common shared symptoms include the shadowy figure, hearing random noises, hearing your name the moment before you fall asleep, the loud booms and banging noises, an accute sense of terror, some even experience the feeling of impending doom. There may be ways to help your sleeping pattern check out this website http://www.spis.org.uk/ it's specifically on Sleep Paralysis, but I believe Hypnagogia and Sleep Paralysis are closely related to each other and you may find their steps to avoid SP episodes help you out too.
Nightdreams that are real to me
I am glad to have this site so I don't feel diagnosable. About six years ago, I woke up in the morning and looked in the mirror to see that I had a black eye. I lived alone at the time and would have certainly woken up if I had done this to myself. I could only think it was someone who hated me and whose new address was "the other side."
In 2005, during Hurricane Wilma, I woke up to the phone ringing and there was no phone in my bedroom. Awake, I heard a voice strong and clear say Good Morning. I knew it was my ex husband who had died the year before. He did this to me for awhile and scared me. More recently, within the past few months, I've gone to bed and just turned out the light when the bed fell down and made a loud noise in doing that. There was no reason for this to have happened. But I turned on the light and looked under the bed to see what broke. There was nothing broken and the bed was intact even though it felt like a fall of about 1 foot. For years I have felt as though someone bumped the bed. Just once. I always get up and look around and see nothing. Then go back to sleep.
Two nights ago, I woke up in stark terror because I could physically feel someone coming toward me, very close to my head which was turned in that direction and trying to smother me. I was terrified and lay there stock still until I got the nerve to turn on the light. I checked the locks and everything was fine. It was 12:30 at night and I had been asleep for 2 1/2 hours.
I've had daytime visions, like the visions a Native American on a vision quest would get. And several days later that vision would happen to me. A pleasant vision. I also hear the music that is so beautiful.
I've heard my name spoken as though someone was in the room, usually upon waking. That made me think I might have schizophrenia but I was beyond the age of onset. And I said outloud to the Universe, "I'm not interested in hearing voices. I don't want to hear them anymore." I do have a tendency toward paranormal experiences and some are fine, others not at all. I want my sleep to be normal. For now I'm just glad I'm not the only one.
I don't know if this is all accounted for by an increase in dopamine or some altered consciousness or something else. For now, I want the smothering and bed falling to stop.
IDK if this is me
Ive been researching what ive had for a long time now and havent seemed to have much luck until i came across this. I have very horrible dreams at night but mostly they are hallucinations and most of them are not scary. Sometimes i see my friends in my room. I used to be a cheerleader also so when i'd sleep I'd see my room turn into a gym and all the cheerleaders practicing like it was real and i would think it was real so i would join in with them. This has gone on for a very long time and im not really sure what to think about it. I wonder if this my hallucinations are the same as hypnagogia but if it isnt at least it is very close.
none
I first experienced this when i was 14.its been the same every time.im awake then all of a sudden my eyes are closed but im still awake.i cant move or make any noises i can still hear noises that were already around me but im just stuck there screaming in my head trying to move and wake myself up then a few seconds later i wake up.it has happened to me at night and in the morning.i sometimes think about not fighting it but the feeling of not being able tom ove makes me panic so i try to wake myself up.
. . .same experience
you know i'ts very comforting to know that what's happening to me is also happening to other peopLe. i never know other peopLe who experiences that terrifying and traumatic nights untiL now..
I'm 14 Years Old
whenever this happens to me. it feels all to real. my first dream that happened to me, my sister asked me to turn on the lights. it was in the middle of the night. so i got up on my knees and turned around on my bed, to be face to face with a hullucination of the sillouete of a person whose face was right up to mine. i couldn't see it's face, but it spoke. it was a guys voice. it said "I've got you" then everything vanished, and i felt something smothering me, and choking me. I then woke up for real and realized that i was kneeling on my bed, choking myself.
this happened two years ago, i'm so glad that there is an explanation for what happened.^^
AH so that's what it's
AH so that's what it's called. I've been dealing with this for about 5 years now. Good to know I am not insane like my friends are starting to think! I've had probably 50 or so experiences, some very scary (oh s*** I'm dead again..), a few have been quite fun and pleasurable, but most of them just shaking and confusing. Some of them have really stayed with me. I often reflect on them, what was that about? what does that mean? why did that happen?? It is so powerful and so strange I feel it is of immense importance to understand and explore this. Imagine if science would actually study this in depth, we'd be god before too long.
Anyway, by far the most profound experience I've had to date was seeing this spinning wheel. It started like most trips, I'm falling asleep, I kind of wake up, feel a pressure and a squeezing inside my skull, "OK here we go, breathe, relax, and do not fear your own thoughts". Then after a bit it feels like my brain condenses in on itself so much it flips inside out in the center, I go warp speed down this blue and black tunnel of light for a few seconds, and pop out on the other side in this lucidly lit room. In front of me is this giant stone wheel. It is made of the same type of rock you see in Stonehenge, the edges are kind of beveled off a bit, and it is backlit by the same lucid light that we don't have here on earth. There is an ominous hum in the room, it just feels like I am in the presence of something tremendous that I am not supposed to see. On the surface of the wheel there were these rune symbols. Months after this, I discovered these symbols are the same ones you see for the zodiac signs like Capricorn, Aries, etc. I had never seen these things before and here they are. wtf! They were arranged on it like pie slices or a dartboard, I don't recall any pattern to what rune was where though I'm sure there is one. The symbols were all glowing a different gradient of blue, magenta, red, and orange, the light emanating off the wheel a few feet or so. The wheel sat there and spun counterclockwise so slowly yet smoothly and constantly in front of me, the word I would use is to describe its spinning is patiently.
I could go on for days with all the confusing experiences I've had, but that one has happened 3 times, I've seen the same wheel in a different context 2 more times for a total of 5, and each time it is just absolutely baffling. I think that thing is very important, it seemed like it could possibly be god or an agent of god lol.
And one more that might be of practical use, one night I slipped into this state, and ended up in essentially what you might know as hell. A shiny golden skull with fire red eyes emerged from the inferno and pulled my right arm into it's burning hot mouth. I pulled and pulled but it just pulled me in further. I tried using my left arm to pull it out really hard, but same thing, further in I went. Then I relaxed my arm, rotated it up a notch and eased it right out with no forceful effort. The skull vanished, the flames morphed into green grass and fluffy clouds and I woke up! =)
I wish I could paint, I get the random hypnagogic visions every night, it's easy just let your mind run free. But the trips into the other consciousness level like that aren't as frequent, and I am semi-ok with this.
.....comparing notes
I've had these experiences for almost all my life. I am 29 now. It's been happening more frequently lately. The only differences between mine and some of you guys are: 1) I have never really felt threatend whilst in this state. I have felt a little uncomfortable, but then I just give in and let it run wild and was fine. 2) I have never felt really paralyzed. It feels more like i could move if i wanted to, but it feels so relaxing and peaceful that i dont wish to or need to...or maybe i really am paralyzed. 3) I can (not often) pick up exact phrases. The problem is that they dont make any sense. Like "south of ice cream", "uncle chevy's best" and "plastic witness". I've tried searching these keywords....and not really anything. the only two that i searched (on the 'net) that does actually yeild results is (a) plastic witness and (b)south of ice cream: (a)I guess they are little plastic, round orange disks, use as a focal point for surveying land. (b)The closest one to the ice cream one yeilded that volcanic island south of iceland that errupted a few years back. I have no exact clue as to what causes these episodes. I honestly think its the otherside and just a tool to communicate with it/them. I also usaully see landscapes mostly and strange geometric shape of changing colors in different translucities. Maybe the lanscapes and plastic witnesses phrase points to me being a land surveior in a past life.....I dont know. I have never had a O.B.E. or vibrating feeling however i have had a feeling of hovering or floating in place or etc. I AM SO GLAD THAT IT'S NOT JUST ME...I hope we can truly discover the origin and path of it and develope useful tools and etc to unlock its TRUE PURPOSE AND/OR POTENTAIL. thanx for reading....
Is this Hypnagogia?
I'm 20 years old and I've experienced this, for at least the past ten years if not more. I have instances where it feels like I'm awake, but I'm asleep.. there are times when I try to scream and no sound comes out, in my dreams.. if I'm falling, it really feels like I'm falling.. or I try to shake myself awake.. and I can see myself awake.. but I'm not awake.. my dreams are always vivid.. easy to recall.. and if it was a terrifying event my heart races and I can feel it. Right before I go to bed in the dead silence, my head starts buzzing, sometimes I hear voices, other times it's just loud noises.
This also occurs when I'm taking a test, or trying to focus on something.. these voices, usually my own.. begin in my head.. and they are yelling at me about the particular assignment I'm trying to focus on. It's always freaked me out, at times I'm on the verge of tears because I can't stand the voices yelling while I'm trying to focus.
I have ADHD that I take Adderall for, ever since starting the Adderall a few weeks ago, I haven't had any of these occurrences.. but they used to happen at least once a month. The dreaming comes and goes.
I'm glad that there are people out there who have experiences like I do.. I don't feel as alone anymore. ..I really wish I could figure out what it really is, in case it is not this.
Hypnagogia
Hi, i do suffer from Hypnagogia. Is there a cure for this?
I just want to be normal like everyone else.
cannabis cured my hypnogogia
I have suffered/expeirenced this all my life and the only cure i have found That works!!!!..... is cannabis... no joke...by the age of 16 i was so terrified and exhausted by a lifetime of nightmares, premonitions,visitations,astrel travel,falling, floating,flying so fast load rushing noises that it hurts so bad but its not pain that we know...now i can rest...it still happens sometimes but now im not scared..
I have my own theories on the spinning, flying so fast...it feels to me that when you leave your body you drop into the earths spin....
Lots of you say you feel like your going to die... i believe this is because when were born, die and in sleep states the bodies natural dmt is realease.... so dont be afraid...... i find it helps to go through the fear... let go...and it can be beautiful...x
Hypnagogia, am I tapping into other realities?
I have had numerous experiences where an incident in my reality turned out ok or had no negative results but shortly afterwards I have flashes of the same situation where dramatic heart breaking consiquences happen! I'll explain an example below!!
Tonight 4 5 09 I took the car down to the road around 500 feet to cover up my used bicycles that I have for sale incase it rains! I took the car because it was dark and I forgot to cover them in day light! Any way long story short when I was done and headed back up to the house with the car and went out back to turn around and then come back out by the house to park as we always do, I noticed My mother had taken the dogs out to go to the bathroom! Now I didnt see her or them when I came in so I thought oh no what if, ( you know what if I accidentally ran them over because I didnt see them) Well as it turns out she had waited to take them out after I went past the house so it was safe for them to go out! After that I went to take my shower and when I was in there I had my eyes closed( probably washing my hair) and I had this very vivid very real very heart broken imagery of where I was coming up the driveway and didnt see them and the little girl dog ran under the wheel and I ran her over! Very heart broken and I am still feeling the shivers from this imagery (possibly Hypnagogia)
I had everything play out in those few moments in the shower where I lived one of my other realities wherein I ran the dog over. I got out of the car picked up the little girl dogs broken body and as she died I hollered her name and cried and sobbed and cried her name! Seriously I have tears in my eyes right now and this didnt even happen in this reality! I believe I am feeling one of my other realities unfortunate outcomes of tonights events, like Commander Worf in Star Trek TNG where he kept switching realities! I admit I didnt read all of this page or this sites info yet but I think I got enough info that I think I have that Hypnagogia or something to that effect!
I say that because it mentioned the pituitary and hormones and the brain and that is all I had to read because I have hypopituitarism and take meds to live! My pituitary is tiny according to mri's and apparently there are pieces in my brain! I think it is those pieces or those meds or the state of my pituitary that is giving me this hightened awareness of where in I relive certain events of my other realities! Sometimes it is thoughts of the family I never had but more often then not they are of dire moments like the dog getting run over!
And one final thing is that I do have those states in my dreamstate where I cannot move and also very wierd is the fact that in my dream I can fly. I can just walk up to a building and go ummphh and jump to the roof! IDK maybe that means I was beamed up by a ufo lol! But seriously I needed to vent my feelings on that moment in the shower where I think I relived another reality of running the dog over! I hope you dont think I am crazy, I dont need a straight jacket, just need to know if any one else thinks we are in touch with our other realities like a jump in quantum leap, or Sliders where I think it was Jerry O'connell that jumped from one reality to another! I miss that show! Thanks for reading and please dont post negative remarks!!
hypnagogia
Ive had probably 15 experiences with Hypnagogia. Sometimes I hear voices saying things I cant really make out, other times I feel like Im floating and I almost always sense a presence in the room next to me. I will describe my most intense experience...
In my dream I was thirsty I opened my eyes and a water bottle appeared on my window seal, I went over to it, then it disappeared then reappeared next to my bed so I layed back down in bed. Then I felt like I was being lifted by something, then I was violently pulled, seeming to fall out of my bed. I opened my eyes in a panic, and saw a black demon with white eyes and white razor sharp teeth standing next to my bed. Then it got worse...he suddenly attacked me I closed my eyes through the rest of this as I was scared shitless. I grabbed its arm and tried to snap it in half, the demon then let out a horrid scream and bit my hand, and it hurt, bad! Then I wrestled this thing on my bed for several seconds and then it disappeared. These dreams fascinate me but sometimes they are just too scary and seemingly real to handle.
Hope it burns fast
here too i have same troubles as one of you "hi anyone get this...im asleep at night and ill suddenly wake up and ill see bright static illuminous lights in my room. sometimes they will jus be like lightening and other times they will be like a shape. a few weeks ago i had a illuminous green grid in my room the whole length of my room."
voices
I always thought i was crazy too. I knew that sometimes right before I was asleep I would hear voices really loud yelling in my ear saying random things. I had no idea what was going on or sometimes I would hear really loud knocking or banging so loud that it wakes me up and my heart is pounding. Now I know what it is and that I am not alone. I wish I could conrol it more and maybe have the experiances when I want to.
Is this considered Hypnagogia?
Well, I was lying in my bed, at night ready to fall asleep when my eyes are looking at a blue chat box window. Then all of a sudden, I am being punched down like if my bed were swallowing me and I hear people scream,"BOX, BOX, BOX" at me. I thought it was some demonic type of trick or something so I said to my self(in my head), "ha, this is a trick, i could get back up" and i did. I really don't think it was a dream because everything and i mean EVERYTHING felt so real. Also, when I sleep, I feel this presence like if someone were next to me but I somehow can't get up, and I can't open my eyes. My brain sees white and I feel frozen. Is this also a cause of hypnagogia? It only happened once last year.
i spent ages thinking i was crazy : |
i've been having experiences of hypnagogia for over a year, it happened quite rarely at first and it was pretty mild, like i felt a dog licking me, thought someone was saying my name, and someone was shaking me really hard, though my eyes were open, and i could see that no one was there and i was terrified. then it went away for a few months but now its back and i'm getting it almost every night, and its a lot more severe. I sometimes think someones lying in my bed next to me and talking, and its usually a really deep creepy unusual voice like its a demon or something, and i thought that someone was dragging me out of bed and it was a monster like silhouette but my body felt like it was on a roller coaster and someone was screaming at me, another night i felt like i was levitating of my bed and being raped by a ghost and i was trying to scream 'no' but i just couldn't move or talk, and another time i heard millions of animal noises in my room like i was in a zoo which was kinda nice at first but then birds started flapping around the place then i started getting a sensation of being pecked over my body while birds were sitting on me =[
i've been questioning what it is for ages, never really thought too much off it but its been well severe for the past 5 nights and i'm beginning to get terrified of going to sleep cause its always a really horrifying experience, but it's nice to know that it's actually something that happens and i'm not insane : )
Music and Hypnagogia
Wow! What a wealth of information here. I am a musician, and have experienced hypnagogic music phenomena for many years. The tones I hear are prolonged, they come and go like ocean waves, and are extraordinarily beautiful. At some point I realized I could manipulate their movement by thinking about it, but as some others have stated here, I must remain very calm and still or I will wake myself out of the state. I am keenly interested in studying this state of being, but it's very hard to get into when I want to. I have also heard violin music and, in more of a dream state, an entire piano concerto. (I didn't remember any of it when I awoke.) In the hypnagogic state there is no visual, only sound, and I hear it exclusively in my right ear! Sometimes I have heard the random voices, too -- phrases that have no meaning to me, in regular voices of people I don't know. I have asked innumerable people over the years if they have ever experienced the tones, but to date only one woman has responded with a yes. Interestingly, that was just a couple of weeks ago and now I've found this website. Thanks, everyone, for posting your experiences here. I hope we all figure out what it means, and find ways to be empowered in the places that are more fearful!
me too
all that you say I experience too. beautiful, symphonic, gorgeous. i hope you continue to learn to cultivate is, as I will continue to do so.
Tom
The Good and Bad
Most of the time my hypnogogia is pleasant images of nature that come from no where right before sleep. I've also experienced feelings or information instantaneously. I've come to the conclusion that these are all higher states of consciousness that guys like eckhart tolle, wayne dyer and deepak chopra describe as "communing with" the dao, the kingdom of heaven or whatever else you would like to call it. The one case of sleep paralysis I had, was of a completely different energy. I was fully conscious and unable to move, as if drugged to the point where my muscles were turned to mush. There were alien type creatures traversing through my room. I can understand how some would interpret this as being abducted. It was incredibly real and terrifying.
Waking Hell
This hypnagogic thing has happened to me five times in the last two years, and that is five times too many. It doesn't seem to have any sort of rhyme or reason, as it's happened in different instances: my bed, my mother's bed, the living room couch and chair, sitting, lying down, half sitting and lying down -- regardless, each time it's been absolutely terrifying.
The time on my mom's bed was somewhat euphoric in the beginning, floating up out of bed and around "the neighborhood," (which, retrospectively, was my old neighborhood from the last place I lived) pleasant weather and bright street lights by houses where I knew that families were sleeping soundly, but this all quickly turned bad when I realized I was unable to control myself, and even further realized I could see my mom's room around me and I was unable to control myself there in reality as well. I started to do what I've done everytime which is frantically try to move whichever part of my body I can in attempts to 'come out of it,' which is only ever my eyes and maybe my toes.
This is how I know I'm awake. I can clearly feel my eyes opening and closing hard, all the while seeing my dream and the room I'm in simultaneously, like a double-exposure, one transparent on top of the other, and while I do frequently feel the 'presence' or 'entity,' it's not usually been a bad one. It's not a good one either, it's just there, and I'm able to sort of grunt at it to try to tell it to "HELP ME, I CAN'T MOVE." I can never see this entity, but I've seen it's shadow on my wall, and it looks human if not humanoid, very large in size and sort of hunched in posture.
I always come back fairly quickly, a few minutes on average, all except for once when this seemed to go on for at least ten minutes (this time I was able to actually look at the clock and watch the minutes go by, another proof that my eyes are open) and I will confidently say that was the most awful ten or more minutes I've spent in my entire life. Knowing this horrible hypnagogia is occuring and especially knowing it is infact hypnagogia and not being able to control it is the worst feeling in the world, and when I do finally come back I snatch the covers over me into a fetal position and cower in fear at I-don't-even-know-what, usually in tears.
Hope I didn't jinx anyone who usually has good experiences, and I hope reading about all your good experiences will rub off on me. Judging by pattern another episode is close. This is unfortunately inevitable; I feel helpless. Maybe medication is in order?
Thanks everyone for letting me know I'm not alone.
Hypnagogia : A Pendulum in the Night
For the past decade, I have been experiencing hypnagogic phenomenona. I was not remotely aware of the word hypnagogia - Let alone, that it might pose a theory to what has been happening in my "psuedo" sleep. It was not more than six months ago that I finally stopped observing these episodes with a mixture of awe and haunting pursuit.
I empathize with the terror that can often be felt. This sort of thing happens so suddenly. There isn't time to analyze the symbols nor time to adopt grand theories about the profundity of it all. It is not always a beautiful field stretching to the horizons, with orchestral music soothing the soul into submission. The visions, sounds, smells... these hallucinations are both bittersweet and enlightening. Yes. But, as with anything, there is a dark side to these visions.
I do witness people who are not aware of this occurance taking two stances upon the matter. Such a thing is romanticized, indeed. Like some kind of wise boon of creativity. . . Something to be wished for to happen. Something to be desired, pursued like a love interest. The other stance is filled with terror and sadness. Equally understandable when you have ever been under the impression of "being asleep" when your mind is, well - not at all in slumber.
I think it's important to share, at least for myself, that the knowledge now of hypnagogia does not lessen the emotional reactions I have to each vision. It is one thing to intellectually KNOW the word hypnagogia. Completely another to feel and experience it. Therefore, there is no real way to escape the vibrant pedulum of the occurances. . . There is both beauty and terror in being aware of them.
My most common theme is sound. I have heard absolutely stunning pieces of acoustic and classical melodies. As one person said, if you even try to think about the notes being played or how wonderful it all really is - POOF, the magnificence is gone. The sounds command that you merely observe and listen - you drown into the notes, they become your consciousness and words and ideas.
On the other hand, I have heard many other unexplainable things. Static that hisses and crackles with voices like an old radio. . . If I do not move nor think about what they are saying, but merely observe - It will grow so loud as to encompass my entire body with pain due to the level of volume. To listen is to suffer, at times, it would appear. The voices seem to orbit the static, never making entire sense. Snippets of a word, sentence fragments from what sounds like a vehement speech given to the public. . . Screaming and crying voices that are fighting. . The variety is ineffable and impossible to pin down in one sitting.
I cannot will these episodes to stop, nor would I try to. As much fear as they have instilled over the years, there is a certain compelling curiousity as to what they mean. That is the great human element coming out in us all. It is frightening to feel like you cannot breathe. To see what appears as a person suffocating your chest, or watching as you sleep.
I have never seen another person in my hypnagogic visions, to be honest. But I relate to the knee-jerk reaction of fear. Who would feel comfortable TRULY believing that they are suffocating and cannot breathe? I, for one, do not know I am hallucinating when these things happen. There is NO TIME for that. No time to wonder and build a puzzle picture of the events. It just exists, purely and simply, without debate.
I won't go into the many other senses and visions I have experienced, but just know others are out there like you. I fear the hypnagogic events even with the knowledge of them - not for what they show me, but my return to the real singular world after the experience. How to possibly make sense of them? How to explain them to anyone so you do not feel alone? It is not something you share over coffee the next morning - "Hey ...... I just heard voices so loud that my ear drums figuratively burst while I was sleeping... How about you?" haha. Okay, so I jest but even the most intimate relationship with someone else does not mean they will understand. It comes off "crazy" at worst, and imagination-run-away at best.
I wish the world was more open about cerebral matters. If we were given more opportunity to explore and discuss our mind's way - perhaps we would not be so shocked and surprised to have something like this happen. Perhaps we might grow to Einstein proportions with our hypnagogic visions. But, for now, they remain like a stalker in the night - hidden in the shadows of mundane every-day life. Pay the bills, right the wrongs, go to school, go to work, OH - and have utterly confusing and terrifying visions while you sleep. There is always time for that, right? heh heh. =)
Thanks for listening.
hypnagogia..a pendulum in the night
i just read your post on Serendip's and im surprised at how close to home it hits. I am wondering, do you ever have any of these symptoms when you are awake? i have paranoia at nite if i am outside, that i am being watched, or inside, the need to turn on the lights and tv to try and sleep. seems the more i sleep doesn't change them, nor the little i sleep makes them go away when i finally allow myself rest. i see things that i know are my mind's eye while i am awake...shadows that look like huge people but on a second look are actually only a small shadow of what is my dog. tonite i heard the voice in my ear for the first time while wide awake. its just my name in my ear that i hear, and it is accompanied with the most excruciating misery and pain one could feel, like i am holding my life in the palm of my hand and the voice, the pain of the voice, starts everything to crumble. it is completely devastating and i am left with nothing or no one. i also see images of a black dog or a rush of black water that runs alongside me when i am on my 4 wheeler at nite when it is really only a shadow of tall grass. i have been experiencing this for a long time now and i am not sure where to go for help, but i thought i would start by replying to your post. i am very anxious to hear from you and any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated. i am not sure where to turn to from here.
thank you !
Hypnogogia: perhaps less "shocked and surprised"?
Thanks for writing, and helping the world "be more open about cerebral matters." There's an old interesting article called "Modern Life Suppresses An Ancient Body Rhythm" suggesting that the hypnogogic state may in fact have been a more common feature of our lives in the past .... and may still be a desirable one. For some updates see
This is the most frightening feeling ever...
About a year ago I experienced what would be called hypnagogia. I was up really late and had an old song stuck in my head while I laid on my bed. I sung a line from the song over and over in my head and before I knew it I was asleep. But then I "woke up" violently. I could not move and it felt like something was pulling me upward off of my bed and through my wall. I felt an evil prescence in the room with me and I saw a shadowy figure at my bed. I prayed for it to stop and after it was over I was so scared that I went out into the living room and slept on the floor with my dog. I didn't want to be alone.
At the time I didn't know about hypnagogia. I, a person who would never believe in aliens, was starting to think that I had been abducted. Luckily I found some information on hypnagogia though to clear my worries. It has happened to me twice more since then, and it was just as terrifying each time. You would think that your brain would recognize what's going on since it's happened before, but mine doesn't. I don't realize what has happened until it's over.
I really hope this never happens to me again. It's a horrible feeling.