Hearing sound for a short time during...

… strong visualizing?

So, I like malls and big public places. So, going to sleep, relaxing myself, I concentrate on being in a mall. From first entering it, to looking around, and, finally, leaving (it’s a complete random mall (shopping center), so I make it up as I go (is that a good idea?)). I remember each of my 5 senses and apply them. Feeling the rails on the stair cases as I descend a few feet to a different area of the mall, the feel of the floor tiles. Seeing people, shops, sky light (a big glass ceiling looking up), restaurants with people eating, you know - a mall. Tasting, well, nothing. I suppose I can imagine going to one of the many restaurants and eating and tasting :smile: Smelling the food as I pass and the smell of malls (I think malls and hotels/motels have distinct scents). Hearing the usual sounds that you hear in a mall (I saved hearing for last, as you can tell :happy:) - people talking around me, things making noise - the normal commotion of a public place. Then, after a few minutes after visualizing (I often had to repeat step, to make sure I got each sense noticibley enough), I hear in my ‘real’ ears a continuation of the normal commotion.

It was completely expected and normal (meaning no unexepected noise or sudden increase in volume) - a normal continuation of the talking and chatting going on around me. Only thing was is I wasn’t hearing it in my head anymore, I really heard it. It was only like one second long, but it was enough to stop my whole visualization process.

What is this? Anyone have any similar experiences?

Thanks! :smile:

(I read all information about posting before I made this, so I shouldn’t have disobeyed in rules. Sorry if I did.)

Sounds like hypnagogic imagery to me. Personally, I’ve heard people chatting in my bedroom, motorcycles revved, and explosions going off five feet away from my ears when I’m about to go to sleep or just waking up. (Of course, they weren’t actually real…)

HI seems to explain your case. You were near sleeping and visualizing. You were probably on the verge of falling asleep when you heard that noise.

(And as far as I know, you didn’t break any rules…!! :wink:)

How do I prolong these sounds? I just heard this sound for like a second or two at the most, then I sort of woke up from the state I was in.

It can be difficult to prolong the sounds if you focus directly on it. The Hypnagogic sounds I’ve heard have been music. really good music, when i try to focus on it, it stops. My mind becomes too awake. You must have the perspective of a passive observer. Don’t try to prolong the sounds, if you just stay cool, they will continue.