Hypnagogics - how to see them? :(

the Stuff Dreams are made of...
1

I know this is an extremely basic, square-one kinda question, but…

How do I get to experience hypnagogic images (or even sounds)?

My problem is, I NEVER, ever ever ever remember falling to sleep (I don’t get to sleep easily), and I’ve never, so far as I can remember, experienced HI - this just seems to be something that passes me by completely for some reason. :sad:

The only time I ever remember anything approaching these, was when I was taking Efexor (venlafaxine) 3 or 4 years ago. I had quite vivid dreams & (I think?) better dream recall during this time – strangely since anti-depressants are suppsoed to DECREASE dream recall in most people.

I think maybe Efexor had this effect because it increases levels of dopamine & norephramine (sp?), as well as serotonin (most anti-dep’s only work on serotonin).

Anyway, I do remember I used to experience more activity behind my eyelids when I shut my eyes to sleep, although this only really meant that the light coloured splots (? :content: ) buzzed around a bit more - they still never turned into anything other than… well, random splots.

A few times however I DID have fleeting hallucinations when I woke up … usually brightly coloured ‘spiders’ climbing the walls of my room, and once even a couple of friendly looking (but very small) alligators on my bedroom floor. :shy:

…I guess these were residual HI?:

So anyway, my question is (actually, 2 questions)… one, do we ALL experience some level of HI when we go to sleep (but maybe have varying degrees of recall)… and two, how do I increase my chances of experiencing HI without going without sleep for long stretches or taking drugs?

2

I have never really experianced to much HI. Someone correct me if I am wrong but some people just dont experiance HI. You dont have to either, you can WILD without having to see any.

3

I’ve recently discovered that I sometimes can see HI when I take a large dose of B vitimins at bedtime.

(I’ve also noticed – I think – that in the a.m. I may see some HI, but I’m then probably slipping into REM sleep and a dream then, and if I get interupted I will usually not recall the HI well, unless I’m also recalling my dreams very well that morning.)

But most of the time, am or pm, I find I usually have little HI, and when I do my memory of it is extremely fragile. Even the HI itself is very fragile – just noticing it is usually enough to dispell it, unless I am in a very conducive, neutral state of mind.

4

ummmm… There was something i used to do a few years ago, now I can’t really say it still works for me, but back then it was a sure way to get HI at bedtime. I used to relax in bed, and then try not to focus on one thought for more than a few seconds. It’s like overloading my brain with different thoughts and always switching my attention between them. Usually I’d start getting some swirling colours, which are at first under my control. Then they’d go crazy and I start hearing voices. Back then I didn’t know about LDing or anything, I used those HI to help me go to sleep. I doesn’t work for me anymore, but you’re free to try it :smile: Good Luck!

5

Amounts of HI varies indeed from person to person, though I think anyone has the potential to have them (even without drugs). A way to get HI for me is to just lay down for sleep, relax as much as possible and after perhaps one to ten minutes, something is bound to happen. Sometimes I get really pronounced HI with swirls and stuff, but often also the HI stage passes rather quickly as my imagination takes over and produces a kind of pre-sleep dreamlike visions (perhaps you could call these HI too im not sure). Normally these visions slip into dreams pretty much unnoticed (unless I do a succesful WILD).

6

I only get very fuzzy lights that move in a very repetitive way all over my visual range.

I don´t really know if they are HI or just a brain damage. Any idea?

PS: I get them allmost at the time I close my eyes (when sleepy).

7

Not proved but most possibly HI is a function that helps us to fall asleep,as its usually served in a hypnosis/trance manner.
Thats first and therefore id say everyone should be able to see them from time to time.
As we know people deprived of sleep for a while(or just REM stage of it) start to see HI even with their eyes closed.So we should think the less sleep one had the more chances for HI to show up.
Just theories but i noticed they often true,even though i also complain on lack of His- all i usually see is a black void and thats it.But again i get plenty of sleep.
good luck

8

Thats not brain damage, dont worry. It’s HI… :content:

9

Actually HIs is connected in a way with Sp and its Old Hag Syndrome which some link with brain damages…so you never know for sure:)

10

yea, i think it varys with diff. ppl and their cond.