The hypnagogic state is the pre-sleep state where you are still awake but begin to see flashes of images in front of your eyes. These images range from simply a sense of light and movement in the darkness behind your closed lids, to full blown 3D mini dream scenes. They are characterised by their ever-shifting appearance and fragility; any attempt to hold onto them will see the images scatter like flocks of frightened birds.
In the practice of lucid dreaming, particularly where you are attempting to enter the lucid state directly from waking, this state is very important. For the Wake Into Lucid Dream (WILD), this state is the very portal you need to cross in order to make a successful transition.
I have found it difficult to maintain an awareness of the hypnagogic state. I would find myself becoming too attached to the images and, as is their way, they would immediately vanish before my eyes. To make matters worse, I would get frustrated at myself for my inability to remain detached and calm.
However, yesterday I approached the awareness of this state from a different vantage point. As I closed my eyes I pretended that I was about to watch a movie. Anyone who has been into a movie theatre knows this feeling. You settle and relax into your seat, maybe with some popcorn on your lap, with the anticipation that the movie is about to begin. You give yourself over to what is about to be shown, while maintaining a keen interest in the screen in front of you.
Watching the ‘movie screen behind your eyes’ approach means that I didn’t have a need to jump at everything new that was forming. Just like a passive but alert movie audience, I was fascinated by what my internal movie producer had in store for me, but saw no need to change or control anything.
And it worked ! I was able to move through the different sensations of light, movement and image and enter a lucid dream. It wasn’t a perfect transition as there was a period where I was non-lucid before gaining lucidity, but the conscious awareness of watching the hypnagogia obviously spilled into my dream and I found myself becoming more aware of the dreaming state until I was fully lucid.
I also discovered that this practice can be great for getting to sleep when you wake up in the middle of the night. I can find myself beginning to ruminate about idea, plans and concerns very quickly when I wake up, and these keep me awake. But I realise that these thoughts are just another ‘screen’ I am tuning into. However, I can tune out of that screen and turn my mind to the hypnagogic screen in front of my eyes. Suddenly my mind is occupied by a more dreamy, calmer, less cortisol stimulating environment. Without the barrage of tomorrow’s plans or yesterday’s concerns, I was able to drift off to sleep a lot quicker. True, this still takes a degree of focus, as the other ‘screen’ of my arousing, concrete thoughts still tug at my consciousness, but if I remind myself it is just like watching a movie or TV, then my mind knows that state and is very comfortable with it. It can surrender to the state of mind quite easily as its used to doing that.
When entering the hypnagogic state, close your eyes and focus on the movie screen behind your eyes lids. It will be dark, but first begin to notice that is not completely dark. You will see that it is speckled with light. As you watch the light moving in the darkness, it will begin to form shapes and images. If you move your body or try to control the images in anyway then you will probably find yourself back at stage one, with just a black screen and little movements of light. Its important not to judge yourself if you lose the fragile imagery. Again, settle into your ‘cinema seat’ otherwise known as your bed, and wait for the next phase of the movie unfolding. You may find yourself moving towards sleep quite quickly….
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