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Images in the Liminal State


Starlight

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Does anyone have any thoughts on the images that arise in the liminal state (i.e. while on the edge of falling asleep or on the edge of becoming conscious again)?

 

I'm curious! I see lots of unsettling things - some that scare me fully awake, most that don't, but I'm just curious as to "WHY those things" and not other things?

 

I went googling for info, and came across this book but apart from that there doesn't appear to be a lot out there.

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I believe you’re describing hypnagogia or hypnagogic hallucinations. They can be extremely vivid and it can feel like the senses are more alert during that phase. Maybe your brain are processing things related to your senses, rather than processing more complex experiences that you’ve had that day? It’s just a guess though 🙂

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This is a brilliant subject. Thought my life I've had these "9 of Swords" moments either just as the seconds I'm falling asleep, or I guess a few seconds of sleep, then I wake up, or even when I allow myself to day dream a it to deeply or too much. I think these are normal brain functions. The brain is supposed to be active, even while meditating, but I can relate to the few seconds of reality before I fall asleep. I usually see something that often times becomes true, or a deep realization. I don't know thats is a blasé 6th sense excuse either. And sometimes that realization can be pretty scary, accepting the reality. But I also expect that it is your brain making the body accept that this is healthy. Maybe it is that rare time where we should be listening to the brain instead of the body. It's the brain doing its true job without outside interference, over the body. Often times, the brain, probably more than any other part of our physical being is what's interfered with. Which is why so many guru's will advise listening to the body because the brain does lie for its own self, or because of other negative influences. 

I also want to add that I have these extreme moments of clarity frequently throughout my life, as in a weekly basis. 

Edited by Eric13
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Oh! I had no idea I'd had any replies to this topic!! Thank you both so much! I thought I'd be notified when someone posted, but apparently not! 😮

 

On 12/15/2019 at 11:03 PM, Raggydoll said:

I believe you’re describing hypnagogia or hypnagogic hallucinations. They can be extremely vivid and it can feel like the senses are more alert during that phase. Maybe your brain are processing things related to your senses, rather than processing more complex experiences that you’ve had that day? It’s just a guess though 🙂

Yes, hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallunications. 🙂 They do seem quite vivid as I'm aware of them, but then when I'm fully awake, it's like they fade away entirely in their importance and how I felt.

 

Oddly enough, tonight I've just found this site with info on hypopompic hallucinations: https://mentalhealthdaily.com/2015/05/18/hypnopompic-hallucinations-causes-types-treatment/

 

The sleep deprivation (sounds so serious!) and anxiety factors definitely fit my circumstances, so perhaps that's what's happening?

 

On 12/16/2019 at 12:15 AM, Eric said:

I also want to add that I have these extreme moments of clarity frequently throughout my life, as in a weekly basis. 

It sounds like you're having "hallucinations" (for want of a better word) or visual insights that make sense and have a real-life application. That is really wonderful! Mine are more random. Perhaps if my brain is trying to tell me something, the images might be symbolic? But I'm not certain...

 

But thank you both for sharing your ideas. If I come across anything else that I think might add to this, I'll post it here. 🙂

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Starlight, when you have these images or hallucinations, are they like full blown dreams? Or are they more like flashes? I’m thinking that I can relate, but I want to make sure that I understand before I contribute to the conversation!

 

I hope your rest becomes more peaceful!

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It might just be your brain sliding into a particular stage of theta on the way to delta. I get them sometimes. Usually just a sense of being in bed exactly as I am, but in a different room that I've never seen IRL. I can "see" these rooms quite well. I enjoy it and stay very still so as not to lose it. I don't ascribe any meaning to it, though. Yes, I could view it through the lens of something like past lives or astral projection, but I have no way of knowing. So I just roll with it.

If you're seeing horrible things you don't want that, though. Maybe take up meditation? It might help your brain stop glitching on that.

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3 hours ago, Emilija said:

Starlight, when you have these images or hallucinations, are they like full blown dreams? Or are they more like flashes? I’m thinking that I can relate, but I want to make sure that I understand before I contribute to the conversation!

 

I hope your rest becomes more peaceful!

They're more like images but they don't fade immediately and sometimes the more I focus the more they stay, unless I get freaked out and wake up. 😄

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2 hours ago, katrinka said:

Usually just a sense of being in bed exactly as I am, but in a different room that I've never seen IRL.

That is really cool!!

 

Yes, I'm aware of where I am, but with the added joy of dangley things hanging from the ceiling or words written on a wall. That kind of thing. They're usually not pleasant to look at.

2 hours ago, katrinka said:

If you're seeing horrible things you don't want that, though. Maybe take up meditation? It might help your brain stop glitching on that.

Yes, that's a great idea and a goal for 2020 (unrelated to this issue, but beneficial for it, no doubt). Like you, I have no way to know if the images are relevant or anything. Calming my mind down is a better way to go at this stage, I think. There's no practical way to discover/uncover and work with the images as far as I can see, so I won't get hung up on it. 🙂

 

These things I'm seeing might fall into the category of my brainwaves flashing as my brain calms down or revs up.

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Do the images tend to repeat themselves or are they always changing? I just got to thinking about something my psychologist said when I was in PTSD treatment. She spoke of intrusive thoughts and intrusive imagery (not directly related to PTSD, we discussed it in another context). And she said that the more vivid imagination a person has, the more likely they are to experience intrusive imagery at some point. The key is to not let it scare you (because it does not say anything about you, it’s merely an experience) and it’s also hugely important to allow the brain to finish the scenario. She said that you could make a point at sitting down at the end of the day and think about very uncomfortable or intrusive thought/image you’ve had through the day. Writing it down also helps. And if you have any fears around them then allow yourself to really explore what it is you fear. So it might become like an inner dialogue. And by doing this every day the imagery will start to feel more and more neutral until they finally subside. 

 

I was thinking that maybe this technique could be used for whatever it is that’s going on for you. Perhaps write and draw the things you see in those hallucinations and document it. Contemplate it or just sit with it. It might help. You could also ask a psychologist for tips and support. Some places offer free short sessions on the phone just as a screening process. And they should be able to give you some general tips.

 

But also. I once suffered from really bad, repetitive nightmares and the thing that worked perfectly was to break the cycle with sleeping meds (the lighter, non-addictive kind). I was only on them for a short while but the nightmares stopped. Not sure if that is in any way helpful for your issue. I just thought that it might be good to discuss that side of it too. Good quality sleep is so important and sometimes it doesn’t matter why. I never bothered to analyze those dreams I was just happy to make them go away. So there are many ways to go about this.

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4 hours ago, Raggydoll said:

And she said that the more vivid imagination a person has, the more likely they are to experience intrusive imagery at some point. The key is to not let it scare you (because it does not say anything about you, it’s merely an experience) and it’s also hugely important to allow the brain to finish the scenario. She said that you could make a point at sitting down at the end of the day and think about very uncomfortable or intrusive thought/image you’ve had through the day. Writing it down also helps. And if you have any fears around them then allow yourself to really explore what it is you fear. So it might become like an inner dialogue. And by doing this every day the imagery will start to feel more and more neutral until they finally subside. 

Wow, thanks @Raggydoll. I can do this. It sounds a bit like acknowledging that I may have these thoughts, and understanding that they might recur, and letting that  way of processing everything take the sting out of them. (What we resist persists, as they say.) Thank you for the tip! It's about managing the fear rather than trying to understand the images, I can see that now. :thumbsup:

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6 hours ago, Eric said:

It's very important to allow the mind to flow where it wants to go. Offer no resistance to what is.

I'm beginning to understand that. Sometimes it all feels overwhelming and it feels like something may be pulling the brakes on offering no resistance. That's v interesting!! So, I'll try and be gentle about it and see how it goes. 🙂 Thanks, Eric.

Edited by Starlight
Too many smileys in close proximity...
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Every time this has happened to me, I was given information that I should know. And that I had to deal with in my waking life. Some of these things could have gone very wrong if I hadn't had a warning.

 

And once, it was just my Dad (who had passed years ago) sitting and laughing with other family members who had passed. I think he was saying hello and telling me that everybody was fine and happy. 

 

These images are important. 

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