Consciousness keeps slipping away

[Speedo]

For almost a week now I have been able to remain conscious from waking through to a point where my mind begins projecting scenes, faces, people talking to me etc. It is almost as if it is running on its own without my intervention. I can still feel my body if I try, but it feels hollow - like a dead weight that belongs to someone else. Is this the hypnagogic phase?

However, each time a "scene" is projected, my effort tells my mind "hey don't slip away" and then I'm back to a more conscious state where there is no more imagery and my body also wakes up a little. Then I have to start over again. This could go on for hours and has kept me up the past few nights. It is cyclic - relaxed > imagery> "you're slipping away"> relaxed> imagery... eventually I do slip away into sleep and then when I awake in the morning and can't even recall when I lost consciousness.

So I guess I'm a little frustrated because I'm not sure if it's even possible to stay focused, with my mind awake. When the imagery starts it's as if my concentration is going too. And then I trigger it to wake up which also wakes up my body a little. Is it just a matter of practice? Perhaps I am trying to control too much?

[rain_88]

Well, it is said that you should not try but let it happen ....

[Stookie_]

It sounds to me like you are very close and at the most difficult part. It's good that you're recognizing the hypnogogics. Have you tried a more active technique like a rundown? In my experience doing a rundown and slipping into the hypnogogic stage from there can produce interesting results, like I'll be doing my rundown over and over, but then I may start slipping a bit and the scene changes from what I was visualizing, I notice it and bring it back to my chosen rundown. Eventually this "slipping" will result in phasing.

Also, don't try it as you're going to bed, then you're much more likely to fall asleep. Find another nice relaxing time. I like Saturday mornings when I don't have to work.

[Speedo]

For a few days now I can consecutively experience these "scenes" during an afternoon nap. It takes me about 40 min to get into them. Today I also heard a sound that I knew was not from my physical reality. Problem is that every time these happen I get jolted back to a very relaxed waking state, where my body just feels like a shell.

I'm wondering if I should let myself "slip" and then maybe I will get the jolt as I get more into it - except I will be conscious in the other state rather than a relaxed physical state.