New Member Needs Help

[Springhill]

Once at night whilst wide awake, but with closed eyes, a very clear image formed of a beautiful woodland scene. I seemed to be able to hold onto it for maybe 5 seconds before it disappeared.

Since then on maybe 5 occasions I have found images again starting to form. I find this a little disconcerting ( in case of a negative image) so I  open my eyes to escape.

I'm very interested to find out what I might have experienced and would welcome any comments or shared experience.

I have never had an OBE or even tried for one but the subject fascinates me particularly as sometimes I do experience sleep paralysis ( frightening because I fear I won't get out) which would appear to be a means to get there.

Another experience, but not scary, are dreams of flying which feel very real and I hate them ending.

[WindGod]

darn, i tried to do a search but couldn't find it, they call it psycho-hypnotic images/imagery here?

happens to me frequently, usually just before falling asleep, or when waking up in the middle of the night, then closing my eyes.

Interesting that you should mention a woodland scene, because a couple nights ago while trying to meditate, I saw a flash of the canopy of a tree forest, looking up at it from below, and seeing the sky through the leaves. Vivid and photographic as if my eyes were open and i was looking at a film projection.

The imagery can be patterns, swirling clouds, many layer composite abstract intricate multicolor textures, realistic environments, rooms, photo-realistic to cartoonish, (coffee and aspirin are the only drugs I take    )

There must be lots of terminology for this, for example,  transition from beta brainwaves to alpha to theta just before sleep.

a specific phase during the meditaion trance, (before falling asleep unintentionally    )

I'd imagine that this is the source of inspiration for  many artists.

as far as help goes, my unqualified advice is to continue developing the waking trance state, naturally, avoid artificial means to stimulate this, and enjoy the imagery.

A very interesting challenge for me is to capture this imagery in digital 3d artwork.

[Nay]

I'd imagine that this is the source of inspiration for many artists.

Wow.. yeah, that is true.  I think the word you are looking for is, Hypnagogic.  If you can hold on to it..without holding on to it....LOL. you might be able to find youself in that paticular place.  It's like your mind is drifting....or falling to sleep and you get these little shots of different scenes.

It can be distracting if you are trying to achieve just getting out of your body and walking around your house though.

I sketched a very cool scene that I saw while meditating and it was me looking out from the bottom of a fresh grave, with ragged roots sticking out of the sides and willow trees blowing above me.  It sounds morbid... but it felt... right.

[WindGod]

ah yeah, thanks! First time I'd seen the term hypnagogic was here in AP, seems like the word fits well. (although the very excellent spell checker thinks it should be "spongecake", that's alright)  

[Nay]

Spongecake!!  Ahhh..too funny!  it fits if you think about it... :thumbsup:

[jub jub]

I keep having a reoccurring vision of a dog running through the woods, darting side to side like it was trying to dodge bullets. The scenery is always a dark sepia in color. I have never had a vivid vision while in the spongecake state.

[Springhill]

Hi Windgod,

Your comments copied below capture exactly my experience.

Hello Nay:

Thanks too for your suggestion of it being Hypnagogic. - after looking up this term on Google though, it seems to suggest the experience (hypnagogic) is between being awake and sleeping, whereas in my experience  I'm 100% awake with eyes closed.

Vivid and photographic as if my eyes were open and I was looking at a film projection.

[Cosmic_Ambitions]

WindGod wrote:

"Interesting that you should mention a woodland scene, because a couple nights ago while trying to meditate, I saw a flash of the canopy of a tree forest, looking up at it from below, and seeing the sky through the leaves. Vivid and photographic as if my eyes were open and i was looking at a film projection."

I've had the same exact thing happen to me... I saw a brief image of the canopy of trees, with the sun beaming/reflecting through. This was also as if my eyes were open and I was looking at a film projection. This truly makes me wonder... are there preloaded images floating around in the ethereal states that have been agreed upon "beatiful images" that everyone has access to? I by no means made this up in my mind. I've also seen a surreal picture-like image of wispy white/grey clouds with a bright/clear/crisp sun shining behind them. It looked like a Bob Ross painting if you're familiar with his work.

PUL,
Cosmic_Ambitions

[WalkerInTheWoods]

I use to have the same thing happen to me when I was younger. I would be fully awake yet I could see things, usually wooded landscapes. All I needed was darkness and it they would come right away. At night I would go to bed and watch the scenes. I don't know if this was hypnogogic imagines or not because like you I would not be in the in between state but rather wide awake.

I was just a child when this happened and I became scared that I might see something unpleasant since I did not really know what was going on. So I slowly was able to make it stop. I urge you not to do the same just because of fear because I deeply regret blocking this out now. Fear is a foolish reason to stop something like this. I suggest to just relax, enjoy it, and explore it.

[shiz]

i really need some help.. ive wanted to be able to astral project in quite some time and ive tried loads of techniques but none seem to work! all i feel is as if i was im in my astral body, in my body, but cant do anything with it, i cant move and i cant see anything.
please help me!!, what should i do?
thanks in advance
Shiz

[Nay]

I don't know if this was hypnogogic imagines or not because like you I would not be in the in between state but rather wide awake.

I feel very alert and awake when seeing scenes.  That's the cool thing with me, I would think I was awake because I felt so alert, then I would realize I was already out-of-body.  Watching scene, almost always 'pops' me right to the scene with no fuss or muss.  

I've done this since I was a child.  I have found that resorting back to my childhood techniques (which I totally forgot about for YEARS) has been the best thing for me.  I gave up on trying to do what everyone else was recommending.  For example,   I was a very hyper child and even though my body was tired, my mind wouldn't stop.  So, I would lay on my side and look down at the carpet, if for no other reason than to just not go to sleep..lol.  

After awhile I would see bugs running around the carpet beside my bed.  I noticed if I thought about them running in circles, they would run in circles, if I thought about them running in a figure eight, they would run in a figure eight.  It became a game with me, and soon I had them changing colors and doing all sorts of tricks.   I have no idea why, as a child, I not once questioned what the hell was going on.    It is now obvious to me that my physical had been asleep and I was just playing around in the astral.

Anyhoos..  Just thought that was interesting and wanted to share

[jub jub]

After awhile I would see bugs running around the carpet beside my bed.  I noticed if I thought about them running in circles, they would run in circles, if I thought about them running in a figure eight, they would run in a figure eight.  It became a game with me, and soon I had them changing colors and doing all sorts of tricks.   I have no idea why, as a child, I not once questioned what the hell was going on.    It is now obvious to me that my physical had been asleep and I was just playing around in the astral.

Who needs toys when you can have fun with bugs!  

[WalkerInTheWoods]

I feel very alert and awake when seeing scenes.  That's the cool thing with me, I would think I was awake because I felt so alert, then I would realize I was already out-of-body.  Watching scene, almost always 'pops' me right to the scene with no fuss or muss.  

...

Anyhoos..  Just thought that was interesting and wanted to share

Thank you for sharing. I wish I knew then what I know now. It would have been so easy to just "step" out into these scenes. But I had no idea of such things at that time.

[Nay]

 @ Jub-jub!  I did not fear anything when I was young.....only adults.

You're welcome Falln.  It really is easier than we could ever imagine.