I want to contribute to Astral Consciousness, and I feel that I might be able to lend some insights into hypnogogia, and how this can effect us as we progress to our desired astral states.
Understanding Hypnogogia, a step towards Astral Consciousness
For those of us familiar with the journey towards sleep, and the myriad of changes which occur within our minds, it is safe to say that there are certain common factors which spring up indicating a level of progression towards astral consciousness in our sleeping patterns. I feel that these changes, and how we interact with them largely determine how we will be affected in the astral state. If I could refine these stages into simplified categories, I would say that there are two primary factors, hypnogogic territories, and barriers, which we will have to over come.
Hypnogogic territories represent to me, a dynamic shift in perception during sleep where our physical mind inverts the physical senses from the outside world, to begin to perceive the inner one. This inversion of senses comes with a broad range of hypnogogia. The most dominant one is visual. This comes in many forms, but most widely recognized are colored clouds, fractal patterns or images.
This doesn't stop the other senses from participating in a hypnogogic shift, faint audible sounds may emerge: music, talking and even loud popping noises can occur during this shift. Tactile sensations will also emerge; common ones are vibrational sensations within the body, a sense of touch when interacting with the hypnogogia. For example, I was thrown a ball while in this state, I caught it, and it was solid and I could feel the texture. Finally, smell and taste can emerge in this, generally at this time; you are more in a dream then in hypnogogic states. The instances where I recall taste or small are rare, but have occurred.
Barriers represent psychological walls which we have built over time when engaging in sleep. Due to the abstract nature of hypnogogia, I believe many people have crated a drop out and sleep trigger when this phase occurs, so most do not even remember any hypnogogia as sleep has taken over once this triggers. Fear, belief, and lack of understanding all contribute to these barriers. Once we over come the fear, understand the dynamic shifts and set aside any restrictive belief systems, the journey opens up a lot more.
Fear reactions to hypnogogia include pushing it away, waking up, adding more layers to the fear barrier. Overcoming these barriers comes with our curiosity, bravado and desire to achieve the desired states of consciousness during sleep.
How we begin to achieve these states come with our ability to understand what these shifts in consciousness and perception are, and how we can better utilize them for our desired goals.
Hypnogogia is aptly named, as these stages have a hypnotic and entrancing effect on the mind, inducing sleep. When you begin to interact with the hypnogogia, for example it starts taking on more of a dream form, and you interact with the characters, there is a good chance that you are already asleep and going to slip into an unconscious dream. If you start to build the hypnogogia into patterns that you control, you can use as a vehicle to exit into the dream.
Techniques like the rope technique are classic examples of using a focus to control these patterns and turn them into something beneficial. And learning to focus is as important as learning to relax properly.
Remember those magic eye pictures, which have a hidden 3D image, locked within a 2D pattern? Many people do not see this 3D image because they cannot get past the 2D patterns. And to see this 3D world requires knowing how to focus and relax your eyes properly. This is so true when dealing with hypnogogia. We too start to see the 2D patterns, but may lack the focus to see the hidden 3D world within. And like the magic eye, it is our ability to relax, and focus properly to see that emerging world is what makes the difference for those who do not.
When I start to encounter hypnogogia, I know right away, that I am close to being asleep. In fact, I never focus on relaxation. This is the one thing that I feel focusing on causes interruption for me. Rather, I allow my body to follow its natural sleeping pattern as I have naturally fallen asleep thousands of times. So why try to control something that occurs every time we go to sleep. Rather, what I do is focus on the changes, the progression towards hypnogogia, and avoid directing my attention at my body while it starts to sleep. Several passes through the hypnogogic states taught me that these shifts are key indicators of how relaxed I already was.
The second observation about hypnogogia was: Hypnogogic patterns are patterns of thought; particularly, thoughts we create. And knowing that we think in these patterns only led me to controlling them more efficiently once I realized I was the reason they were occurring. Thought is not verbal, or linear. We think in highly complex patterns that can emerge as 3D worlds we call dreams. Once you are comfortable with hypnogogia, become aware how your thoughts affect it. Start shaping these patterns with ones of your own. The rope technique is definitely a good focus.
Other techniques I have used involve creating a door, and throwing small rocks at it. As the hypnogogia starts to take hold, the sound of the rocks hitting the door becomes less faint and more solid. When they are loud bangs on the door, I reach for the handle, open up the door and walk into the astral, or dream state. I like the door technique myself because the shift in the audible hypnogogic patterns is much closer to the right level or sleep and relaxation, then the visual. Also, when I feel the rocks in my hand, I know that I am already there. I don't even need to open the door. I can just blast off somewhere.
If you experience hypnogogia, then you are one step closer to having a lucid dream, or an out-of-body experience. Changing hypnogogia with your imagination, empowers you as left alone; it will drag you into a deep, blissful sleep where you may have no consciousness and recollection at all.
I'll work on another segment following hypnogogia, which can lead to Astral Consciousness. Hopefully!
Ian
Understanding Hypnogogia, a step towards Astral Consciousness
For those of us familiar with the journey towards sleep, and the myriad of changes which occur within our minds, it is safe to say that there are certain common factors which spring up indicating a level of progression towards astral consciousness in our sleeping patterns. I feel that these changes, and how we interact with them largely determine how we will be affected in the astral state. If I could refine these stages into simplified categories, I would say that there are two primary factors, hypnogogic territories, and barriers, which we will have to over come.
Hypnogogic territories represent to me, a dynamic shift in perception during sleep where our physical mind inverts the physical senses from the outside world, to begin to perceive the inner one. This inversion of senses comes with a broad range of hypnogogia. The most dominant one is visual. This comes in many forms, but most widely recognized are colored clouds, fractal patterns or images.
This doesn't stop the other senses from participating in a hypnogogic shift, faint audible sounds may emerge: music, talking and even loud popping noises can occur during this shift. Tactile sensations will also emerge; common ones are vibrational sensations within the body, a sense of touch when interacting with the hypnogogia. For example, I was thrown a ball while in this state, I caught it, and it was solid and I could feel the texture. Finally, smell and taste can emerge in this, generally at this time; you are more in a dream then in hypnogogic states. The instances where I recall taste or small are rare, but have occurred.
Barriers represent psychological walls which we have built over time when engaging in sleep. Due to the abstract nature of hypnogogia, I believe many people have crated a drop out and sleep trigger when this phase occurs, so most do not even remember any hypnogogia as sleep has taken over once this triggers. Fear, belief, and lack of understanding all contribute to these barriers. Once we over come the fear, understand the dynamic shifts and set aside any restrictive belief systems, the journey opens up a lot more.
Fear reactions to hypnogogia include pushing it away, waking up, adding more layers to the fear barrier. Overcoming these barriers comes with our curiosity, bravado and desire to achieve the desired states of consciousness during sleep.
How we begin to achieve these states come with our ability to understand what these shifts in consciousness and perception are, and how we can better utilize them for our desired goals.
Hypnogogia is aptly named, as these stages have a hypnotic and entrancing effect on the mind, inducing sleep. When you begin to interact with the hypnogogia, for example it starts taking on more of a dream form, and you interact with the characters, there is a good chance that you are already asleep and going to slip into an unconscious dream. If you start to build the hypnogogia into patterns that you control, you can use as a vehicle to exit into the dream.
Techniques like the rope technique are classic examples of using a focus to control these patterns and turn them into something beneficial. And learning to focus is as important as learning to relax properly.
Remember those magic eye pictures, which have a hidden 3D image, locked within a 2D pattern? Many people do not see this 3D image because they cannot get past the 2D patterns. And to see this 3D world requires knowing how to focus and relax your eyes properly. This is so true when dealing with hypnogogia. We too start to see the 2D patterns, but may lack the focus to see the hidden 3D world within. And like the magic eye, it is our ability to relax, and focus properly to see that emerging world is what makes the difference for those who do not.
When I start to encounter hypnogogia, I know right away, that I am close to being asleep. In fact, I never focus on relaxation. This is the one thing that I feel focusing on causes interruption for me. Rather, I allow my body to follow its natural sleeping pattern as I have naturally fallen asleep thousands of times. So why try to control something that occurs every time we go to sleep. Rather, what I do is focus on the changes, the progression towards hypnogogia, and avoid directing my attention at my body while it starts to sleep. Several passes through the hypnogogic states taught me that these shifts are key indicators of how relaxed I already was.
The second observation about hypnogogia was: Hypnogogic patterns are patterns of thought; particularly, thoughts we create. And knowing that we think in these patterns only led me to controlling them more efficiently once I realized I was the reason they were occurring. Thought is not verbal, or linear. We think in highly complex patterns that can emerge as 3D worlds we call dreams. Once you are comfortable with hypnogogia, become aware how your thoughts affect it. Start shaping these patterns with ones of your own. The rope technique is definitely a good focus.
Other techniques I have used involve creating a door, and throwing small rocks at it. As the hypnogogia starts to take hold, the sound of the rocks hitting the door becomes less faint and more solid. When they are loud bangs on the door, I reach for the handle, open up the door and walk into the astral, or dream state. I like the door technique myself because the shift in the audible hypnogogic patterns is much closer to the right level or sleep and relaxation, then the visual. Also, when I feel the rocks in my hand, I know that I am already there. I don't even need to open the door. I can just blast off somewhere.
If you experience hypnogogia, then you are one step closer to having a lucid dream, or an out-of-body experience. Changing hypnogogia with your imagination, empowers you as left alone; it will drag you into a deep, blissful sleep where you may have no consciousness and recollection at all.
I'll work on another segment following hypnogogia, which can lead to Astral Consciousness. Hopefully!
Ian