Hypnagogic Imagery

[Lionheart]

 According to Wikipedia, Hypnagogia is the experience of transitional states to and from sleep. The Hypnogogic states of consciousness.

It is also something that almost all that attempt to "notice" will experience. Noticing being a technique whereas you close your eyes and just notice focus on the darkness before them, as you await the "shift" to occur. This will usually result in seeing some kind of Hypnagogic Imagery. This could come in the form of Geometrical shapes, lines, orbs, faces, places, even the Tetris effect has been labeled as Hypnogogic Imagery.

My question to you is, when you close your eyes and notice, how long does it take until you start seeing shapes or lights or any other imagery?

I don't mean imagery that you are attempting to visualize or create either. I mean imagery that just shows up or in some cases is already there when you close your eyes.

Please be honest with your answers. This is not a contest.

Thank You!  

[Bedeekin]

Are you on about Phosphenes or actual distinct images?

[Lionheart]

Are you on about Phosphenes or actual distinct images?

Distinct images!

[Szaxx]

Once relaxed (upto 5 mins) the sounds start and images too a few seconds later. Defined random images with recognizable form take a min or so longer.
The shortest time is less than one min and the longest... I fell asleep. 

[Lionheart]

... and the longest... I fell asleep. 

Yes, that does happen often ,lol.

That's the way I go to sleep every night! 

[Bedeekin]

I get this when I close my eyes in waking normal life.. sometimes they superimpose on my vision with my eyes open. This is how I do my concept art.. I've never felt personally responsible for the stuff I design. 

I get phosphenes at first then if I haven't primed myself (had a nap) I will get scenarios and random images fading in and out of my mind's eye. Usually they are totally unconnected to my actual thoughts and sometimes when I try to analyse them or even remember them a split second after they slip through my fingers... as though I stepped in then out of another head space.

[Lionheart]

 I have the exact same thing occur all the time Bedeekin. That's why I made this thread to begin with.

I thought this was where the words "active imagination" could be used, but these are not controlled images.

They are just "there", if that makes any sense.

I wanted to see if others experience this as well and how common it really was.

Thank You for your honesty guys!  

[Bedeekin]

Active imagination is I think a good term. Maybe Active passive Imagination would fit the bill... but 'there' is a good enough description.

I don't think it's very common... even amongst artists. Many artists I know almost start their project hoping to get a feel for it and then it builds and evolves... I don't. I get very succinct imagery and stories that go with the imagery. I am often slightly 'jealous' (for want of a better term) that I can't free myself up like most artists. I see.. and want to put it down in the detail I see it in. I can sometimes muster voluntary images but they're never as pure or 'independant'

[Astralzombie]

Occasionally, they can start almost immediately and this is usually surprising. Other times they don't seem to occur for several maybe even ten minutes or so. This is also the time that I have seen things that turned out to be true. Most images seem random and disconnected but the precognitive ones always jump out and become engrained.

[Szaxx]

I see these too during the day when in 'autopilot mode'. They are very clear like watching for real and your physical vision is moved into the background.
The hypno sounds usually preceed these.
If busy being analytical they don't appear.

[Lionheart]

 I feel that this is really the way we can help new members here.

By talking more about what we do have in common, we could get to the real building blocks of this practice. Possibly discerning why some succeed, while others have a hard time or   fail.

Things like this that we share in common could possibly explain why we also find AP as a commonality between us.