I've been able to somewhat see the room around me in my "minds eye" if I meditate for long enough so this is what I thought people were talking about when they said seeing through closed eyelids.
Boy was I wrong.
I meditated for a while last night and all of a sudden I saw right through my eyelids. Like eyelids didn't even exist. It was absolutely incredible.
But... I got so excited I actually jerked my head forward and opened my eyes.
C'mon Mike, calm and observant ALWAYS :x
I know what you're saying. It's quite an interesting experience.
However, my question I usually ask (myself even) is that is what I saw REALLY physical reality? Or is it a hypnogogic image of what my perception of my surroundings are?
I came to this line of questioning when I used to take the train into work every day. As the train would slow down as it pulled into Toronto, I'd have visions/flashes/images/hypnogogic of my surroundings... I'd see people getting up, walking by... even my fiance who would sit across from me, I'd see her get up and leave... then when I'd physically open my eyes, I'd notice that none of what I saw actually happened.
Hence how I came to that line of questioning what we REALLY see when we "see through our closed eyes".
Very interesting. I figured it would be literally how its described - "seeing through eyelids" not hypnogogic imagery.
Maybe its somewhat like expanding your consciousness to different places, but perceiving it subjectively..