Last night, I woke briefly in between vivid dreams and found myself completely awake but in the hypnagogic state.  This is the state of mind-awake/body asleep.  However it was more than that.  Meditation and relaxation can get you to mind awake/body asleep quite easily.  You may, as I do, even hear your self snoring or breathing as in sleep.  However, I believe the hypnagogic state to be something more.  The channel to your subconscious images/sounds is open, yet you are awalke and rational.

I found myself in this state, and was amazed.  Fully defined images flashed before my "vision" that I knew were part of our means of communication with the afterlife.  I felt a sense of joy in this, and instantly thought that this must be what Swedenborg and others were able to master.  It was as if a wide range of images were being directed onto a massive viewing screen before me.  I saw images of hillsides, and for some reason several images of power lines - lthe kind that deliver electricity above ground. 

I gathered my intent and set about to make a request.  I was going to ask for my father, who passed away last March to come forward or give me a message.  Just as I made this request, the outline of a figure came forward.  However, about five minutes must have gone by, and I couldn't hold onto the state long enough to mlake anything meaningful out of it.

I felt, quite deeply that this hypnagogic state was different from my usual state during meditation of body asleep/mind awake.  There was a channel open - that is the only way I can put it.  As if a door, normally open only while sleeping was left open in wakefulness.  A door to images, the subconscious and yes, the afterlife.  I had the distinct impresision that with effort this state could be reproduced and mastered.  However, as it was the first such occurrence in this manner, I'll have to give some followup to it in the future. 

I'd be interested in hearing the experience of others regarding this state.

Matthew

Hi Rob,

My feeling was that I was in C1.  My eyes were closed and I was awake.  I knew I was in a bedroom.  I was not paralyzed or sensory deprived as I sometimes get when deep in hemisync meditation.  I felt like any moment I could get up and start interacting in C1. 

However, my vision was in full bloom in front of me.  A panoramic slide show was going on, and as I said before, it was as if a door was open that usually is closed to our waking state.  I felt completely lucid and rational, and something told me (not a voice) that I had finally done it.  This was the interface I was looking for to connect to the spiritual plane.  I felt that if I could have maintained this hypnagogic state for a longer period of time, that I could have interacted with the visions/symbols and directed the events.  I was sure that this was the state Swedenborg had mastered, and something further struck me and that was - once the door was open, it would be possible to access these visions/symbols in the waking state as well.  I had the distinct impression that we all could do this, but the state was initially elusive because the door that opened was, I assume usually only associated with our subconscious connection to God and the universe which is most often in open during sleep. 

Matthew

Quote:


Absolutely!  And so much more.

Congratulations!

Love, Kathy

I feel like this was a very important turning point for you doc and I'm glad, and I hope you'll tell us of further developments once you get a feel and return there, maybe like snapping your fingers
we are all different, what experiences we describe, its good to find the commonalities if possible. you appear a very visual person or maybe we can call it clairvoyant.
when I am in the nearest state as examply to hynogogic, it is when I first wake in the morning I can sometimes get messages or I start to recall my dream. the messages are like little mind teasers, some wisdom, something I already know, but can follow to find a rote on.
I often get a story title and begin to write an article from what occurs in the hynogogic state.

I have often wanted to see the panoramic views of nature that you  describe, or the clearly defined images. I'm more into sound and so I consider I am more clairaudient than clairvoyant in this sense, but don't want to label anybody. I can see shadowy vistas and sometimes a persons face or outlines of bodies but definetely I listen more than I focus on image.

the other thing I relate to you on is the door that opens. I see this compared to the 3rd eye spoken of long ago, which was said to have atrophied in the average human, but which we all used to have in common.
I would like to see you meet up with your father, perhaps that will happen if you keep it in mind as a possibility or probability and if your father is available at this time.

thanks! alysia

Wow Doc, I have experienced this state as well, in exact details as you have described.

The first experience I had was while lying in bed under a great deal of stress: While lying there (eyes closed) my field of vision instantly opened up in front of me, as if a light had been turned on. At that moment I was aware of a gated opening that was lined with the most crisp, vivid, lush otherworldy flowers and vegetation that I had ever seen and have yet to see. It was all internally lit (glowy), like a backlit painting. It was alive, and I felt that I was part of it. I could feel it in ways that are not capable of being felt with this limited human experience. Then, as fast as it came, it was gone.

The second experience was while relaxing on the couch midday (eyes closed): Instantly a visual scene opened up in front of my awareness. It was crip (like the last experience), and more brilliant than the physical eyes are capable of rendering. I could see a field of hilly grass in front of me; it had all of the characteristics as the flowers and vegetation as in the last experience described. I was also visually aware of a cascade of vivid, majestic, "cosmic-esque" mountains within the mixture of the hillside (Hard to describe). Also, there were two things that stood out in great detail in my mind; one was an awareness of an unknown yet familiar elderly male presence to my right, sitting on a white decorative bence next to the mountain (yet never seen); the other was that of an indescribably brilliant red rose growing from the base of the hillside. There felt to me to be something very important/significant about this rose. Yet, at the time, I couldn't tell what this significance was. Then, as fast as it came, it was gone.

The third experience was while relaxing on the couch midday (eyes closed): Instantly I was aware of walking/floating slowly down a tunnel of sorts. The inside of the tunnel was lined with cream colored stones. It too was internally lit (glowy). This tunnel was leading me towards a set of doors that were overpowering in the sense of wonder and excitement that they emitted, and in the sense of the immense light that was pouring from its outer edges. I had an inner knowing that there was a great adventure to be had beyond those doors. Then, as fast as it came, it was gone.

The fourth experience was while relaxing on the couch midday (eyes closed): Instantly I was aware of being engulfed within a very deep deep black rich darkness. It felt solidly tangable. I was also visually aware of a mass of electric blue orbs that appeared to be in the formation of a galaxy, it felt like it was calling to me/drawing my essence in. I felt like I belonged there, and that nothing else mattered. It was exciting, and it had the same wonderment/impact as that of the previous experiences described (This wonderment/exciting/adventurous feeling seems to be a running theme throughout all of these experiences, and seems to be the very nature/essence of where these visuals/levels of consciousness reside). In this experience, it felt as though I was on the best rollercoaster ride imagineable, headed towards this formation/galaxy of electric blue orbs. So warm and comforting. Then, as fast as it came, it was gone.

PUL,
Cosmic_Ambitions

Thank you Doc for describing your sense of consciousness and awareness.  It helped me understand your experience better.  You’ve given me something to hope I experience some day.  “Something told me (not a voice) that I had finally done it” sounds right.  Awesome.  Thanks for sharing the experience and for your excellent descriptions.

Rob

Matthew,

I believe I have had the same hypnagogic experience that you recently had.  I doubt that the scenic displays are actual spirit locales and I would be skeptical of your experience leading to direct contact with your Dad, if it were not for the astounding verifications achieved by Swedenborg through exploration of the hypnagogic state.  Speaking poetically, I suspect that this state includes a trap door to self-delusion and another door to verifiable contact.  Most posters here seem to have entered the wrong door.  So in the absence of replicable verification, what should the explorer do?

The father of modern psychology, William James, arrived at an important insight about consciousness through his experimentation with nitrous exide.  In his words, he discovered that "consciouness is divided into many layers, each divided by a thin film."  These layers are easy to confuse.  Their unique properties have never been clarified and are both easily confused and vulnerable to wishful thinking.  I think it is very important to suspend the question: "Am I really experiencing other diimensions inhabited by discarnate beings?"  It is natural to obsess over this question, but doing so only increases tension and increases the likelihood that one will never transcend one's imagination.   By the way, the same point holds true for faith-based doctrinal systems.   The question of belief usually just contaminates the purity of one's intuition.   In neither Hebrew nor Greek do the words translated "faith" in the Bible mean "mental assent."  Instead, they mean "faithfulness."  Spiritual quests proceed best when one allows one's sense of curiosity, wonder, and deep longing to guide one to expereinces.   Truth questions tend to take care of themselves as certain insights become increasingly satisfying and obsessive.  But it usually retards progress to ask whether you REALLY believe these new insights.   Real faith is a right-brain phenomenon, not a left brain pheneomenon.  In  plain terms, real faith feels like it just sneaks up on you and  pounces rather than like an act of the will.  The real issue that blocks our progress is this: how do we develop Swedenborg's intense self-discipline and attention to detail in our study of the hypnagogic state?  It is this discipline and not our beliefs or skepticism that will determine our chances of success.

Don

Fantastic, Doc. - It's all working the way it's supposed to.

I like Don's observation that this stuff just "sneaks up" - I don't know how to prepare myself better for being snuck up on. Objective discipline becomes an end in otself, and thus pointless. (I already was in the military, thanks.) The discipline of inner emptiness seems more subtle.

If "faithfulness" simply means perseverance without sidetrips or obsessing over details along the way, then it's mostly a matter of time, and we'll all arrive.

dave