The NEW hypnagogia poll

If I've had a busy day with lots of activity, I often feel a pressure behind my eyes and when I close my eyes I see lots of images and patterns related to what I experienced during the day. It feels like all the new sights have built up a back pressure and when I close my eyes, they gush out of my eyes and into my vision very rapidly like a stream of single frames taken randomly. If I focus on an image or shape I can hold on to it, but the longer I hold it the more the pressure builds. Eventually, I have to just let it stream out without trying to focus on any image or even try to identify it. The pressure slowly fades and I can finally sleep. It feels very similar to when I used to get migraines, for which the only effective treatment I found was lying in a cool dark room with a damp washcloth over my eyes.

Devin Jones

Glad I'm not the only one...

Brodeur

That used to happen to me back in school, and I kind of miss it. Since a lot of task learning and neural consolidation happens when we sleep, it could be that you optimise procedural memory really effectively. Do you find it easy to learn skills like playing instruments, juggling, etc?

Maybe half a dozen times a year (after waking up 2 minutes before my alarm would sound on a mon-fri and going back to sleep for another 1-2 hours) I wake up to a apparently loud bang/noise and am IMMEDIATELY awake at what the christ was that alert levels. Figure it for the 'falling out of a tree' reflex.

Today I learned I have a thing! Very rarely when trying to fall asleep, I do hear a loud bang that didn't happen, often accompanied by the sensation of falling. This obviously jerks me awake but doesn't happen again. I'd say it happens less than 3 times per year.

Infinitus

Good REM sleep helps my ESP, particularly when dreaming of a Vehicle, Person or Event within a couple of days, and I've dreamt of winning positions on a lottery ticket, only to be two columns out, because my dream showed more vertical columns than are on an actual ticket, but I still won £70.

Andrew Donaldson

Something very interesting happend to me a few times when going to bed and turning off the light: I could see the objects and the room arround me appearing very far away. Almost like if I was very small and everything arround me was giant to the point of being dizzy, it was awesome. I wonder if it could be another effect of hypnagogia.

I don't remember ever having visual or auditory effects (well maybe the tetris effect, but that's more when actually dreaming), but I do quite often get hypnic jerks. It's very irritating as it tends to wake me right up.

I often see geometric, three dimensional shapes in my waking hours if I close my eyes. Often this manifests as a hole or tunnel and sometimes a shape with complex cubic surfaces. Because I have poor eyesight I often close my eyes in the daytime if I am resting because it is more comfortable for me. I find the shapes somehow comforting. I don't know why.

I've very occasionally heard loud noises or someone calling my name as I've drifted off, usually startling me back to wakefulness until I realize I was just hearing things and nothing's actually happening or no one actually needs my attention. Can't say I've ever thought much of it since it so rarely happens for me. Not sure how related it is but occasionally I've also had times where I'm drifting off and as I'm beginning to dream I'll slip and fall in the dream and as I'm waking up I'll get the sensation of falling onto my bed, which also usually startles me back into wakefulness.

Karashata

Had the shadow people in some stressful periods. I taught myself to wake up when it happened. Until I did that, I was completely paralyzed when they came, but I won in the end.

Simon Mikkelsen

sudden sensation of falling or other reflex-inducing illusions ... happens well before the REM paralysis stage so occasionally I kick or hit things as I'm drifting off.

Moz in Oz

I only matched two of the categories. the complex geometric patterns I see almost any time I open my eyes in total darkness, but the "phantom bangs" are exceedingly rare.

Gregor Kildow

I have had various types of hypnogogic experiences for much of my life, typically increasing in relation to stress levels. I have introduced a good many people to the terms "hypnogogia" and "exploding head syndrome", and am well-acquainted with types involving different centers of the brain, particularly auditory (exploding head syndrome) and motor (hypnic jerks), though I occasionally but less frequently get them in visual and linguistic terms as well. I get auditory hypnogogia frequently enough that I don't sleep on a pillow, but a rolled up fleece, and have trained myself to react to noises at bedtime not with an immediate reaction, but to take a moment to think whether I heard it through both ears or just one. The fleece deadens sound to the point that if I heard a sound through the ear that's laying on it, I know it was a false signal, and can safely ignore it.

I heard my name said so loudly that it startled me out of a sound sleep. I've also woken up to a huge spider going across my ceiling (body as big as my hand, with at least 50 legs). I lucid dream almost every night. Thank goodness I can control those dreams. I've also solved complex problems in programming that have vexed me for hours, while sleeping.

It's fine. I'm almost back to normal. 3 days was enough.

Big Clive

No they just add on straight away.

Big Clive

Is there supposed to be a button to submit the votes?

Seat Warmer

You are so lucky.

How is your temperature?

None of the above, however, from looking at the Wikipedia article, I definitely experience the Tetris effect, especially fire. For example, if I watched a log fire burn for a while, I end up with imagery of the burning fire as I drift off to sleep. Similarly if I did a repetitive task for an hour or two such as picking berries, carpet washing, etc., I still feel like I'm doing that task with as I try to sleep.

Seán Byrne

Dear me ...all this makes for some bizarre reading. I must be one of the few people in BC Land who goes to bed (Freddo bar on the bedside table in case I get peckish) and sleeps soundly until 7am, with perhaps a vague short-term recollection of some dreaming going on as I defragged certain areas of memory.

Phil in the kitchen

I've had the name called bit... my Mother (deceased) saying my name clear as but that was more when waking (hypnopompic ) not going to sleep. And I thought about it as just being in my head.

David Wallace

The morphing patterns I've seen since I was a kid. I also used to hear a known song play as if someone had put on a record, it would play for a bit then slow down to a stop as if the power to the turntable's motor had been cut.

Wayne Dearden

My other half says you're talking to spirit and goes on to say that I have selective autism! I only admit to being autistic when it suits my argument! :)

Broxie

I have the morphing patterns and lucid dreaming. I also sometimes get migraine auras but that's an entirely different thing and can happen at any time day or night.

Dave Davies

What a strangely-named phenomenon. I mean, everybody experiences sleep paralysis because everybody is normally paralyzed while sleeping, to prevent sleepwalking. It should be named wakeful paralysis or something, because the problem is it is happening when you aren't asleep...

George Dorn

I occasionally see figures. Latest one was this week. I fell asleep in front of the telly, still daylight, and when I awoke there was a man standing partly right of the TV. He was tall, well built, square head clean shaven. He was in casual clothes with loose fitting white shirt. He was partly translucent. His attitude I think was just interested in me. He faded away in what seemed a few seconds.

For long as I can remember, I've always had purple/blue snow in my vision at all times but moreso at night. Especially after a loud noise, I get momentarily blinded by many tiny flashes of white light. I wouldn't be surprised if it's related to nerve damage from childhood arsenic poisoning, atleast I don't shake like my older brother.

A little while ago, I got one of those (awful surveillance) doorbells, and it's been great. Now, when I get jolted awake because I'm certain I heard the doorbell, I just check my phone to see that it's just my sleepy mind playing tricks on me again.

I've had the morphing patterns and the loud noises when falling asleep, but only when I've been unwell with fever. I also used to go through times where I lucid dreamt a lot, but it hasn't happened for years now unfortunately (I find it enjoyable).

The only thing I experience while sleeping is 2 or 3 times a year I will wake up instantly and swear I heard the doorbell. However now that I have a door bell camera I can validate that no one actually rang it.

Lostngone

I think this happened to me a few weeks ago. Heard a bang so loud I thought something electrical exploded in my room, or a bullet through the wall. I even heard it reverberate off the walls in my room. After getting up and looking around, I realized it was probably the TV I have hanging on my wall that sometimes makes a small pop sound as the plastic changes temperature. Just sounded SUPER loud that night.

Brooks Andersen

OMG, I used to have this all the time growing up! Mainly after a trip to the state fair. All the crowds, lights, sounds. Right as I would drift off to sleep I would feel like my bed was right there in the middle of it again. Very surreal.

Brooks Andersen

Lucid dreams.

Big Clive

I've DEFINITELY experienced the Tetris Effect multiple times after working on projects on my computer until I couldn't stay awake any longer. Also, hypnic jerks. Had one for the first time in quite a while last night, actually. Was always funny when someone or myself would be in high school, Falling asleep in class and suddenly jump in the middle of class. Everyone knew what happened and laugh.

Brooks Andersen

I get that while awake. A sudden high pitched tone that happens very rarely. A local friend gets it too.

Big Clive

Yes. You can check as many as needed. Maybe I should have mentioned that.

Big Clive

That's a bit freaky. Maybe you could put a sensor on the stairs to wake you up.

Big Clive

I dream in colour too.

Big Clive

My most vivid was a bouncing 3D fluorescent green skull. It's the point I said "Oh seriously brain?"

Big Clive

I am answering for my daughter as she experiences these things, not I.

Happens more frequently when I have a fever (or when sleep gets deprived or weirdly interrupted, which makes sense) Here's another one: when I'm looking at a fixed point like a screen in this state, my vision seems to tunnel and zoom in weirdly

Greg Bell

There'll be a certain element of not wanting to engage in conversation with them in case it opens the door.

Big Clive

I answered none though I'm not sure that is accurate. I seem to remember seeing things when I was younger but have always attributed them to dreams. I often have dreams where I am conscious they are dreams and interact with them, unfortunately, usually waking once i do. I seem to be conscious of the transition to sleep, I know once it is fabricated in my brain as a dream. I do experience small flashing spots in front of my eyes but get them with high physical effort during the day also. Don't remember what its called but dont think it's the same thing.

I experience the "kaleidoscope" or "screen saver" thing pretty regularly, and my recreational drug use is and always has been limited to coffee and alcohol.

I have but only when I have a high fever. Less these days but when I was a kid I did

StevesTechShed

I haven't personally experienced any of this, but my girlfriend has displayed a couple recently.

Phr3d13

Clive, you are so much more than a youtube channel!

I changed my name over seven years ago. When I see my old name I think it’s a different person until I remember that used to be me. I still occasionally hear my old name when I’m alone. It’s very freaky.

Jessica McIntosh

I've had some of the symptoms when I'm asleep or falling asleep, but I can seeing morphing patterns whenever I close my eyes. Not just going to sleep. Never questioned it much : /

Erik

That's a different phenomenon which, though I don't recall the term, do on rare occasions experience in weird ways.

One big trigger for me is if I've been around crowds or children that day. After a concert or after being around my godkids/nieces/nephews I'll have audience roar or non-sensical (well, moreso than usual) child talk in my head all night as I try to sleep.

Usually for me I have sleep paralysis which then turns into incredibly vivid, intense dreams which often have a meeting-myself component, but lately are more just kind of annoying due to knowing what's going on and I just want to get the heck out of bed or whatever.

fluffy

I will now I know what to look for

YouKnowHowYouAre

We haven’t begun to scratch the surface on recovery from trauma or damage to the brain on a broad scale. If you break a bone, it is mended and you train it. After a crash you may have PT to recover previous usage, but for brain damage —alot of miracles anecdotally.

Cerity

Ever have "the falling dream", when you roll too close to the edge in your sleep and subconscious tries to get your attention?

No to most of it, but I do occasionally feel a sudden change in pressure, like when on a fast train as it enters a narrow tunnel. This is usually accompanied by an imaginary tone or buzzing that crescendos rapidly and snaps me awake. Quite annoying really.

When I was younger I did a lot of drugs and alcohol so this might have effected me. But these things still happen to me and it's been years since I did that stuff.

Me too! I actually am disappointed when I don't get the graphic effects and cannot seem to will them into my head. Sometimes when they are going they are somewhat controllable consciously, which is my favorite.

Used to see complex morphing patterns in your vision at night as a child but not anymore.

you can check them all yourself :)

You need an all of the above.

Jon Bell

Your list feels like a list of weird crap that's going to happen to me tonight now my brain knows of new tricks.

Pixscotland

Well damn, I need to check multiple boxes. :) Wait, it's letting me do that!

I also have the ability to be totally comprehensible and achieve tasks whilst remaining totally asleep. It's quite common that I can answer the door, sign for a package, chat to the postman, put the package on the side and go back to bed without waking at all. Packages were appearing in my locked porch so I set up cameras to see how they were getting there. It was me and I was having perfect understandable conversations with the postman, something I don't do when I'm actually awake due to a social phobia. It's also the reason I now wear shorts to bed as I found out I had walked around outside my house nude after imagining a doorbell had rang and I was looking for the delivery guy.

evilution

I dream in colour sometimes, no matter what they say!

Andrew Donaldson

I get the first 3 and I score 35 on the AQ spectrum as I'm high functioning autistic. I have never heard my name being called in my head but I often hear lots of people chatting, like a noisy party but you can't actually make out what people are saying. When I wake up and open my eyes (even if it's pitch black), I will see intricate patterns, shadows, spiders etc on the walls or jellyfish and sprites hanging in the air. These will stay there for 30 to 60 seconds and then suddenly fade away even if I wake up to the point of full cognition.

evilution

btw, i don't find this frightening at all, i quite enjoy watching the inside of my eyes play nice graphics to me. But i do have another thing that sometimes happens when falling asleep: i see my room very sharply, it feels like i can move a around and look at things. even though i know i am lying down, in the dark, awake, with my eyes closed.

Willem Hengeveld

I recently have become much more aware of the transition to sleep and the strange mental state that ensues. Lockdown?

When I hear a loud bang, it usually did happen, just not nearly as loud as my perception. Does that count?

Derek Smith

Once, in a medication reaction (I was traveling for work, and kept missing doses then doubling them the next day to compensate because I had no idea how stupid that was), I started hearing voices coming from the hotel air conditioning ducts, then in the room with me. The strangest part was that I could clearly academically understand what was going on: The sounds from the air con had a range of frequencies, some in human vocal range, like the background noise from a restaurant or bar that's far away. I was hearing those sounds just fine, nothing wrong with my ears. But the next step of processing in my brain was interpreting those sounds as voices. And even though I could see the process, I couldn't stop it. And it was one of the most terrifying experiences of my adult life, I was crying in fear. I had one voice come up behind me like something out of a horror movie, I was backed up against the wall after that. I've learned very personally that if someone says they see or hear things, you can't accuse them of not knowing how to interpret sounds or sights. Because that's not where the problem is.

PeteyPak

Recently discovered I experience Aphantasia. Pretty sure that I have no visual recall of dreams because of it so, similarly, no visual recall of dream like states while not quite asleep...

I hear voices of people I know, some living, some not. Not scary, not even directed at me but just them talking. I can identify them, listen to them, but have never 'participated' in the conversation. I know I'm falling asleep when I hear 'the voices'. I'm in my mid 50's and this hasn't changed since I was a child.

I used to experience sleep paralysis when just waking or nodding off, very scary phenomenon

Rich Nixon

In my case, some of these may have been influenced by psychedelics.. just saying

Not related at all. This is related to the difference between being awake and asleep. What you're referring to is less a hallucination and more a psychology concern. Nothing serious of course, but if you couldn't hit a bully then it's probable that your subconscious is stopping you because you feel weak (merely because they're a bully).

Terrum

i only get the 'loud bang' but that's plenty. never bothered looking it up though.

lupinehorror

There's a good Wikipedia article about "Exploding Head Syndrome". We live in the future, where the internet gets to name things.

One you missed which happens to me often and is apparently very common is the sense of falling - a "hypnic jerk"

I have all of my hypna- states either in the mornings or after a night shift. With the morning ones I drift into and out of sleep without actually waking up, so there's this weird threshold between how my brain processes the things happening that changes depending on which direction I'm drifting in (towards awake or asleep).

Would this be similar to trying to hit a bully in your sleep and having no strength to punch