The state in between sleep and consciousness

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Sir-Sister-of-Suck
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The state in between sleep and consciousness

Post by Sir-Sister-of-Suck »

In more recent memory, I have these odd sensations in bed where it feels like my mind is slowly drifting into another state as I begin to get more and more tired. I think this first started to happen when I was taking actual hypnotics, but even since, I'm still able to recognize when it starts to happen. It's almost as though it's a very... hyperactive way of thinking about everything in your life, almost psychedelic. I start off by thinking about something in my life, and it begins to bother me a bit more. After a few minutes or maybe even seconds, as it's hard to keep track in this state of mind, you try to think back to what was bothering you just a moment ago and you're unable to. But you know it was something super weird, or just something that wouldn't have bothered you normally. Sometimes it even feels as thought it is a false memory that I was thinking about that never actually occurred in my life

My problem lies with my curiosity about what this state of mind exactly is. After it happens, I often try to think about it harder than I should. This usually keeps me wide awake, leaving me wondering when is the exact moment we start to lose conscious and go into a dream? Also trying to chase down exactly what I was thinking about, or when it happened.

It seems like this subforum is pretty dead, but it's a cool observation and was wondering if anyone else can relate. There are some people who have no idea what the hell I'm talking about, and others who say this is a very accurate description of a similar sensation they've experienced before. It's something that really keeps me up at night.
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Lacewing
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Re: The state in between sleep and consciousness

Post by Lacewing »

Maybe when you lay down at night, and the demands of the day stop pulling/utilizing/numbing your mind in many directions, your mind eagerly shifts onto another vibration which happens to be a very natural channel for you -- and you're getting a glimpse of it with your conscious mind before you fall asleep (which is really cool).

I do think there are other states we can experience more consciously (more of the full spectrum and capability of our being, perhaps?) and it's perfectly natural!

Sometimes when I'm outside in nature and feeling very open, it can feel like I'm shifting into another state of being. All of the drama of the world melts away, and there is a full happy sense of being in the moment and witnessing it. And as I realize the sensation of shifting, often the wind suddenly picks up and blows stronger (truly!)... almost as if the Universe is saying "Yes, you feel it... it's real." :D It just happened again this evening.

As for dream life... many times when I lay down at night, the moment my head touches the pillow, I suddenly remember where I was in a dream the night before. It's like stepping into a doorway to other worlds/lives of my mind. I think there's so much more than our daily lives.
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Sir-Sister-of-Suck
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Re: The state in between sleep and consciousness

Post by Sir-Sister-of-Suck »

I'm not losing sleep over this because it worries me or induces a panic attack... I guess I lose sleep because I'm so intrigued by it. I also feel as though knowing the moment I start drifting from consciousness makes it harder to lose my consciousness. I would liken this to a director or actor watching his own movie; Many don't because they feel as though knowing exactly how it's made and what to expect saps the 'magic' of the experience and makes it less enjoyable.

As I said, this really started back when I used to take prescription hypnotics to help me sleep. It's not the only time a drug has changed the experience of something for me, even well after the drug is no-longer in my system.
Gary Childress
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Re: The state in between sleep and consciousness

Post by Gary Childress »

Hi Sister-of-Suck, out of curiosity are you diagnosed with either mental illness or sleep apnea? I'm diagnosed Bipolar (once upon a time schizophrenia) and with sleep apnea and tend to start dreaming very quickly when I lay down and start to go to sleep. Also I have often likened my psychotic breaks as being similar to dreaming while awake. So dreaming is a relatively fascinating topic of discussion for me.
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Greta
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Re: The state in between sleep and consciousness

Post by Greta »

I think what you are having are mini dreams as you doze off. I've had it too. If you are capable of taking control while still in the dream, that's lucid dreaming. I did it once as a little 'un. I was falling and I willed myself to fly and save myself. Alas, I then suddenly veered towards skyscrapers that had suddenly appeared where there had been a shallow bay and bushland. Oh well, it was good for a while :)

I agree, SSOS, the state between sleep and being wake is interesting. It's very small (short duration) and unstable as compared with sleep or being awake, like a shoreline as compared with land or sea. However, since it contains elements of each, it tends to be more complex and interesting than either (for the most part). Or maybe that's just a perspective effect because it's not as familiar and thus seems more exotic?
Walker
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Re: The state in between sleep and consciousness

Post by Walker »

Sir-Sister-of-Suck wrote: Sat Jul 22, 2017 3:57 am In more recent memory, I have these odd sensations in bed where it feels like my mind is slowly drifting into another state as I begin to get more and more tired. I think this first started to happen when I was taking actual hypnotics, but even since, I'm still able to recognize when it starts to happen. It's almost as though it's a very... hyperactive way of thinking about everything in your life, almost psychedelic. I start off by thinking about something in my life, and it begins to bother me a bit more. After a few minutes or maybe even seconds, as it's hard to keep track in this state of mind, you try to think back to what was bothering you just a moment ago and you're unable to. But you know it was something super weird, or just something that wouldn't have bothered you normally. Sometimes it even feels as thought it is a false memory that I was thinking about that never actually occurred in my life

My problem lies with my curiosity about what this state of mind exactly is. After it happens, I often try to think about it harder than I should. This usually keeps me wide awake, leaving me wondering when is the exact moment we start to lose conscious and go into a dream? Also trying to chase down exactly what I was thinking about, or when it happened.

It seems like this subforum is pretty dead, but it's a cool observation and was wondering if anyone else can relate. There are some people who have no idea what the hell I'm talking about, and others who say this is a very accurate description of a similar sensation they've experienced before. It's something that really keeps me up at night.
Readings on Yoga Nidra will shed additional light.
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Sir-Sister-of-Suck
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Re: The state in between sleep and consciousness

Post by Sir-Sister-of-Suck »

Gary Childress wrote: Thu Aug 10, 2017 6:36 pm Hi Sister-of-Suck, out of curiosity are you diagnosed with either mental illness or sleep apnea? I'm diagnosed Bipolar (once upon a time schizophrenia) and with sleep apnea and tend to start dreaming very quickly when I lay down and start to go to sleep. Also I have often likened my psychotic breaks as being similar to dreaming while awake. So dreaming is a relatively fascinating topic of discussion for me.
Not really no. I've always sort of had trouble sleeping, but usually when I go to a doctor they talk to me for about 15 minutes and just diagnose me with general insomnia, and prescribe a hypnotic or benzo.
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Sir-Sister-of-Suck
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Re: The state in between sleep and consciousness

Post by Sir-Sister-of-Suck »

Greta wrote: Fri Aug 11, 2017 6:59 am I think what you are having are mini dreams as you doze off. I've had it too. If you are capable of taking control while still in the dream, that's lucid dreaming. I did it once as a little 'un. I was falling and I willed myself to fly and save myself. Alas, I then suddenly veered towards skyscrapers that had suddenly appeared where there had been a shallow bay and bushland. Oh well, it was good for a while :)

I agree, SSOS, the state between sleep and being wake is interesting. It's very small (short duration) and unstable as compared with sleep or being awake, like a shoreline as compared with land or sea. However, since it contains elements of each, it tends to be more complex and interesting than either (for the most part). Or maybe that's just a perspective effect because it's not as familiar and thus seems more exotic?
I know some people have like a favorite dream that they really like to think back on, but I can't relate to ever getting much euphoria or pleasure from a dream. I don't usually wake up from one super happy or glad I dreamed about something. Sometimes I'll get some good writing material from one.
Walker
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Re: The state in between sleep and consciousness

Post by Walker »

Sir-Sister-of-Suck wrote: Sat Aug 12, 2017 7:54 am I know some people have like a favorite dream that they really like to think back on, but I can't relate to ever getting much euphoria or pleasure from a dream. I don't usually wake up from one super happy or glad I dreamed about something. Sometimes I'll get some good writing material from one.
Note that Wiki says Yoga nidra is pratyahara plus the ear sense. This is not quite right, although it does suggest a method of practice. Yoga nidra deals with the mind sense at the edge of cognitive recognition, which extends further into awareness than suspected by not investigating. As you know, falling asleep is simply a matter of letting go so that cognition switches from body sensation to mind sensations called dreams and/or oblivion, however the body does remain aware to the senses and will react to disturbances in the continuity, such as a night noise. Yoga nidra is more about letting go of all mind sensations to awareness, just as pratyahara closes the sensory gates to awareness.
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Seleucus
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Re: The state in between sleep and consciousness

Post by Seleucus »

Not sure if this relates or not. I find that quite consistently if I take a nap in the afternoon I have the most morbid thoughts. I assume this is to do with the protective layer of ego shutting down as consciousness goes out?
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Greta
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Re: The state in between sleep and consciousness

Post by Greta »

Sir-Sister-of-Suck wrote: Sat Aug 12, 2017 7:54 am
Greta wrote: Fri Aug 11, 2017 6:59 am I think what you are having are mini dreams as you doze off. I've had it too. If you are capable of taking control while still in the dream, that's lucid dreaming. I did it once as a little 'un. I was falling and I willed myself to fly and save myself. Alas, I then suddenly veered towards skyscrapers that had suddenly appeared where there had been a shallow bay and bushland. Oh well, it was good for a while :)

I agree, SSOS, the state between sleep and being wake is interesting. It's very small (short duration) and unstable as compared with sleep or being awake, like a shoreline as compared with land or sea. However, since it contains elements of each, it tends to be more complex and interesting than either (for the most part). Or maybe that's just a perspective effect because it's not as familiar and thus seems more exotic?
I know some people have like a favorite dream that they really like to think back on, but I can't relate to ever getting much euphoria or pleasure from a dream. I don't usually wake up from one super happy or glad I dreamed about something. Sometimes I'll get some good writing material from one.
I relate. I have no favourite dreams, although that was memorable, though less memorable than the nightmare where the house was invaded by ghouls and creatures and then Mum can to help me and turned into the vampire in the chock ending of Count Yorga - something like this http://www.mondo-digital.com/yorga10.jpg :)

In healthy people the state between sleep and wakefulness is unstable and brief, soon defaulting back to either activity and dormancy, just as dawn and twilight are brief interludes between day and night. While being brief, the "shoreline of consciousness" tends to be most likely to bring mystical experiences in much the same way as life tends to densely cluster in shallows and near shorelines.
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Re: The state in between sleep and consciousness

Post by iolo »

Greta wrote: Wed Oct 04, 2017 8:13 am
Sir-Sister-of-Suck wrote: Sat Aug 12, 2017 7:54 am
Greta wrote: Fri Aug 11, 2017 6:59 am I think what you are having are mini dreams as you doze off. I've had it too. If you are capable of taking control while still in the dream, that's lucid dreaming. I did it once as a little 'un. I was falling and I willed myself to fly and save myself. Alas, I then suddenly veered towards skyscrapers that had suddenly appeared where there had been a shallow bay and bushland. Oh well, it was good for a while :)

I agree, SSOS, the state between sleep and being wake is interesting. It's very small (short duration) and unstable as compared with sleep or being awake, like a shoreline as compared with land or sea. However, since it contains elements of each, it tends to be more complex and interesting than either (for the most part). Or maybe that's just a perspective effect because it's not as familiar and thus seems more exotic?
I know some people have like a favorite dream that they really like to think back on, but I can't relate to ever getting much euphoria or pleasure from a dream. I don't usually wake up from one super happy or glad I dreamed about something. Sometimes I'll get some good writing material from one.
I relate. I have no favourite dreams, although that was memorable, though less memorable than the nightmare where the house was invaded by ghouls and creatures and then Mum can to help me and turned into the vampire in the chock ending of Count Yorga - something like this http://www.mondo-digital.com/yorga10.jpg :)

In healthy people the state between sleep and wakefulness is unstable and brief, soon defaulting back to either activity and dormancy, just as dawn and twilight are brief interludes between day and night. While being brief, the "shoreline of consciousness" tends to be most likely to bring mystical experiences in much the same way as life tends to densely cluster in shallows and near shorelines.
I think it depends very much on current life-conditions and on the state of mind. I remember approaching Finals and knowing I hadn't done enough work, though, fortunately, I had a friend who had done less. I 'woke up' one night to find him sitting in may chair, saying nothing. 'Hello. Alf', I said, surprised, 'what the hell are you doing here?' He said nothing. In the end I had to get up and walk over (I really did that), only to observe the moonlight shining through him. ''You are not Alf', said I, 'you are a bloody vision!' It didn't work, though, and I had finally to sit on him to make him go away. If he'd gone under a bus that night this would make a significant story! :)
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Re: The state in between sleep and consciousness

Post by Atla »

Sir-Sister-of-Suck wrote: Sat Jul 22, 2017 3:57 am In more recent memory, I have these odd sensations in bed where it feels like my mind is slowly drifting into another state as I begin to get more and more tired. I think this first started to happen when I was taking actual hypnotics, but even since, I'm still able to recognize when it starts to happen. It's almost as though it's a very... hyperactive way of thinking about everything in your life, almost psychedelic. I start off by thinking about something in my life, and it begins to bother me a bit more. After a few minutes or maybe even seconds, as it's hard to keep track in this state of mind, you try to think back to what was bothering you just a moment ago and you're unable to. But you know it was something super weird, or just something that wouldn't have bothered you normally. Sometimes it even feels as thought it is a false memory that I was thinking about that never actually occurred in my life

My problem lies with my curiosity about what this state of mind exactly is. After it happens, I often try to think about it harder than I should. This usually keeps me wide awake, leaving me wondering when is the exact moment we start to lose conscious and go into a dream? Also trying to chase down exactly what I was thinking about, or when it happened.

It seems like this subforum is pretty dead, but it's a cool observation and was wondering if anyone else can relate. There are some people who have no idea what the hell I'm talking about, and others who say this is a very accurate description of a similar sensation they've experienced before. It's something that really keeps me up at night.
I think they are called the hypnagogic and hypnopompic states of mind, something like half dreaming half awake, they are rather short for me, a few minutes maybe.

I like to catch them sometimes, but imo they can also be dangerous, because when a part of me starts dreaming while another part of me suddenly catches this moment with some wakeful self-awareness left, and so the natural processes get interrupted, then these dreams can be rerouted into this wakeful self-awareness. And so these dreams are processed like memories of events that actually happened, but they didn't happen. So after such experiences I make sure to erase such false memories as best as I can.

But other than that, when I'm in these states and not having false memories, I can sometimes willfully stay in these states and think through a few things that I can't think through in the normal awake states. There is also a tighter unity with the subconscious in such states.

But then again I'm pretty sure that these hypnagogic/hypnopompic experiences are pretty different for everyone.
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Greta
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Re: The state in between sleep and consciousness

Post by Greta »

iolo wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 12:58 pm
Greta wrote: Wed Oct 04, 2017 8:13 am
Sir-Sister-of-Suck wrote: Sat Aug 12, 2017 7:54 am
I know some people have like a favorite dream that they really like to think back on, but I can't relate to ever getting much euphoria or pleasure from a dream. I don't usually wake up from one super happy or glad I dreamed about something. Sometimes I'll get some good writing material from one.
I relate. I have no favourite dreams, although that was memorable, though less memorable than the nightmare where the house was invaded by ghouls and creatures and then Mum can to help me and turned into the vampire in the chock ending of Count Yorga - something like this http://www.mondo-digital.com/yorga10.jpg :)

In healthy people the state between sleep and wakefulness is unstable and brief, soon defaulting back to either activity and dormancy, just as dawn and twilight are brief interludes between day and night. While being brief, the "shoreline of consciousness" tends to be most likely to bring mystical experiences in much the same way as life tends to densely cluster in shallows and near shorelines.
I think it depends very much on current life-conditions and on the state of mind. I remember approaching Finals and knowing I hadn't done enough work, though, fortunately, I had a friend who had done less. I 'woke up' one night to find him sitting in may chair, saying nothing. 'Hello. Alf', I said, surprised, 'what the hell are you doing here?' He said nothing. In the end I had to get up and walk over (I really did that), only to observe the moonlight shining through him. ''You are not Alf', said I, 'you are a bloody vision!' It didn't work, though, and I had finally to sit on him to make him go away. If he'd gone under a bus that night this would make a significant story! :)
:lol: I was all ready for the "It was only later that I found ..." but it at least makes for a happier ending. It would have been disconcerting at first.

It reminds a little of my return from my only ever OS trip. One month away from home, entirely exhausted and ready to collapse into bed, and hoping my bathroom renovations would be complete. I came to home to find my bathroom entirely gutted, a bloke cutting tiles on the floor making the racket from hell, and some other bloke shouting over the din, apologising for some holdup or another.

I shook my head and wandered into the bedroom, listening to the sound of tiles cutting. So I got up, smoked a pipe of synthetic weed back when it was legal, and lay down. In my exhausted and weirded-out state, I tripped. Forty years ago I tried LSD but never hallucinated; I'd just get paranoid and I soon gave it away. This was extraordinary - I was on Mars, or something like it! A red, deserted planet, the winds whipping, with a tall, strange, ramshackle and rusted structure in the middle of desert. The ripping sound of the tile cutter registered as flashes of lightning.

I was overjoyed - this was much more fun than enduring a racket with angry insomnia. I opened my eyes and all was normal, I closed my eyes and I was back on Mars. When the state wore off, I realised that the barren landscape was the rendered wall and structure was an imprint of a drawer unit moved from the bathroom against the wall, with some towels strewn on top.

This accidental trip was not at all like my peak experiences. Figuratively speaking, the trip was based on superficial impressions while the peak experiences stemmed from the psyche(?).
trokanmariel
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Re: The state in between sleep and consciousness

Post by trokanmariel »

A sleep to consciousness story:

From the identity's physics is universe of sociology to sociology stories, an advanced despite symmetry of language version, of theology's creation of morality themes for the theology apparatus of demonstration of demonic (this is the sleep), there is then the pull toward the Kristy Swanson-Buffy Summers 1992 forest (Luke Perry's reference), due to the forest's morality inclusion of Aston University's destruction toward harmony via peaceful visitation (my 2007 visit, seeing ducks use the area's water area).

To get to this 1992 forest, one has to go through the public/private expression logic differences mythology, which is in partnership via the partnership's national news media as blueprint of angels from modernity science (not mythology) with the real four horseman mythology (left-wing transcendence/visual word power/daylight as mediator/gravitation to body glamour), in which the four horseman mythology is overseeing daylight abstract.

More, that one has to go through:
The poetry, from Actual Mistake logistics from theology campaign, a version - side show of theology's monopoly despite double privacy status (11 New Street in Wolverhampton being one of the statuses) of mathematical oversight of storytelling through days (a non-ironic opponent, due to said double privacy status, of the destruction through days loyalty to absence of cloning), is in theory the meditation meta that belongs to the Kristy Swanson 1992 forest's Paul Reubens, and Rutger Hauer.
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