Hypnagogia: Doorway to Inner-Space.

Dreaming has been a part of human history for as long as anyone can remember, and it’s never lost it’s mystical veil over it’s denizens. The seemingly limitless interpretations of their value in our daily lives stretch to all walks of life. However, accompanied with this mystique is an altered state of consciousness known as “hypnagogia“, or in it’s lay-terms, the “borderland state“, the “borderline“, or the “ half-dream “ state. Along with dreaming this is one of the most fascinating altered states of consciousness we can experience without the use of hallucinogenic substances. It is commonly described as achieving conscious awareness during the point at which the mind submits to the subconscious prior to dreaming. In essence, it is exactly such, but the mysterious is unfortunately not quite that simple. An average amount of people have experienced this at least a few times that they can recall by memory. In the hypnagogic state, random voices may sound seemingly from no where, visual apparitions may materialize, origin-less thoughts could possess the mind which some have told they agreed with. Landscapes may paint themselves before you, your body may feel as if it’s grown to enormous sizes, or in some cases experience points of timelessness. These experiences are reasonably not unlike those seen under the influence of certain psychoactive substances.

The term “hypnagogic“ was coined by the 19th century French psychologist Alfred Maury, which is a derivative of two Greek words, Hypnos (sleep) and Agogeus (guide, or leader). By analytical definition, the term means “sleep guide“ , which is a most apt description. It can even play into some scenarios people have recounted of encountering what is known as “sleep entities“; beings in which confront them before sleep. This situation and the advocates deeming to have experienced them date as far back as the middle ages and are often retold as ugly old women sitting on their chests causing breathing problems. Beings resembling vampires, demons, angels, and even praeter-human intelligences are other descriptions which fall into this phenomena. It isn’t out of the question to observe that with each point in history, the sleep entities vary in description and thus has a great connection with the current consciousness and perception of the individual. This however is not a solution for various phenomena which seem to make interesting the lives of some.

One of the first to remark on hypnagogic potentials was Aristotle, who spoke of the “affections we experience when sinking into slumber 'and' the images which present themselves to us in sleep“. In the third century AD, Iamblichus, the Neo-Platonic philosopher, wrote of the “voices” and “bright and tranquil light” that came to him in the “condition between sleeping and waking” and which he believed were a form of “god-sent” experience. There is adequate evidence to suggest that the alchemists of the Middle Ages made use of a form of hypnagogia during their lengthy preparations and distillations. The weird characters and eerie landscapes that fill alchemical illustrations would not be out of place in a hypnagogic hallucination. It’s evident that this little understood experience has been an inspirational tool for philosophers and artists alike for centuries. For the aesthetic minded this can prove to be a valuable “doorway“ into something potentially infinitely inspiring. Bluntly, it’s the possibility of crafting, or watching your dreams unfold at will with front row seats.

To exist in a society of watered down desensitization of commercials and marketing schemes like chicken nuggets, I feel hypnagogia is the artist’s best trump card. To the uninspired, it can be that graceful hand of creativity that sweeps you up in a moment of artistry. As an example, the musical prowess of the progressive rock Band known as Tool seems to illustrate this notion quite well in their track, “Stinkfist“. In it’s entirety, the song seems to be about dealing with the frustration of desensitization through the remedy of altered dream states. The lines “It’s not enough, I need more, nothing seems to satisfy. I don’t want it, I just need it, to breathe, to feel, to know I’m alive.“ and, “Finger deep within the borderline. Show me that you love me and that we belong together, turn around and take my hand.“ confirm this. It’s easy to surmise that hypnagogia would be the metaphorical meaning for stinkfist, however gruesome it may seem. Other advocates even in old time’s past have also used this as a vehicle of sorts for their spiritual endeavors. Emmanuel Swedenborg, the 18th century philosopher, scientist, and visionary developed a method of inducing and exploring hypnagogic states during which he traveled to heaven, hell, and other realms. Oliver Fox, a theosophical writer in the early 20th century, used the hypnagogic hallucination of a doorway as a starting point for his astral traveling. The magical artist Austin Osman Spare journeyed to hypnagogic worlds and brought back images to adorn his canvases. Rudolph Steiner advised that the best time to communicate with the dead was during the period between sleep and wakefulness. Steiner claimed that if you asked the dead a question before sleep, you would get an answer the next morning upon awaking. Given these descriptions and the realms explored through these means, one could gather that our external perceptions could very well be our internal inner-space merely passing through a filter. Needless to say, that what is disconnected from us is merely an illusion. Everything is connected. Many philosophies and methods of enlightenment varying in culture around the World emplore that the cusp of nirvana sits upon the realization of inter-connectedness with everything, so it’s no surprise dreams maintain an importance. Many scientists studying sleep have uncovered that activity in the brain isn’t very different between being awake and sleeping. According to neuro-scientists Denis Pare and Rodolfo Llinas, the brain’s simultaneous 40 Hz “neural oscillations“, which are associated with consciousness, also occur during REM sleep. Given this, Pare and Llinas were led to the conclusion that the only difference between our dreaming and waking states is that in waking states, the closed system that generates oscillatory states is modulated by incoming stimuli from the outside world. In other words, what we call “waking state” is really an REM dream state, with a sensory topping. Or, we shouldn’t speak of being either asleep or awake, but of “sleep plus waking state.” There’s your supporting evidence.

Scientists have also unearthed that the thalamus of the brain is also important during sleep. Located within it is the pineal gland, which the philosopher Descartes believed to be the seat of the soul, and whose purpose in scientific circles remains to be something of a mystery. Recently, one crucial function of the pineal gland has become clear: it is the only gland in mammals that produces the hormone melatonin, which is important in the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin is the substance which interacts with our brain chemistry to produce perception. That the pineal gland is located precisely where ancient Vedic literature places the “third eye“, whose function is spiritual vision and the opening of which results in enlightenment, offers some hard, neurological evidence for a belief too often relegated to fancy and superstition. The pineal gland could also be observed in light of the scepter of Hermes (Egyptian God). In the twin snakes coiled about a rod crowned by a winged cone, the integration of man’s conscious and unconscious minds, united by the unique state of hypnagogia. If your goal is to pry open your third eye, it wouldn’t be a bad start to experiment with your dreams and embrace the closest scepter of Hermes to you.

Ultimately, hypnagogia offers what it’s explorers put in. It’s important to remain calm and relaxed for it’s been known that sleep disorders have originated from this practice. It certainly isn’t for those of the feint at heart, but challenges are common for psychonauts of any kind. With invested time and patience, one could wreap many rewards and perhaps have one of those life-altering experiences people talk about so much. At any rate, merely the description alone could give us all something to sleep on.