SusanMarie has had problems placing this post so I have placed it on here for her:
In looking at some of the older posts which I had until now not had the time to read, I was struck by one regarding hypnagogic and hpnapomic images. I have had these since my 20s, and some rather prophetic ones in my 30s and 40s. They have been few and far between, however; perhaps occuring once in every 5 years.
They tend to be more hypnagogic than hypnapomic (i.e., occur most often while drifting off to sleep at night, rather than upon awakening in the morning) . They are always brief (lasting several seconds), with vivd, "technicolor" images, which arise suddenly, and seem to loom up, completely unbidden. Sometimes they are accompanied by a voice, which says a word or short sentence pertaining to the picture. ( An example: In Septemeber of 2004, while drifting off to sleep at night, thinking on some daily, mundane matter pertaining to my daily life, a sudden image loomed of President Bush seated at a table in a dreary but official looking room. As a black prisioner is being led to perform some unclear task, Bush's face takes on a childlike and bewildered expression, as a voice says, "It won't be clear". At the time I could make no sense of it. Over 2 months later, however, as there was increasing talk of election fraud with particular emphatic reference to the African American vote in the state of Ohio, I began to see it had been anticipating this: perhaps not the actual event, but the reporting and debating of it in the media. . ,.)
In any case, these experiences certainly seem to indicate Anthony's daemon concept. They issue forth from some unseen guest which is part of, but transcending, the daily self. They seem to occur at times of personal and collective stress, and tend to deal with matters of conscience, in my own experience at least. They seem clearly numinous. The question remains as to whether or not these can be harnessed in the sense that one can really become attune to them, understand them, and use them, rather being merely puzzled or caught by surprise at the phenomenom.
I am curious regarding the experience of others.
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8 comments:
I've been getting these a fair bit lately. Go into a dark from and lie down, i've found it helps if you've been doing some form of physical activity or something involving a fair bit of movement. Lie on the bed, close your eyes and relax.
Strange sh!t doth appear! Not just random shapes but actual people (usualy that you don't know) and actual places. It's rather weird, like you're tuning into something.
Hurlyburly: It certainly seems so, doesn't it? Do you know that the philosopher/psychologist William James used to receive such images and voices as he dozed off in a chair, and made him feel that he was seeing normally-invisible realms? Do you find these pleasant, or unsettling? Of course at your age, I had more courage--now I sometimes fear these realms will "overtake" me (at times). By the way, how was it that you came by Anthony's book (as you agreed the title can be somewhat off-putting)?
Anthony: Thank you so much for placing my post. SMK
It's not unsettling, images range from good to bad - accurate description of the world i guess!
I was walking past a book store when i had a strange desire to turn around and go back into it. I walked straight over to a particular section saw the cover and picked it up. I debated for about 5 minutes wether to buy it or not but the front cover won me over more than the title did! That night i started reading at about 10.30pm i think i got about 2 hours sleep!
Well, that was certainly a fortunate synchronicity, for you, Anthony, and all. . .
I think Carl Jung would agree that these images are numinous and are originating in the collective unconscious. His life seemed to mirror the state of the world and he had several illnesses and visions around the times of the most unrest in the world.
I am not sure I have had a true hypnopompic or hypnogogic image but I have experienced something similar-sounding while meditating. Aside from scenes flashing "before" my closed eyes, I've had a couple experiences of an image or a series of images actually scaring me. One time, I was meditating and I "saw" a face. It did not look my face but I "knew" that it was and this realization frightened me. (I'm actually getting the heebie-jeebies just writing about it.) Another time, I saw a series of faces --- don't remember how many but 10 maybe --- and I "knew" that they were all me even though I didn't recognize any of them.
Is this something similar or totally different? Is there a name for this?
Your remarks are very interesting, Ken. Considering that the meditation state is similar to that of "drifitng off", I would certainly think that you are experiencing the same. And the daemon which Peake speaks of would be a portal to this Jungian collective unconscious, and its realm of archetypes. Would love to hear his perspective on it, when he has the time.
Actually, now that I reflect, Anthony's perspective on this has already been made clear in his text. He would say that the daemon/right brain are the transcendent consciousness from whence these arise. Sorry.
I live in India and haven't had the apportunity to read the book by Anthony. But the experience of hypnopompia and hypnogogia drew me to this site. I am looking for some answers myself. I've had vivid dreams since childhood. But began to experience what is reffered to as 'hynopompia and hypnogia' only several years ago. There is no regular pattern or apparent reason for it. Sometimes I experience it in on a daily basis and sometimes there is nothing for days. I haven't had any 'negative' experiences yet. I sometimes see beautiful landscapes, strange places that I have never seen before such as streets, buildings, inside of rooms etc., faces of strangers,geometrical designs, printed words and hear strange commands or sentences that sometimes are jumbled up. For instance only yesterday afternoon when I was waking up from a nap I heard the words' Deep among the trees so deep, a tearful drop down let her slip/sleep'. I have written in detail about this and other 'strange' experiences in my blog:
http://panhaan-thehidden.blogspot.com/
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