# Hypnagogic Imagery **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [August 8, 2001, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypnagogic-imagery/75383 "2001-08-08T01:07:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Myst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/59ef9b/32.png) [@Myst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myst)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2001, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypnagogic-imagery/75383/1 "2001-08-08T01:07:57Z")
This is probably only for people who are familier with lucid dreaming. Why does hypnagogic imagery (that you get when you try to fall asleep conscious) look like the pattern you see when you press your finger against your closed eyelid? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2001, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypnagogic-imagery/75383/2 "2001-08-08T10:54:03Z")
If this is about to a Staff Report, a link is appreciated. Perhaps this is the one: [Is it possible to do “astral traveling” while sleeping?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mastral.html) ---
**Author:** ![Myst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/59ef9b/32.png) [@Myst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myst)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2001, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypnagogic-imagery/75383/3 "2001-08-08T20:59:14Z")
It was supposed to be in general Questions, but you deleted the one there. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2001, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypnagogic-imagery/75383/4 "2001-08-09T00:27:22Z")
It hasn’t been deleted or even closed. It has just been pushed off the first page of GQ by subsequent posts. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=80975](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=80975) ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2001, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypnagogic-imagery/75383/5 "2001-08-09T00:38:28Z")
Oh, I see now. The _second_ thread you opened on this subject in GQ was quite rightly closed by the redoubtable **manhattan**. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypnagogic-imagery/75383/6 "2001-08-16T21:12:30Z")
Since nobody else has replied, I’ll take a stab at it. What is the pattern you see when you push your finger against the closed eyelid? I’m not sure, but it has something to do with your eyes picking up signals and transmitting them - it may be the rods and cones getting physically distorted, or maybe thermal pickup from the blood vessels. Anyway, the eye transmits whatever signal it gets, and the brain interprets what it receives. Okay, so why does the hypnogogic or hypnopompic images look the same? I imagine you’re getting the same signal pickup to the eyes transmitted to the brain. Especially if your eyes close and you just think they’re still open. ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypnagogic-imagery/75383/7 "2001-08-17T09:59:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Irishman \* > **What is the pattern you see when you push your finger against the closed eyelid? I’m not sure, but it has something to do with your eyes picking up signals and transmitting them - it may be the rods and cones getting physically distorted, or maybe thermal pickup from the blood vessels. Anyway, the eye transmits whatever signal it gets, and the brain interprets what it receives.** Cecil covered this: [What happens when you “see stars”?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_041b.html)