Dr Mavromatis argues that this common, naturally occuring state may not only be distinct from wakefulness and sleep but unique in its nature and function, possibly carrying important evolutionary implications. He explores and analyzes the relationship between hypnagogia and other states, processes and experiences - such as sleepdreams, meditation, psi, schizophrenia, creativity, hypnosis, hallucinogenic drug-induced states, eidetic phenomena and epileptic states - and shows that, functioning in hypnagogia, we may gain knowledge of aspects of our mental nature which constitute fundamental underpinnings to all human thought. In addition functioning in hypnagogia is shown to play a significant part in mental and physical health.
Discover the captivating world of "Hypnagogia: Unlocking the Secrets of Sleep's Mysterious Borderland", an in-depth exploration into the intriguing state between wakefulness and sleep. This comprehensive eBook delves into the science and psychology of hypnagogia, offering a thorough understanding of this enigmatic transitional phase. Learn about the brain’s activity patterns during hypnagogia, and how these patterns differ from other states of consciousness. Explore historical accounts, cultural interpretations, and personal anecdotes that shed light on this elusive phenomenon. Gain insights into common hypnagogic experiences such as vivid imagery, floating sensations, and auditory hallucinations. Discover practical applications of hypnagogia, including techniques to enhance creativity, problem-solving, and improve sleep quality. The book provides actionable advice on relaxation techniques, mindfulness practices, and optimizing your sleep environment to foster the hypnagogic state. Additionally, this eBook addresses potential challenges associated with hypnagogia, including nightmares and sleep disorders, offering strategies for managing these issues. It also discusses the ethical and psychological implications of deliberately inducing hypnagogia. Whether you're a curious reader, a psychology enthusiast, or someone seeking to harness the power of your subconscious, this book offers valuable insights and practical tips to unlock the secrets of this fascinating sleep phase. Embark on a journey to understand and utilize the mysterious borderland of sleep with "Hypnagogia: Unlocking the Secrets of Sleep's Mysterious Borderland."
After a long career as a psychotherapist and scholarly writer, Adam Crabtree gathers together the principle threads of his view of the meaning of human life. He describes his life-long search for the means to explore human depth. His approach is unique in that he uses narrative to explore the twilight world of hypnagogic experiences as he has experienced them. He does not claim to have answers, but only his own personal experiences to serve as specimens of what one day may become a science of the world of hynagogia. He claims that hypnagogic experiences are our most direct access to the true depths of human persons and the formation of human meaning. The book has three main parts. In the first, he describes the nature of hypnagogic experiences and provides many personal examples. In the second part, He tells the story of how a book moth had burrowed into his writings and felt compelled to take the time to lecure him on the failures in his career. The third part describes his encounters with Friedrich Nietzsche at a well on his property and descends into the depths of the inner human abyss. The book is completed with an examination of the fears that have kept the human community from allowing an adequate exploration of those depths, and a call for a radical shift in language and attitude in this fundamental voyage of discovery.
Experienced by millions as supernatural assault, isolated sleep paralysis (ISP) feels like being awake and aware in bed as someone - or something - holds you down. These sensations are sometimes accompanied by frightening and realistic hallucinations. In this book these encounters with ghosts, vampires - and even succubi - are honored afresh from the perspective of contemporary dream science. Although terrifying, ISP visions can also be a reliable portal to other extraordinary states, including lucid dreaming, out-of-body experiences and otherworldly journeys.
Hallucinations, for most people, imply madness. But there are many different types of non-psychotic hallucination caused by various illnesses or injuries, by intoxication--even, for many people, by falling sleep. From the elementary geometrical shapes that we see when we rub our eyes to the complex swirls and blind spots and zigzags of a visual migraine, hallucination takes many forms. At a higher level, hallucinations associated with the altered states of consciousness that may come with sensory deprivation or certain brain disorders can lead to religious epiphanies or conversions. Drawing on a wealth of clinical examples from his own patients as well as historical and literary descriptions, Oliver Sacks investigates the fundamental differences and similarities of these many sorts of hallucinations, what they say about the organization and structure of our brains, how they have influenced every culture's folklore and art, and why the potential for hallucination is present in us all.
• Outlines a set of clear principles to help guide dreamworkers, illustrated through real precognitive dream experiences • Shows how to detect precognitive dreams through their characteristic features, explaining how dreams relate to memory and why dreams about future experiences are often symbolic or distorted • Explores the mind-blowing implications of precognition for our lives, including how our present thoughts actually shape--or shaped--our past Once only the stuff of science fiction, evidence has grown that precognition--glimpses of your future in dreams and visions and being influenced subtly in waking life by what is to come--is real. Your future thoughts and feelings shape who you are now. And your present thoughts and feelings shape--or shaped--your past. In this accessible exploration of precognition, precognitive dreamwork, and a radically new biographical sensibility, the Long Self, that precognition awakens us to, Eric Wargo shows how dreamworkers can play the role of citizen scientists, adding to our understanding of this fascinating, almost unexplored dimension of human life. Wargo outlines a set of clear principles to guide dreamworkers, each illustrated through real dreamers’ experiences. Drawing on psychoanalysis and contemporary sleep science, he explores how precognition relates to memory, explaining why dreams of future experiences are often distorted and what those distortions probably mean. He discusses never-before-described dream features, including “time gimmicks” (symbols hinting at time distortion) and “calendrical resonance” (the tendency of dreams to foretell experiences exactly a year or years later). He describes why an understanding of precognition augments Jung’s theory of synchronicity by highlighting our own role in producing meaningful coincidences in our waking lives. He also shows how precognition manifests in other states of consciousness like lucid dreams, out-of-body experiences, trance states, sleep paralysis, meditation, and hypnagogia. We are at a major turning point in science’s understanding of time, causality, and the self. We are more than who we think we are from moment to moment--we are our past, present, and future simultaneously. When we understand this, a dream journal becomes a personal time machine, with mind-blowing discoveries in store for the traveler.
Written by Richard Berry, MD, author of the popular Sleep Medicine Pearls, Fundamentals of Sleep Medicine is a concise, clinically focused alternative to larger sleep medicine references. A recipient of the 2010 AASM Excellence in Education award, Dr. Berry is exceptionally well qualified to distill today's most essential sleep medicine know-how in a way that is fast and easy to access and apply in your practice. - Consult this title on your favorite e-reader, conduct rapid searches, and adjust font sizes for optimal readability. Compatible with Kindle®, nook®, and other popular devices. - Get clear guidance on applying the AASM scoring criteria. - Reinforce your knowledge with more than 350 review questions. - Get the answers you need quickly thanks to Dr. Berry's direct and clear writing style. - Access the complete contents online at Expert Consult, including videos demonstrating parasomnias, leg kicks, and more.
You're smart. This book can make you smarter.Mind Performance Hacks provides real-life tips and tools for overclocking your brain and becoming a better thinker. In the increasingly frenetic pace of today's information economy, managing your life requires hacking your brain. With this book, you'll cut through the clutter and tune up your brain intentionally, safely, and productively.Grounded in current research and theory, but offering practical solutions you can apply immediately, Mind Performance Hacks is filled with life hacks that teach you to: Use mnemonic tricks to remember numbers, names, dates, and other flotsam you need to recall Put down your calculator and perform complex math in your head, with your fingers, or on the back of a napkin Spark your creativity with innovative brainstorming methods Use effective systems to capture new ideas before they get away Communicate in creative new ways-even using artificial languages Make better decisions by foreseeing problems and finding surprising solutions Improve your mental fitness with cool tricks and games While the hugely successful Mind Hacks showed you how your brain works, Mind Performance Hacks shows you how to make it work better.
This book contains a series of essays that explore the concept of unconsciousness as it is situated between phenomenology and psychoanalysis. A leading goal of the collection is to carve out phenomenological dimensions within psychoanalysis and, equally, to carve out psychoanalytical dimensions within phenomenology. The book examines the nature of unconsciousness and the role it plays in structuring our sense of self. It also looks at the extent to which the unconscious marks the body as it functions outside of experience as well as manifests itself in experience. In addition, the book explores the relationship between unconsciousness and language, particularly if unconsciousness exists prior to language or if the concept can only be understood through speech. The collection includes contributions from leading scholars, each of whom grounds their investigations in a nuanced mastery of the traditional voices of their fields. These contributors provide diverse viewpoints that challenge both the phenomenological and psychoanalytical traditions in their relation to unconsciousness.
This fascinating work provides a complete overview of paranormal phenomena, including the beliefs, attitudes, and notable figures who have attempted to explain, defend, or debunk the mysteries behind the unknown. Recent interest in the paranormal as pop culture fodder belies its historical status as an important subject of cultural, philosophical, and scientific significance. This book traces the trajectory of paranormal studies from its early role as a serious academic and scientific topic studied by mainstream scientists and eminent scholars to its current popularity in books, film, and TV. This compelling reference work details the experiences, encounters, and ideas that make up this controversial field of study. The contributed entries examine the broad phenomena of the paranormal, addressing the history of scientific investigations along with its contemporary media depictions to illustrate the evolution of cultural attitudes about the paranormal. A selection of primary documents provides real-life accounts and contributions from noted experts that explore the full scope of themes from spiritualism to poltergeists to astrology. Accompanying images, timelines, quotations, and sidebars make the content come to life and encourage alternative explanations of these events.
