On the verge of sleep

There is an article on the aphantasia network website about hypnopompic images and aphantasia. https://aphantasia.com/article/stories/hypnopompia/

Hypnopompia is the state between sleep and awakening. There is a related state between being awake and falling asleep called hypnagogia. Some people with aphantasia report that they see visual images during these states. Some report that they have dreams with visual imagery.

There is a fair amount of variation among people with aphantasia with respect to these experiences, as well as other experiences that may have an association with aphantasia. I, for one, have no visual imagery in dreams or when falling asleep or waking up.

I have absolutely zero imagery at any time. Remembering numbers is my weakest skill. Being a welder of 25+ years I have to have a note pad with my different processes and materials for my range settings as the vary greatly. I used to remember phone number by pattern rather than the actual number. Now with smart phones I have completely lost this skill. I feel I was better for haveing it.

Yes. I relate to this. Close to asleep, I do see some visions at times (rarely). Sometimes I try to focus on a small white light and then let it expand into visions. This only happens close to asleep. I have been calling it pre-dream.

I have always had very lucid and vivid dreams with images that are highly detailed.
While waking up, I am in a 𝘩𝘺𝘱𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘤 state where I know that I’m visualizing, but if I try at all to deliberately control what I’m seeing, or even if I pay too much attention to what I’m seeing, my vision switches to my real eyes, the images immediately go away, and I wake up.
While falling asleep, in a 𝘩𝘺𝘱𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤 state, I occasionally experience the same thing, but not nearly as often.

I often wondered what it would be like if one could have this ability while fully awake, but figured that except for those rare people with “photographic memory” it just doesn’t happen.
It wasn’t until I was 67 that I discovered otherwise (and experienced a long series of “so 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 why” epiphanies about myself).

Hi Travis. I do not see anything in my minds eye. But I get the same as you, I can be drifting off to sleep, not yet asleep, and I can sometimes conjure up mental images just as I see in my dreams. They are film like and extremely vivid. I just can’t see them in normal awake mode. But when I see them drifting off if I pull myself back to awake mode they immediately go. Though it is very odd as my memory for things is very very good. I remember in extreme detail. So much so, I am quite unusual in that respect, my family and friends can’t match my memory skills for past events and conversations etc… I also cannot hear sounds in my ear’s mind. I can only hear my inner voice. I have a very very active inner voice.

I have frequent dreams, which I can visualize clearly, but sometimes they seem to be blurry

I just learned today that I have aphantasia so my mind is pretty blown until I read more. But, to address your question, I have similar ‘visions’ just before i fall asleep. I just discovered this in the past year or so. I have to work at it, i.e. concentrate on the blankness of closed eyes & keep my eyes closed. Sometimes, not always, very bright & vivid colored images will come into focus. They vary from geometric shapes (but not the same as aura of my migraines). Sometimes the colors seem to blend into a face or even tiny vignette. They disappear the minute I open my eyes. I can’t seem to hold onto it very long either-mere seconds.when I dream (rare) I never recognize the people or places.

I’m the same way. Very vivid liminal images, and also very vivid dreams. But completely aphantasic when I’m awake.