On the verge of sleep

January 22, 20251 min readByTravis Cook

Hello all, I've only recently learned about aphantasia and that it's an actual condition. I always thought that when people spoke of picturing things in their heads, they meant it as some type of metaphor. Not that they could actually see it in their minds. Now learning that true visualization is normal, it's been a shocker. Since becoming more aware of the condition, I'm taking on things. One of those is that I've caught myself seeing vivid pictures, but only when I'm on the verge of falling asleep. If I pull myself back to stay awake, the ability is gone. Being new to this, I was unsure if that's common amongst you all.

Sort comments by

Liz McGinnes•recently•edited

Yes, I also see images when I am falling asleep - as I drift off to sleep, sometimes it startles me and wakes me up. It was a shock to me too to learn that when people say they are "picturing an image" they actually mean that they see it.

Chad Faragher•recently•edited

As I'm falling asleep I try to force myself to see something other than blackness, kind of like meditating but focusing on visual perception rather than breathing. Sometimes when I'm really sleepy I can fool myself into thinking that I'm seeing something slightly brighter than all black, but it's completely featureless and wouldn't be more than about 5% as bright as what I would call even "dark gray". It's hard to say for sure because I find it hard to think clearly as I'm about to fall asleep. But it's not "nothing", so I keep trying, hoping that some day I'll be able to mentally see something other than blackness.

Cara Kearns•recently•edited

Absolutely! Going to sleep and waking up are the only times I can ever see anything in my mind. Unlike some responders here, this imagery is foggy and grayscale, similar to my dreams, although sometimes one element will be in color, which makes it stand out and seem very important.

Daniel Alexiuc•recently•edited

Yes! In fact this is how I discovered that I have aphantasia. Twice, on the verge of waking up, I had vivid mental images. This bizarre experience (for me) led me to discover what aphantasia is and that I have it. It only happened twice though and I'm not sure why or how it was triggered, and I haven't been able to do it again.

Jamie Mason•recently•edited

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

Colette Mitrenga•recently•edited

Same. And it’s usually something distressing, which makes me wonder if the mind ever chooses to not to visualize in order to avoid certain feelings. I have a phobia and images related to the phobia pop up in some of those liminal dreams.

Sarah Miles Peterson•recently•edited

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.

Larissa Igarashi•recently•edited

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

Sharon Bal•recently•edited

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.

Ray Butterworth•recently•edited

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).

Sean K•recently•edited

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.

Jamie Giles•recently•edited

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.

Alice Grebanier•recently•edited

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.

Sharon Bal•recently•edited

Plus I notice every small detail and can recall vast amounts of detail. More so than pretty much anyone i know

Sharon Bal•recently•edited

Hey Jamie. Sorry this is glitching. My message to you is under Alice's message

Sharon Bal•recently•edited

Hi. I remember sets of digits, eg phone numbers, postcodes and even my bank details through patterns. I can reel them off easily. My memory is very adept at this skill, though it is purely via patterns