What Are Hypnagogic Hallucinations?
Hypnagogic hallucinations are false experiences involving your senses that happen during the transition period between waking and sleep (hypnagogia).
Another type of hallucination that happens in the periods between being awake and asleep is hypnopompic hallucinations. They’re similar to hypnagogic hallucinations, but happen as you’re waking up.
Neither is typically a cause for concern.
They are also not dreams. Unlike hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations, which involve brief sounds or images, dreams typically follow a storyline. It’s also usually clearer when you wake up from a dream. A hypnagogic or hypnopompic hallucination can blur with reality because they occur when you’re partly awake.
But there is some controversy over whether these experiences actually qualify as “hallucinations.” By definition, hallucinations occur when someone is fully awake and alert. They also typically affect someone’s sense of self or personal narrative, whereas hypnagogic hallucinations do not.
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