Using Dream States for Creativity

“Authentic” means “conforming to fact and therefore worthy of trust, reliance,” and of “verifiable origin or authorship; not counterfeit or copied.” Authentic comes from the Latin authenticus, and from the Greek authentikos, and authentês, meaning “author”.
It is the ‘author,’ the original Self, our authentic — not “copied” — life that our dreams help us access.”
-Radical Dreaming, Use Your Dreams to Change Your Life by John D. Goldhammer, Ph.D.

Dreams have been an enormously profound part of my life, and I find that they serve as a great way for me to gain insight on how to solve real life problems, access my innermost emotions and how to navigate them, become inspired to approach my art in new ways, and intuit ways to heal myself and others. This is something that has been happening since I was a child. Oneiromancy, which is a form of divination that is generated from dreams, has felt like a personal power of mine.

“Oneiros” is a Greek word for dream, and “manteia” is Greek for prophecy. Healers of Ancient Greece would administer datura, henbane, and other herbs to sick patients. Those patients would often have dreams of deities telling them the cure for the sickness, and the deity who revealed the cure for the sickness was prayed to while the Godly-ordained medicine was administered. All across time, oneiromancy was recorded from Ancient Rome, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. Even The Epic of Gilgamesh includes oneiromantic events. The main character Atrahasis has dreams sent to him by the Gods. In this story, he offers a gift to the god Ea in exchange for a dream from Ea, who was an important magic and fertility God in the Mesopotamian Pantheon:

“May the irrigation-water take it, may the river carry it, May the gift be placed in front of Ea my lord. May Ea see it and think of me! So may I see a dream in the night.”

As an artist, performer, writer, poet, and Sicilian-American Ritualist, I am constantly seeking the Dream Realms for inspiration, advice, or healing. For performance art, there have been times when I have been guided in an entirely new direction by tapping into liminal dream states called hypnagogia and hypnopompia. It certainly forms a more spiritually-driven piece of work that seems to come from another realm entirely. Is it our daimons that are reaching out to us from another realm, or is it our own subconscious being unlocked, untamed, and free to explore and design on its own without distraction? I think it’s a bit of both!

There are a number of artists, writers, and creators who have been inspired by their hypnagogic states, and allowed this state of sleep to generate or produce some unique ideas, visions, and thoughts. By allowing the subconscious to influence a piece of music, art, performance, or poem of mine, I have tapped into an innermost sense of authenticity that is not always readily accessible in my waking life.

What is Hypnagogia and Hypnopompia?

Hypnagogia and Hypnopompia are fascinating states of sleeping and dreaming to engage with, journal about, or simply research. Hypnagogia is a state of consciousness between being awake and falling asleep, and hypnopompia is essentially the reverse: the state between sleep and awake, while you are transitioning out of sleep. It can be characterized by vivid, dream-like imagery, auditory and tactile sensations, as well as a sense of drifting away into a dream-like state. It is a naturally occurring phenomenon, so anyone can encounter it. However, it can be induced through hypnosis, breathing exercises, and meditation.

Hypnagogia can be a source of creative insight and has been associated with creative problem-solving, lucid dreaming, and out-of-body experiences. “Hypnos” is Greek for sleep, “agogeus” is Greek for “leading into the reverie”, and “pompe” is Greek for “leading out of the reverie”. Hypnogogia was coined by Louis Ferdinand Alfred Maury in 1848, and in 1897, Hypnopompia coined by Frederic W.H. Myers, the Founder of the Society for Psychical Research. During both states, there is an awareness that remains, and tethers you to the physical world. For instance, you can sometimes feel the position you’re sleeping in, the blanket over you, or maybe even hearing the whirring of your AC unit. You may even have the ability to see in front of you. Personally, I have auditory and visual hallucinations. Sleep paralysis can happen during hypnagogic and hypnopompic states, and it is sometimes known as “The Old Hag Experience”. As far as we know, our ancient ancestors knew about hypnagogia. In the Ebers Papyrus, which was an ancient Egyptian medical text, researchers have found references to a state that they acknowledged as “half-sleeping”. It mentions how a “spirit of the night” can enter a body during sleep and cause physical ailments. Galen, a 2nd Century Greek physician, was among the earliest to describe hypnagogia as transitional period between sleep and awake. He noted that hypnagogia may have been the cause of hallucinations during sleep paralysis. Aristotle, an ancient 4th century Greek philosopher, and Plato, a Classical Greek philosopher, both acknowledged the existence of hypnagogia, and believed that deeper insight can be gained from this state of sleep, while also having the potential for becoming artistically inspired.

The Stages of Sleep

Beta [ about 12 - 34 Hz ] and Gamma [ about 35 Hz ] are essentially the frequencies our brain waves oscillate per second when we are awake. Beta is where focus and concentration are possible, and Gamma is where problem-solving and intense focus happen. However, Alpha [ 8 - 12 Hz ], Theta [ 4 - 8 Hz ], and Delta [ 0.5 - 4 Hz ] are the frequencies our brain waves move per second when we are asleep.

Although, the hertz of each sleep stage will depend on the individual, each sleep stage correlates to ranges of hertz. The stages of sleep are as follows:

Stage 1: 5-10 hertz.

can be easily awakened
most likely drift in and out of sleep
regular breathing
this stage lasts around 1 to 5 minutes, depending on the person

Stage 2: 1-4 hertz.

light sleep
heart rate slows
body temperature drops
Bruxism, or teeth grinding, can occur in this stage

Stage 3: 0.5-2 hertz.

considered restorative rest
difficult to wake up from
the body heals during this stage, and strengthens the immune system
sleepwalking, night terrors, and bedwetting can occur during this stage

Stage 4: ranges from 0.1 -2 hertz.

body is completely at rest
REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep
starts about 90 minutes after you fall asleep
this stage is associated with dreaming

The hypnagogic and hypnopompic states aren’t necessarily considered a sleep stage because the brainwaves are inconsistent and chaotic, whereas each stage of sleep has their own unique brainwave. However, it is reported that hypnagogia tends to happen in between being awake and the first stage of sleep. It is important to remember that each stage is crucial for physical, mental, and emotional regulation and health.

I believe that one of the innate languages of humans and animals are cycles. Therefore, it is not a surprise that we cycle through the alpha-theta-delta template about 5 times per night, depending on if you get 8 hours of sleep. However, once you’re asleep, you do not pass the hypnagogic state again, unless you happen to wake up during the middle of the night. For instance, if you remain asleep, you bypass hypnagogia, and go back into a Theta-like serene state of mind and body. However, if you awaken, you’ll have to pass the hypnagogic state again. Each cycle is about 90 minutes. With that being said, about 9 hours of sleep will give you 6 sleep cycles. It is possible, although I have not thoroughly researched it, that if you calculate backwards and set an alarm to wake yourself up at around the 8 or 9 hour mark, you may be able to remember some remnants of the dream upon waking in the morning. This is a healthier alternative than Edison’s 20 min interval sleep cycle, which is so harmful to the body in my opinion. This is especially true if you have a chronic condition, hormonal imbalances, or anxiety. Sleeping is part of our body’s natural healing ritual. With that being said, I do not recommend Edison’s hypnagogic-inducing sleep cycle. I will say that when I get a full 8 or 9 hours of sleep, I tend to have some incredibly vivid dreams and dream state experiences. This is, however, after creating a regular schedule of 8-9 hours of sleep each night. So, basically- practice makes progress!

Artists, Illustrators, Writer, and Performers Inspired by Hypnagogia

There are a number of artists, writers, and creators who have been inspired by their hypnagogic states. Salvador Dali, who created his famous surrealist paintings based on his visions while in a hypnagogic state, referred to hypnagogia as “the slumber with the key”. Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson have stated they wrote many of their poetry while in a hypnagogic state. David Bowie was also known to use his hypnagogic states to create his music. Producer Brian Eno is said to use his hypnagogic states to inform his ambient music. Mary Shelley has reported that most of her novel, Frankenstein, was created during a hypnagogic experience. To get meta, in Edgar Rice Burroughs’ A Princess From Mars, the protagonist John Carter slips into a sleep in a cave in Arizona. He experiences being frozen, but maintaining a sense of consciousness. He is able to somehow leave his physical body, and step out of the cave. He sees the planet Mars hovering in the distance, which he considers his personal star, since Carter is a warrior. He then describes this vision as “The God of his Vocation”.

I’ve written about the importance of sleep, not only for divination and inspiration, but also for healing. You can check it out here.

*Do you like podcasts about magic, the esoteric, and the paranormal?*

Check out this episode of What Magic is This? Podcast hosted by Douglas Batchelor, where we talk a whole lot more about hypnagogia and hypnopompia! Click on the image on the left.

Be A Hypnagogic Artist

“Hypnagogia is the shortest path for communication from our subconscious.”
Sirley Marques-Bonham

Hypnagogia can become like another world for artists, writers, performers, and illustrators to draw upon for their work and passion. Most importantly, in my opinion, developing and designing a Sleep and Bedtime Ritual of your own making, and practicing relaxation techniques while in bed helps me engage with these hypnagogic experiences with ease. This could include deep breathing, intentionally relaxing the muscles, stretching, guided meditation, repeating phrases or questions in my mind, or imagining worlds. Sometimes simply reading about dreaming, or even reading folklore about dreams from different cultures, helps to stimulate dreams. I’ve once heard that when you start to pay attention to your dreams, your dreams become almost sentient, and they invite you in on the dreaming process [this is how lucid dreaming can become easier!]. Once you feel relaxed enough, try to focus on the progression of how your body falls asleep, making note of how your mind, body, and emotional heart feel. When you get comfortable with practicing that, try to observe your thoughts and sensations that come up. You may notice images, sounds, smells, visions, or audible sensations. Aim for allowing yourself to feel comfortable with these sensations. The trick is to get so comfortable with them, that you can hang on to a particular vision or sound, and return to the waking world with it to fully analyze. This is how I use this state to explore creative ideas and access the power of my subconscious.

Utilizing these dream states can help bring unique ideas, authentic emotions, and fresh perspectives to the forefront of your mind, by retrieving it from the world of sleep. Afterwards, one can explore their creative expression with the use of these newfound bits of divinity, and provide a source of inspiration or information that can develop into another tool in your artistic tool box.

References

Science Direct

Radical Dreaming: Use Your Dreams to Change Your Life by John D. Goldhammer

Precognitive Dreamwork and the Long Self: Interpreting Messages from Your Future by Book by Eric Wargo

DreaMachine

Liminal Dreaming by Jennifer Dumpert

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