The Nature and Function of the Hypnagogic State Thesis submitted to the Department of ...

310 Pages·2012·18.08 MB·English

HYPNAGOGIA
The Nature Function the Hypnagogic State
and of
by
Andreas Mavromatis
Thesis to the Department Psychology,
submitted of
Brunel University, for the degree Doctor of Philosophy
of
January 1983
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CONTENTS
Abstract
3
Acknowledgements
5
Preface
6
PART ONE
- -
PHENOMENOLOGY
1. Introduction
8
2. Historical
background incidence 12
and
3. Methods
investigation 19
and procedures
of
4.
Sensori-motor 25
phenomena and systems of classification
5.
Physiological 64
correlates
6"
Problems definition the the hypnagogic
of and stages of
73
state
7.
Cognitive-affective 83
characteristics
131
Summary Conclusions Part One
and of
PART TWO
- -
HYPNAGOGIA AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER
STATES, PROCESSES, AND EXPERIENCES
Introduction 137
Be Hypnosis
139
9. Dreams
150
10. Meditation 183
11. Psi 212
12. Schizophrenia 265
13. Creativity 310
14. Other 374
areas of experience
Summary Conclusions Part Two 388
and of
PART THREE
-
-
GRAIN MECHANISMS AND FUNCTION OF HYPNAGOGIA
Introduction
394
15. Cerebral hypnagogic 395
correlates of visions
16. Cerebral hypnagogic 420
mentation
correlates of
17. The the brain 434
old versus new
18. The loosening boundaries 460
of ego
19. The function hypnagogia 474
of
20.
The hypnagogia 492
significance of
Appendix 510
Bibliography 519
ANDREAS MAVROMATIS
Ph. D.
1983.
Psychology, Brunel University,
HYPNAGOGIA
-
-
The Nature Function the Hypnagogic State
and of
ABSTRACT
(hypnagogia)
An the hypnagogic
analysis of state
leads to the conclusion that, far from being a simple phase
is
of sleep, this state or process a central phenomenon
features
by
characterized a constellation of psychological
hypnagogic
function the subject's
which emerge as a of
loosening boundaries (LEB) and are correlated with
of ego
both
This analysis
activities of subcortical structures.
facilitates the hypnagogia to other states/
relating of
hypnosis,
human medi-
processes of the organism, such as
tation, dreams, and
and creativity,
psi, schizophrenia,
is
hypnagogia
helps light Further,
their
shed on nature.
basic
to the rest-
viewed as a circadian phenomenon. related
dream
it the
activity cycle wherein represents cycle's
types
component. As such it encompasses a variety of of
them.
dream, the nocturnal or REM kind being only one of
basic
It, thus, the of a and
constitutes exemplification
i. the
herein termed Oneirosis, e. need
pervading phenomenon
to have dreams dreamlike experiences,
and readiness and
through-
hallucinations
such as and quasi-hallucinations,
the 24 hour independently and wakeful-
out cycle of sleep
It is further
ness. proposed, on neurophysiological,
this
developmental that phen-
and psychological grounds,
is than and wakefulness,
omenon evolutionally older sleep
function,
that it has hypometabolic
a and anxiety-reducing
it the
by dint its LEB, enables
and that, of character of
become
individual to his and more
slacken ego strictness
for
him
tolerant with opportunities
as well as providing
holistic renewed psycho-
more experiences and continually
logical due to its
orientations. Moreover, unique charac-
hypnagogia
ter between and sleep,
of riding wakefulness
to the
to namely,
points new evolutional possibilities,
establishment of a new psychological state serving collec-
tively the functions sleep, and dreaming.
of wakefulness,
To
my mother
for her love
and patience
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Acknowledgements
Thanks are due to a number of people and establish-
this
ments without whose generous assistance work would
have its form. First, I like
would
never reached present
Science Research Council
to thanks to the Social
extend my
for (No. 79/20805/PSY) that
the enabled
awarding me grant
to Brunel Univer-
me to carry out this research at all, and
for being
for place and
sity offering me a post-graduate
instrumental in the S. S. R. C. grant. I would
my receiving
Inter-
Brunel University
also like to thank the staff of
in
Library Loans for their helpfulness, and parti-
section
in tracing
for her tireless
Ms. Lorna Barnes efforts
cular
in
from remote sources
and obtaining material obscure and
due to
this Thanks are also a number
country and abroad.
Psychology
the University's
of colleagues and staff of
Department for support.
consultations and personal
for his
Special thanks due to Dr. John Richardson
are
throughout
constant supervision, advice and encouragement
this for deciphering my scribbly
research, and so patiently
handwriting.
for
I deeply to the following spending
am grateful
in translating
their time
generously so much of and energy
for hundreds important material not
me of pages of very
Heather Cox,
in English: Adie Fishman,
available publicly
Richard
Anne Vasseur, Annabelle Theodore, Liz Neville,
Cooper, Ursula
Pelling, Janice Selkirk, Jane Conway, Nigel
Riniker, Gabriele Simons. I to thank Harry Fox
wish also
for his incalculable in helping me collect a
contribution
Finally, in
deal the in this thesis.
great of material
hope to
dedicating this I express my
work to my mother
for her
enormous patience,
gratitude unstinting support,
and constant supply of coffee.
-5-
Preface
This has been theoretical
research one of exploration
rather than hypothesis testing. As I the literature
read
in
the I by four important
area was struck observations:
First,
the
no systematic analysis of subject's cognitive-
experiential had been Second,
state undertaken. research
in
this ignored
area, which was until very recently mainly
fragmented
outside France Germany,
and was rather and
carried out on the whole without any serious attempt to
it in framework. Third,
place
a comprehensive conceptual
although the hypnagogic to be related to
state appeared
a number of other states, processes, and experiences, on
phenomenological and possibly aetiological grounds, no
systematic studies along these lines had been reported.
Fourth, there to the
was no systematic attempt understand
function
the hypnagogic in
of state a wider, evolutionary
setting.
In
my efforts to remedy the above, I carried out an
exhaustive research of the literature not all of which
-
was easily accessible bringing together varied material
-
from disparate it in I believe
sources and organizing what
to be
a comprehensive and, I hope, comprehensible concep-
tual framework.
-6-
PART ONE
-
-
PHENOMENOLOGY
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION:
Hypnagogic to
experiences are generally referred as
hallucinatory taking
or quasi-hallucinatory events place
on falling asleep. The term "hypnagogic" (from the Greek
hypnos leader) intro-
= sleep, and agogos = conductor, was
duced into the literature by Maury (1848). Other terms
proposed include Mitchell's (1890) "praedormitium", Wey-
(Vihvelin 1948),
"presomnal
gandt's or anthypnic sensations"
Trdmner's (1911) "hypnagogic Arnold-Forster's
phantasms",
(1933)
(1921) "borderland Leroy's
state" experiences,
"visions half-sleep", Archer's (1935) "oneiragogic"
of
images, Critchley's (1955) "sleepening" state experiences,
"phantasmata" "faces in the dark" (in: Leaning,
and and
1925, 289). Similar the other
p. phenomena occurring at
(Myers, 1903),
have been "hypnopompic"
end of sleep called
that is, leading The pre-sleep
coming or out of sleep.
designated
has been
period as a state or process variously
"sleep
"the hypnagogic "falling onset",
as state", asleep",
Unfor-
"Einschlafen", "endormissement", "addormentamento".
tunately, there is in English equivalent
no single word
to the Italian "dormiveglia" (sleep-waking) which so succ-
inctly describes both the "hypnagogic" the "hypnopompic"
and
states.
In general, there is tendency investigators
a among
in
this to "hypnagogic"to to
area the term refer
employ
the
experiences occurring both at sleep onset and at awake-
been
ning side of sleep. Since there have not as yet pro-
posed strong phenomenological and physiological criteria
for their distinction I in the same tradi-
shall continue
tion and consider them as belonging to the same group of
I furthermore, introduce the
phenomena. shall, collective
term "hypnagogia" to for the hypnagogic-hypnopompic
stand
in
the
state and all phenomena and experiences encountered
-8-
9
it. However, the the two terms be
use of separate will
for the indicating the temporal
maintained purpose of
occurrence of such experiences.
The falls into three parts dealing respectively
paper
the hypnagogia, its to
with nature of relationship other
its function
states and phenomena, and and evolutionary
More in the first I
significance. specifically, part
I divide into
the the
examine phenomenology of state which
(visual,
somato-sensory or perceptual and quasi-perceptual
)
phenomena
auditory, olfactory, etc. and psychological
).
(quality I
thought, etc. examine
of mental attitude,
briefly the
the of state as well
physiological correlates
the for hypnagogia and offer
as methods used studying
I
In the make use
some criticism. classifying phenomena
the
employ-
of existing classificatory systems and suggest
ment of new ones.
difficult
hypnagogic has been
Defining the a
state
task. This due to the transitional character
was partly
of the state and the occurrence in it of cognitive modes
be
thought to severally
and phenomena which are generally
descriptive indeed, to other states of
of characterize -
-
the
Moreover, the introduction of
consciousness. at very
it,
term 'hypnagogic', Maury (1848), the man who coined
clearly noted that the occurrence of these phenomena -
in particular, the visual kind at sleep onset were not
-
necessarily hypnagogic, i. e. they were not necessarily
inducing! this
sleep Thus, at the beginning of paper,
definition is
a working the hypnagogic offered
of state
however, is data the
which, state are
augmented as about
presented and analysed.
the
Concerning the features of state,
psychological
these in the first
not all of are extensively examined
to discuss
the It
part of paper. seemed more appropriate
some of them in greater detail in the second part in the
hypnagogia to
process of comparing other states and
hypnagogia
In the first an analysis of
experiences. part,
is, begun throughout the
also, and continued paper.
the
In the
second part, an examination of