Theos-Talk Archives (November 1993 Message tl00009)

To Leonard Cole .:

     The 1992 American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
doesn't have "hypnogogia" either, but it does have "hypnogogic." You
were right on target saying, "For me, it occurs in that strange world
between full wakefulness and sleep." Abbreviated, here's American
Heritage: "'hypnagogic' also 'hypnogogic' ..1. Inducing sleep;
soporific. 2. Of or relating to the state of drowsiness preceding sleep.
... Greek 'hupnos', sleep ...+ Greek 'agogos', leading ..." Seems to
me the definition should include drowsiness succeeding sleep also.
Probably that's left out because the idea of "inducing" the drowsiness
after sleep is hard to grasp - but it shouldn't be too hard for
theosophists to try to figure out.

     I suggest that "dreams" induced by medication or other physical
substances are more likely than "normal" dreams to focus mostly on the
etheric body rather than the astral body, and thus disturb the physical
body and cause physical fear. As for the 3rd Object of the T.S., I
suggest as one starting point, a careful noting of what are called
"coincidences", and careful thought about the ways the "inner planes"
might be involved in bringing these events about.

James T. Anderson