What is it about?
We report the results of systematic self-observation of entoptics and hypnagogia, in a study whose purpose was to investigate the “entoptic explanation” of hypnagogic imagery (i.e., that entoptic phenomena play a role in the genesis of visual hypnagogic imagery). Employing various experimental manipulations designed to increase the incidence of both phenomena, we were able to show the effectivity of such manipulations on reported incidence of entoptics, but not regarding hypnagogia. Furthermore, the two phenomena seem to be independent, and thus we argue that the entoptic hypothesis cannot be supported. In addition, we report that the frequency of incidence of entoptics is an inverted U-shaped function of level of attention (as defined in this study).
Featured Image
Why is it important?
Consider also my first paper on hypnagogia: Glicksohn, J. (1989). The structure of subjective experience: Interdependencies along the sleep-wakefulness continuum. Journal of Mental Imagery, 13, 99-106.
Perspectives
My first paper based on a BA seminar paper under my supervision. Both entoptic phenomena and hypnagogia are little-studied topics, and their joint consideration in single-subject designs, with the researchers serving as their own single participants, makes this an interesting report. I have returned to this topic of single-subject, systematic self-observation over the years, each time with increasing depth of analysis.
Professor Joseph Glicksohn
Bar-Ilan University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Systematic Self-Observation of Entoptic Phenomena and Their Relation to Hypnagogia, Imagination Cognition and Personality, March 1991, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.2190/ef06-jd2w-7j6x-1m63.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
