Hypnagogic hallucination

What it means

Hypnagogic hallucinations are brief hallucinations that occur when falling asleep.

Hypnagogic hallucinations are typically reported as visual, auditory, and tactile sensations. Visual phenomena often consist of kaleidoscopically changing patterns, shapes, and flashes of light. Lifelike and highly detailed images of animals, people, faces, and scenes are also common, displaying a wide range of vivid colors. Auditory experiences, although less frequent, may include voices, as well as sounds like a ringing phone, doorbell, or music. These auditory impressions may involve words, names, conversations, or environmental and animal sounds. Additionally, hypnagogic hallucinations can manifest as somatic experiences, which include bodily distortions, feelings of weightlessness, sensations of flying or falling, and an eerie sense of a presence in the room.

Rare diseases that can present with this3

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Hallucinations while falling asleep