A student in my Gen Psych class asked about a dream/sleep phenomenon
she experienced. We were discussing hypnogogic and hypnopompic
experiences. It sounded to me like she was in a non-rem state and was
experiencing something akin to night terror, but she has had it since
childhood and it recurs. We were wondering what produces the white
light: Here is her account:
My dream is just a white light that fills my whole field of "vision"
and this sense of extreme terror. When I was younger and it would
happen I would wake-up and try to call out for my mom but no sound would
come out and I could not move. Now I realize it is just a dream and
"fight" it. Some time that works and sometimes not. I still have to
get up and stay up or I'll fall back into it. It's the same
everytime--same intensity.
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Any tipsters have ideas as to why/how the white light is produced? My
idea of it being non-rem is weakened if she goes immediately back into
it--because I assume this would take more time to enter a deeper stage
of sleep. Perhaps not? She has not indicated any other problems or
concerns in her life, but this does bother her.
Gary Peterson
Saginaw Valley State University
