The Art of Hypnagogia

Publication information:

Peisic, Doron. 2025. “The Art of Hypnagogia.” in Spirituality and the Arts. Harvard Divinity School: Program for the Evolution of Spirituality.

Abstract

Workshop: Hypnagogia is a transitional state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleep, characterized by vivid imagery, auditory hallucinations, and sensorimotor distortions. This state has been explored by philosophers, psychologists, and artists alike, from Salvador Dalí’s creative techniques to Herbert Silberer’s psychoanalytic research. My lecture delves into the use of hypnagogia as both a spiritual practice and a source of artistic creativity, examining its historical significance and potential to expand awareness through deeper engagement with this unique mental state.


Presenter Biography

Doron Peisic is a PhD researcher at the School of Philosophy, Tel Aviv University. His research and teaching focus on Indo-Tibetan philosophy, with an emphasis on lucid dreaming and hypnagogia from a multicultural perspective, blending contemporary models of dream and sleep science with traditional contemplative practices.