hypnagogic
adjective
-ˈgō-
Did you know?
"The hypnagogic state is that heady lull between wakefulness and sleep when thoughts and images flutter, melt, and transform into wild things," wrote Boston Globe correspondent Cate McQuaid (October 1, 1998). Some scientists have attributed alien-abduction stories to this state, but for most people these "half-dreams" are entirely innocuous. Perhaps the most famous hypnagogic dream is that of the German chemist Friedrich August Kekule von Stradonitz, who was inspired with the concept of the benzene ring by a vision of a snake biting its own tail. You're not dreaming if the Greek root hypn-, meaning "sleep," seems familiar—you've seen it in hypnotize. The root -agogic is from the Greek -agōgos, meaning "inducing," from agein meaning "to lead." We borrowed hypnagogic (also spelled hypnogogic) from French hypnagogique in the late 19th century.
Examples of hypnagogic in a Sentence
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 13 Nov. 2024
Around 10 percent of the population may even regularly succumb to the sensation, also called hypnagogic jerks in reference to the hypnagogic transitional stage of falling asleep.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 13 Nov. 2024
In town in the fall after a performance at Pitchfork Music Festival Paris, Gray chose the venue to discuss Qwerty I and II, her dual-EP scrapbook of a strange year, collaged from mutant alt-rock, experimental pop, and hypnagogic R&B.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 21 Mar. 2024
My hypnagogic experiences suggest that similar changes are constantly taking place beneath the illusory continuity of ordinary waking consciousness.
—Michael W. Clune, Harper’s Magazine , 16 Mar. 2022
Oftentimes, those who experience sleep paralysis also report hypnagogic hallucinations, or waking up and seeing something from their dream in their bedroom, Barrett said.
—Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2021
And some of the dreams that have inspired great discoveries could be hypnagogic experiences rather than night dreams.
—Rasha Aridi, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Dec. 2021
Now, of course, skeptics would say: hypnagogic sleep, and you’re dreaming.
—Brad Japhe, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2019
What remains the same is his signature hypnagogic melodies and cassette-like lo-fi aura.
—Efrain Dorado, RedEye Chicago, 24 Oct. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Hypnagogic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypnagogic. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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hypnagogic
adjective
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