Hello everyone

I am a new member here. I stumbled over an interesting topic on "listening to whispers" before falling asleep. That topic tempted me to become a member here. I can't find the that topic now

I have been hearing sudden loud banging sounds like gun shot, tense elastic band striking sound, tapping with a wooden tool on metal surface, male voice shouting etc. for last 4-5 years. It happens almost every night. The experience of sound is very realistic (not at all like a dream), as if someone is right in my ear or, inside my head, shouting or causing this sudden loud noise. Prior to that, I have heard a singing voice a few times, when I was in distress. I have heard whispers a couple of times as well. I always hear such alarming and distruptive sounds just after shutting my eyes; when I am about to cross the boundary between my awake state, and about to enter the deep sleep. Usually, I hear these sudden noises one to three times, each time I attempt to attain the deep sleep state. I don't understand the phenomenon. It seems as if someone/something is trying to keep me awake.

Recently, I have noticed that my body has been producing static shock (specially, when I get out of the car, and touch the metal part of the door). I tried to make a connection between static electicirty and these sudden sounds, but I must mention that my distrupted sleep is a few year's old problem. So, i don't think it has anything to do with static electricity problem.

Let me add that I do not take drugs, sleeping pills, and I I rarely drink alcohol. I am on Thyroxin. I had most of my Thyroid removed in 2005. I have been hearing such sounds prior to my operation.

Has anyone else here had this experience with sudden waking sounds that are not pleasant ,but authoritative or distruptive? I must say that I never felt frightened of such sounds. I woke up, felt alarmed, looked around, made sure that "it was nothing", and fell back to sleep. I really am not sure what it is. Very much of a mystery, really.

PS: Webmaster/Moderator, please move the topic to the relevant place of the forum, in case I have posted it in a wrong area. Please notify me of the area it moves to. I am a newbie Soon I shall understand this place

Hello Planet and welcome to UM

No need to worry, nothing paranormal is happening to you. What you are experiencing is most likely hypnogogic auditory hallucinations. The most common descriptions of hallucinations of the auditory type are that of hearing footsteps, whispering, voices, and pulsating noises, sounds pretty much like what you described you are experiencing.

You say that you are aware of these noises and that it happens as you are about to drift off to deep sleep. This also brings me to the conclusion that you are experiencing hypnogogic hallucinations. Sleep is not a constant state, there are 5 stages that cycle many times throughout the night; with each stage having a particular brain wave associated with it. During the hypnagogic state, an individual may appear to be fully awake, which you say you are, however brain waves are indicitive early stages of sleep.

Seems to me that you should consult a doctor dealing with sleep disorders to assist you wth this problem.

How I understood this according to a show on The History Channel, When you're in a state of REM, your brain releases a paralytic, but your brain is only partially asleep. There are then vibrations in your eardrums, that make you hear things that aren't there, or make you hear noises in a different manner, then that the noise actually is. Many people on here will attribute this to SP, or another paranormal reasoning. I must say, I don't have an opinion either way, as I have experienced this myself, and find it hard to believe there is a 100% scientific explanation for said occurance. Good luck on your quest my dear! and Welcome to UM!!!!!!!!!

I was actually about to post something similar to this. Just today I was taking a nap after class and heard a woman say "my work here is done, you may now slumber". it was weird, at first I thought it was the ghost in my house but now that I read this I dont think it is.

A sound like swarming mosquitoes woke me a week or 2 ago,while I was falling asleep.
I opened my eyes and saw a blue transparent face. I made a crude re-creation, here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhDIWtFxS9g
(I should have made the face more blurry, it looked like Howdy Doody). I yelled, sprang up,pulled the lamp chain,and with the light on it was gone.
I grabbed the dog and fled to join my friend upstairs. The next night, in the original place, the sound woke me up again when I was about to fall asleep - I opened my eyes and saw a swarm of somethings sort of like gnats, only the swarm was very dark. I'd gone back to the original place to sleep because I heard you're supposed to act brave to discourage this stuff. This time I turned on the light brighter and then dove under the covers. I'd never seen sound and a vision together.
Last night the sound (I didn't see anything) came for around 30 seconds while I was awake watching tv and using the computer (7pm) sitting on an exercise ball. The ball would send me to the floor if I weren't alert. It went up and down in pitch for part of the visit - just like a cartoon ghost!

planet, you may have a reaction tot he drug Thyroxin, as you mentioned all this happened after your operation and when you started taking the drug.
You now may also bring on the sounds yourself, after a couple of years, being so used to "hearing" them, you conjure them up yourself.

I know i cant stand ANY noise when im about to go asleep- all has to be quiet or i get really fustrated and dont sleep well, so i have no idea how your still functioning because i would of gone mental by now!!!!

I also suffer from this. It is not every night but fairly often. It is always a gun shot. Just before I doze off. I have heard a few whispers but nothing I could discern. I scares the heck out of me everytime. I just accepted it. I used to be on antidepressants. I stopped taking them. Soon after the gun noises started. I don't know...

I have this happen a lot as well and Im not on any pills at all.

Not really worried about any paranormal possibility , purple. It's more to do with discomfort from unknown source, and for unknown reason. As I say that the noises are very vivid. Hypogonic auditory hallucinations seem to be the right scientific diagnosis.

AM, I have been having such experiences far before my operation. So, it can't be connected to the Thyroxin intake. My Thyroxin levels were always fine.The glang was removed as it enlarged over the years.
On conjuring up the noise, I am quite an escapist, TBH LOL:D I rather not bring such sounds on myself, Jesus! Instead, I wouldn't think about them. This phenomenon takes place totally involuntary. Last night, I was was calm, driting off to sleep, and there I was, with a "Twang" sound, right in my years. You may find it funny LOL:D but it ain't, because, when it keeps me awake for longer, I feel frustrated and baffled.

Hey! Welcome to UM! I have had somewhat of a similar experience. Here is the thread for it. . .Hearing Unexplainable Things
I also woke up one night ot the smoke detectors going off. They went off for about 5secs then shut off. They are all connected so when one goes off they all do, but I could not find any evidence of fire or smoke to explain why they went off. I check batteries and they were all good. I have also heard what sounded like a big dog barking twice. It sounded like it was coming from inside my bedroom and I looked around outside and found nothing. Though that could have easily been explained as a dog barked outside of my bed room and ran off, but there was just something about it.
I would look into any scientific though first. I haven't gone to the doctor about my hearing things as explained on the thread, but I am really leaning towards an ear problem to explain what I was hearing then. The others, I haven't quite figured out yet. Good luck!

First welcome to UM Planet . Second I agree with obsidian (above quote) I have done this for years. As well as [topic="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis"]Sleep Paralysis[/topic]

I hear noises too as I am falling asleep. Mostly loud pulsating noises like someone above posted. It's really hard for me to get to sleep because of it

I experiance the same type of events like right before I am about to fall asleep right when I am at that piot where I am not asleep ut not awake I se visions like someone throwing a ball at my head or somethink

Thank you very much for the welcome, guys and girls

You see, I am looking for a logical explanation. The links posted here are really helpful to investigate the prob. However, I am not going to eliminate the possibility of the psyche playing part in it. I think it could have relation with pre-occupied state of mind, unfinished businesses, stress etc. The vividness of exprience forces me to believe that it is a physical prob. It doesn't seem to be a spiritual experience. it could be just the part of the brain causing it, where the processes are slowing down, in order to offer you the sleep. The imprints from subconsience may bring up those unknown sounds, who knows!

Thank you all. I will log my further experience here on this thread. It may help others to discuss theirs here too.

Forgot to add something.
After a couple of days of experiencing that "knock the brain" sound, I was in an art exhibition. Something caught my eyes. It was a piece of rock, divided into two. it was a work of an artist/ sculptor.

http://www.culture.pl/pl/culture/artykuly/...ea_culpa_engram

The earphones were snapped, and the lazy staff were busy nattering, but I was attracted by that piece. I requested if I could hear the sound. Believe me or not, the sound like "CRACK!!!" was identical to the sound I experienced in my half asleep state. needless to say, I was amazed! Ok, it could have been just a co-incident.
I never expected that sound to be identical to the sound I experienced. Although, I can't deny that my subconscious mind might have bean bearing my experience that I instantly compared the sound of stone to. However, I still find that it is a strange co-incident, if it is one!

I would like to buy a CD of Mea Culpa sound. I have serched the net. can't find sorce. I don't understand Polish, what a shame!

I just found the encounter with something similar to my recent experience very intriguing and interesting. it happens a lot, I know.

sound like "CRACK!!!" was identical to the sound I experienced in my half asleep state. needless to say, I was amazed! Ok, it could have been just a co-incident.
I never expected that sound to be identical to the sound I experienced. Although, I can't deny that my subconscious mind might have bean bearing my experience that I instantly compared the sound of stone to I experienced some simular stuff, I put it under the other simular post on here. Yesterday morning after no sleep I heard a male voice say something unnintelligable behind me. Seeing as the two males in the house can't talk, and were in bed still, I beleived it to be a hallucination from lack of sleep, and ignored it. I have been awoken by my autistic son's screech, when he was at his dad's, my voice yelling in my head, alarm clocks and pagers going off, only to find they hadn't, I slept through and dreamt the sound of police attacking a neighbors house with those bombs that make so much noise they stun you, the noise was very real. I have awoken to the phone ringing, to find that no phone was ringing, ect. Not to distant in the past I was being awoken to me speaking in my sleep or moving in my sleep, acting out my dreams. My husband hopes I don't have any violent dreams.

I looked a couple of things up about noises. Apparently, some medications cause the brain to fire off electrical impulses when at rest. So perhaps the impulses are hitting a part of your hearing center. ?

I am very interested to have some info on it, ds. Please let me know about the sourse of such info

Right! No noises last night, whatsoever.
And yes, I was far less stressed. I had finished a very demanding assignment a night before and I felt much lighthearted. Still not sure about the past exeriences, whether I was so highly stressed or what; I dunno.

A night before, I did have repetitive experiences, the night I completed my assignment.
1. The first one sounded like some air release sound as if the sound was apparent to a little distance from shut eyes.
This woke me up from semi-sleep. Then I started to go back into deep sleep again.
2. Second time, I felt that the gas release was in my mouth. It was very vivid and powerful. That woke me up wide-eyed again. Realistically, there was no gas in my mouth.
Then I tried to go back to sleep again
3. Third experience was in my gut (right side). It again felt like some kind of gas bubbling in my guts and making loud sound.
4.The fourth one sounded like air release in my brain; very similar embarrasing sound like farting (LOL ), that I had experienced many a times before.

One thing I must say that all these noises definitlely felt like coming from the internal system of my body e.g. brain and guts. It never felt that any of the sounds that night came from any external sourse. Why did they come at all? That is mystery. With more observation and research, I may be either connecting it to stress, or else. We will see.

Update on the problem:

I did find the explanation of the problem here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploding_head_syndrome

Everyone knows when we are trying to sleep, our senses are calming down. But my confusion is why this "calm down" creates such a noise in one's head in some cases; as if to say- Wake up! It could be just a pressue release. The pressure caused by the hyperactivity of our brains or some other reason, I don't know. I would like to know, though

However, I am getting different sensation now. it's like air frequency travelling through my head from one temple to another, making loud driling/buzzing sound. it's hard to eplain but it can also becompared to the sound of an elastic rubbrer band stretched and relaeased; like a "twang" sound. it's sharp, it's very piercing. It affects my nerves when it happens. In half-asleep state, I suddenly get a kind of sensation in my head, that brings me back to full senses. I try to go back to sleep and it carrys on happening. It happens 5-6 times before I have fallen asleep. When it happens, I frown or my teeth clatter because it's quite a strong sensation. One night, when I was in a half asleep mode, I was seeing an image (like dreming in half-asleep state). Suddenly this sensation took place and the scene I was visualising was blacked out. I am actually scared of this sensation. I feel hesitant to go to sleep becuse i know this will happen to me. I am worrried that the stength of such sensation could leave me paralysed me one day, who knows!:( I have been to the doctor. To begin with, he suggested having some sleeping pills or anti-depressent to calm the possible overactivity of my brain down. But after my expalanation of the problem (i.e. it feels organic, rather than some subconscious activity. it is an involuntary activity of the brain), he has referred me to the consultant. He might send me to the Sleep Clinic to be observed overnight. I will put the update here

Whenever I'm tired or sleepy,I can be wide awake at my computer or doing something else and I will hear what sounds like guitar strings busting in my head.I will also hear people talking in my head.It happens almost everyday with me but more so when I get less sleep.It doesn't bother me as I feel that its just my body trying to sleep while I'm awake.