0072 - fake hypnagogic memories

This is not really a wordvomit, but an old post from an old blog of mine that is no more. It was originally published on 2022-10-29. I've cleaned it up a bit and added a few things, but otherwise the idea and structure are unchanged. I don't know if it has ever happened to you, but while falling asleep, in the hypnagogic state, I sometimes find myself being absolutely and completely sure I'm somebody else. I suddenly find myself thinking as a person with a different backstory than mine, caring for people I have never met nor heard of, having distinct feelings and preconceptions about them, and life situations that are not the same as those in my waking life. In the moment, these fake backstories, with all the wishes and worries, just feel so real and complete that it doesn't even occur to me to question them, and they are revealed as clearly fictitious whenever I "come back" into myself. It's an interesting phenomenon and it always gives me pause. In these experiences I'm usually…