Hypnagogic hallucinations are imaginary events that seem real. They occur just as you are about to fall asleep. Usually, these hallucinations are visual, auditory, or tactile and can also involve feelings of movement.
Sometimes when I’m on the cusp of sleep, I can feel myself leaving my body and floating above it, looking down. I continue to float upward until I reach the ceiling. This is usually accompanied by a weird sensation in my mouth – like I’m biting down on an unknown texture. There is also an unrecognised taste in my mouth. Within a few minutes, I usually drift off into full sleep.
It’s a pleasant experience that I don’t have very often – maybe a few dozen times in my life. I had it about a week ago after an absence of some years.