enabling aural imagination
March 30, 2015 1:41 PM Subscribe
Sometimes - rarely - when I am nearly asleep, I get into a state where I can imagine music as vividly as hearing it in reality. Not just playing back memories, but inventing new music with full orchestration. As soon as I become too aware and awake, the skill fades away, and I can barely remember details of the music. Have you had similar experiences? Any suggestions on how to cultivate this skill and make it more reliable and accessible to memory?
I've had similar experiences. They're called hypnagogic hallucinations, and I find them relaxing and fun.
My suggestion is to practice writing and notating music while awake, so you'll have the skills to write your hallucinations down accurately just when you wake.
posted by infinitewindow at 1:57 PM on March 30, 2015 [3 favorites]
My suggestion is to practice writing and notating music while awake, so you'll have the skills to write your hallucinations down accurately just when you wake.
posted by infinitewindow at 1:57 PM on March 30, 2015 [3 favorites]
Are you imagining it in your mental ear, or are you literally hearing it like you were listening to a radio? The former, I've been able to capture sometimes by humming into my phone and notating structure stuff for shorthand. The latter is an aural hallucination (totally common and benign) and I've found no way to be able to remember that.
posted by KathrynT at 1:58 PM on March 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by KathrynT at 1:58 PM on March 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
I'm a kinda-lapsed recording artist and know of what you speak. What's happening is, as has been mentioned above, a sort of hallucination. It's unfortunately not possible to 'transcribe' and 'replay' this sort of thing because the creations don't actually exist (sort of like writing a huge book in a dream, or inventing a new kind of car). That said, you can get great results making music based upon feelings stirred by memories of this kinda-dream. If you're interested in recreating the experience more often, I guess look into lucid dreaming?
posted by destructive cactus at 2:06 PM on March 30, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by destructive cactus at 2:06 PM on March 30, 2015 [4 favorites]
I have these experiences fairly often, and can trigger it at will when I'm relaxed enough. The answer to how to capture them is, possibly frustratingly, lots of hard work on music performance and theory. Practicing and internalising a range of scales, for example, will enable you to recognise and remember their use when you experience them. But, as destructive cactus says above, you may find that there is less "there" there than you think, even if you do manage to capture some elements ("Like flaming globes, Sigmund! Like flaming globes!"). But I wouldn't say it's hopeless. After all, Yesterday started at as a dream melody with the words "Scrambled Eggs".
posted by howfar at 2:11 PM on March 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by howfar at 2:11 PM on March 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
I have weird aural fragments/"hallucinations" when I'm just falling asleep. Nothing concrete or memorable. But I do fairly frequently have full-on musical dreams. I'll write/perform something way past my ability level, or watch several songs of a concert (this can include discernible, logical, lyrical content, lighting, and choreography). I can't remember the details very well when I wake, just the general vibe and the feeling of wonder. I mean, the things the brain can do when the brakes are off are just kind of amazing to me. Why can't I make tunes like that when I'm awake, damnit?
My dad sometimes has these sorts of dreams, too, and I know he's converted at least one into a song after waking up. I don't know how he managed this, but 1) he's a more accomplished/trained musician than I am, and 2) he's not the first musician to do it. It can be done, is what I'm saying.
The "learn music theory" suggestions above are great. Not only will this probably help you to recapture those fragments, but it's just good knowledge to have if you appreciated music. I'd add that multi-track recording isn't very expensive these days (this randomly-googled portable unit is like, $100), so if you can hum the parts, you might have an immediacy advantage over trying to write things down straightaway.
posted by credible hulk at 2:42 PM on March 30, 2015
My dad sometimes has these sorts of dreams, too, and I know he's converted at least one into a song after waking up. I don't know how he managed this, but 1) he's a more accomplished/trained musician than I am, and 2) he's not the first musician to do it. It can be done, is what I'm saying.
The "learn music theory" suggestions above are great. Not only will this probably help you to recapture those fragments, but it's just good knowledge to have if you appreciated music. I'd add that multi-track recording isn't very expensive these days (this randomly-googled portable unit is like, $100), so if you can hum the parts, you might have an immediacy advantage over trying to write things down straightaway.
posted by credible hulk at 2:42 PM on March 30, 2015
I used to have this happen more, a lot when I was 18-21 or so. I could only rarely capture any part of what I got then.
It doesn't happen to me that often anymore, but I've practiced basic to intermediate theory and transcription a fair bit since to the point that on the relatively rare occasions when this happens I can capture a decent chunk of what I hear (if I can manage to overcome the momentum towards sleep, anyway).
As others have said, having it turn out there's less there than you think is probably what happens more often than not. Sometimes there's some good stuff.
posted by weston at 3:34 PM on March 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
It doesn't happen to me that often anymore, but I've practiced basic to intermediate theory and transcription a fair bit since to the point that on the relatively rare occasions when this happens I can capture a decent chunk of what I hear (if I can manage to overcome the momentum towards sleep, anyway).
As others have said, having it turn out there's less there than you think is probably what happens more often than not. Sometimes there's some good stuff.
posted by weston at 3:34 PM on March 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
I have no idea how to cultivate this as a skill, but it happens to me! Not as often as I would like though. They are some of the most wonderful experiences. In my dream I feel as though I am composing music (although technically I suppose that I don't know if I'm merely hearing music that I have already experienced while awake) and in complete control of the music. It just flows. It's always brilliant and complex and as I am dreaming I am astonished by the beauty as well as the experience of the creation. I don't know why I have such dreams. I do not know how to play any instruments and can't read or write music ( which is why I wonder a bit if I'm just replaying what I've heard but forgotten, although if so I "replay" very complex sounding music perfectly). It's very hard to completely impossible to retain even a fraction of the music for one second upon waking. Maybe it would be easier if I were trained in music. I don't know.
I also occasionally write poetry in my dreams, and likewise I can't remember the words to write down after waking. I'll remember a few words and something of the feeling, but not any more than that.
posted by Blitz at 3:40 PM on March 30, 2015
I also occasionally write poetry in my dreams, and likewise I can't remember the words to write down after waking. I'll remember a few words and something of the feeling, but not any more than that.
posted by Blitz at 3:40 PM on March 30, 2015
This happens to me from time to time. One time long ago I was able to scribble down what it was before it faded. When I looked later, it turned out it was an existing song, and I was only dreaming that I was inventing it (and that it was super awesome, even. I don't remember what it was now, but I remember I didn't even really like it that much in real life.) I don't try any more, I just enjoy the moment.
posted by ctmf at 8:27 PM on March 30, 2015
posted by ctmf at 8:27 PM on March 30, 2015
I have this happen sometimes.
I usually have my iPhone or iPad near. I'll run a synthesizer app (many have a record mode) and try to tap out and save the main melody, perhaps take notes about what I remember. It's not perfect, but it can be something to build upon.
posted by doctor tough love at 9:57 PM on March 30, 2015
I usually have my iPhone or iPad near. I'll run a synthesizer app (many have a record mode) and try to tap out and save the main melody, perhaps take notes about what I remember. It's not perfect, but it can be something to build upon.
posted by doctor tough love at 9:57 PM on March 30, 2015
Response by poster: Are you imagining it in your mental ear, or are you literally hearing it like you were listening to a radio?
Something of both - it's much more vivid than my usual imagination, but if I can wake up just enough without popping the bubble, I can control it deliberately, so it's not just like listening to the radio. I've tested it by imagining voices singing random texts in various styles, which I definitely can't do while awake!
It's an interesting question whether the art we create in dreams is actually good, or we're just dreaming that it's good. (In fact, it turns out I've asked a metaquestion about this before.) I have occasionally managed to bring fragments out of dreams and had them turn out to be good in the real world. Maybe that was the only good part and the rest of it never actually existed?
I'm sure that learning theory and notation would help a lot - that's good advice!
posted by moonmilk at 11:09 PM on March 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
Something of both - it's much more vivid than my usual imagination, but if I can wake up just enough without popping the bubble, I can control it deliberately, so it's not just like listening to the radio. I've tested it by imagining voices singing random texts in various styles, which I definitely can't do while awake!
It's an interesting question whether the art we create in dreams is actually good, or we're just dreaming that it's good. (In fact, it turns out I've asked a metaquestion about this before.) I have occasionally managed to bring fragments out of dreams and had them turn out to be good in the real world. Maybe that was the only good part and the rest of it never actually existed?
I'm sure that learning theory and notation would help a lot - that's good advice!
posted by moonmilk at 11:09 PM on March 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
I whistle, hum or sing mine into my iPhone recorder app.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 5:16 PM on March 31, 2015
posted by ZenMasterThis at 5:16 PM on March 31, 2015
I have heard Bruce Cockburn claim more than once that his song Mama Just Wants To Barrelhouse All Night Long is verbatim from a dream in which the song was being played by Fats Domino
posted by canoehead at 2:51 PM on April 1, 2015
posted by canoehead at 2:51 PM on April 1, 2015
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I suggest you find some means to promptly jot down some kind of notes before it is faded completely. Over time, you will probably get better at accessing that part of your mind.
posted by Michele in California at 1:46 PM on March 30, 2015