Hey Mark, an interesting post. I have used a technique that relies on feeling for years (learned it from my days reading Casteneda). Castaneda referred to it as the first gate of dreaming. There is a heavy feeling with a darkness that washes across us when sleep takes us. If you memorize that feeling, you can call it to you and go to sleep almost instantly. I believe that feeling of falling that jolts one awake is whatever is taking place inside of that darkness. But just a belief as I have no means to test out my belief.

Thank you for a quality post. Just curious, but do you use visualization techniques in other aspects of your life?