Faces when I close my eyes at night

[Whatnametochoose85]

Hello, I'm new here. Just wanted to post to see if anyone else has experienced what I am about to describe. I am fully aware the title of my post sounds utterly bonkers but it is something I've experienced for a number of years and always wondered if anyone else has? It doesn't happen too often, perhaps every couple of months.

Occasionally at night when I lie down and close my eyes to go to sleep I see images of faces. These are faces of random humans who I don't know, I don't recognise them. They sometimes look distressed and contorted and their features alter as if they are crying or shouting although I can't 'hear' any sound, if that makes sense. It lasts a few minutes then all disappears and I fall asleep.
Anyone have any similar experience?
Thanks

Just to add ,I never experience anything else like this during the day or any other time. It only occurs when I first close my eyes to go to sleep. It's very odd....

Yeah, it’s normal. My entire family and I get this. I read somewhere it’s your brain firing off a lot of excess energy before you go to sleep. I usually see Native American women and children and Tribal type people lol.

yes I do. particularly if V tired

They are called hypnagogic hallucinations

www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321070#symptoms

So relieved it's not just me !
It's quite interesting to watch as it's happening although it's brief but I do feel bad for the 'people' as they never seem to look peaceful or happy but rather tormented

Yes I sometimes have this. The faces I see are usually quite neutral in expression, but it still freaks me out.

@Gwynfluff Thanks for the link, just had a read, it's really interesting!
It can be really unnerving but I'm never afraid as I know it's not reality of that makes sense. I've always suffered with anxiety which has become worse since I gave birth quite a few years ago so don't know if anxiety has anything to do with it. I don't have any other MH issues that I know of. Going to sleep shortly so I wonder if it will happen tonight!

20 years ago, staying in a cottage in northern France, I had the same thing.
One night only and never experienced it again, either the next night, or since.
A constant stream of faces, all of old men, chiseled faces and in monochrome.
Rather like a Hitchcock film, iyswim, coming from the distance to the foreground.
It was so real and SO odd.
Never been able to recapture the experience, although I have tried.
Thought about it the other night, as I do periodically.
(It wasn't a particularly creepy place, but did have a history of coastal farming)
Who knows.
Felt real to me and it seems odd to tap this out on my phone!

Catching up with the thread.
Haha was actually v stressed at the time, so maybe that explains!

I don't see faces but just as my body starts to relax and I'm about to fall asleep I get images. Nothing in particular it could just be shapes, sometimes it's buildings, bridges sometimes the shape of a person or people. It doesn't bother me cos I know that as soon as that happens I know I'll be asleep especially if I've laid there for ages trying to fall asleep. The one that does freak me out a bit and this is hard to describe. I'm asleep but I can see in clear detail every bit of room like
My eyes are wide open but I'm not actually awake. I can't move I just have to lay there. It's kind of like a trance until I actually do wake up

Yes! I've had this since I was a child. I remember the first time it happened as I was on a sleepover at a friends house and got told off for making a huge fuss 😂. Tend to get it when I'm really over tired or a bit emotionally drained. Or hungover - but that doesn't really happen anymore. Really glad I'm not the only one!

Very interesting to read other experiences, thanks!

I get visitors every night. I actively encourage them. Visitors from where? Who knows, who cares, they're always friendly :)