Hi,
I don't know if I'm saying stuff you already know as I havn't visited this site before. My whole life I've had a lot of night time halucinations and some day time ones. There's theories on what hypnogogic halucinations are and you can google that. It's obvious that heaps of people have them. One of the main ones that i had is of this big camera being close up to my face when I open my eyes and then it madly retracts, telescopically up into the wall or ceiling and disappears. You're the first entry I've found on the web who also sees the camera. I often wondered whether there was some underlying subconscious link to feeling like I'm under the microscope of my mother's (and to some degree, others) judgement and control. I haven't really broken free in terms of being real, honest, confident in who I am etc although I've come a hell of a long way. I should add that i have long suffered from mood disorders and had a very brief episode of paranoid schizophrenia. At some point I made the decision that next time I have the camera episode (by the way my partners can attest to me being "awake" during halucinations - the most talked about incident being when I said to my husband "don't tell me you can't fucking see that!") I would reach out to it and bash it to pieces. I actually have never had the camera one since then. I see it as part of my progress. As for the schools of thought of how it is all linked to extraterestrial or demonic activity I don't know and since I probably never will know I just try to concentrate on what I can do in my life to try and create better mental health. I hope I haven't freaked you out. Much love to you and good luck.