The wheels inside my head were humming along, focusing on all the things I had to do for the holidays: shop, decorate, bake (OK, actually microwave), change lanes.

Change lanes?

I suddenly snapped to, and the next frightening thought that passed through my mind was, oh man, how did I just drive that last 10 minutes? My body was behind the wheel, but clearly, my mind was on another planet.

The phenomenon is called "highway hypnosis" or "white line fever," and it usually occurs when you are driving on a fairly long, straight road at a consistent speed. Your body becomes relaxed and the repetition of the passing lines in the road sends your brain down the path of least resistance. Before you know it, you become lulled into a passive trance.

Welcome to La-La Land. You are literally driving on autopilot.

Rudy Nunez, of Murrieta, California says he experienced highway hypnosis quite frequently in his former job as a vanpool driver. "It's weird. One minute you are driving, and before you know it, you are there. As far as it being safe I'm pretty sure it's safe. I actually think that it's a great way to cope with the realities of the road."

I couldn't help wondering if Rudy ever shared his rather unique perspective with the folks he drove to work every day.

Josh Newton, of San Jacinto, California admitted that his mind wanders all the time when he drives. When I asked him if he has ever missed a freeway exit because of it, he emphatically said, "No." Then, after thinking a moment, he added, "I have missed stop signs, though."

I noticed that his answer was plural. As in, this has happened to Josh more than once. He saw the look of surprise on my face and quickly added, "There aren't going to be any police officers reading this, are there?"

Steven Radillo, of Riverside, California says he experiences highway hypnosis every day. "I hate driving, so I just let myself think about something else, like why I am here."

At least Steven is thinking about something deep and meaningful. All I was thinking about when I was in my driving daze was the potential microwaveability of a turkey.

So how do you avoid catching "white line fever"? My favorite advice comes from a web site covering the dangers of highway hypnosis. One suggestion on it is to "never listen to any self-hypnosis recordings while driving an automobile." Feel free to take a moment to write that one down. More sound suggestions might be to avoid driving after you eat a heavy meal or when you are tired, take frequent stops on long trips, and keep fresh air flowing in your vehicle. Vibrant conversation with your passengers can be helpful, too unless, of course, your passengers are less-than-vibrant conversationalists.

The most frequently recommended technique for fending off highway hypnosis is to keep your eyes moving. Keeping your eyes in motion between your mirrors and the road will keep you from drifting into the dangerous complacency of hypnotic disassociation.

So, when you are driving down the freeway this Thursday, reveling in your turkey-based, tryptophan-induced stupor, keep those eyes moving, keep that invigorating conversation going, and don't forget to leave your self-hypnosis tapes at home.

This article courtesy Michelle Groh-Gordy and InterActive! Traffic School