Sounds very similair to Dali's process.
Where he would meditate holding a kitchen utensil on top of a pan.
And when he would fall asleep it would fall making a sound and wake him up with i inspration for his next painting.
INTERVIEWER
What is your writing schedule now?
HOUELLEBECQ
I wake up during the night around one a.m. I write half-awake in a semi-conscious state. Progressively, as I drink coffee, I become more conscious. And I write until I’m sick of it.
Edit: Search for the sentence "In this posture, you must hold a heavy key which you will keep suspended, delicately pressed between the extremities of the thumb and forefinger of your left hand." and look at the google book result, you can read the page 36.