In the world of lucid dreams, reality and imagination merge in surprising ways. A recent experiment showed that it is possible to drive a virtual car while you are fast asleep. The discovery could open new frontiers in the interaction between our sleeping mind and the outside world.
Lucid dreams: a bridge between two worlds
Lucid dreams are nothing new. Since ancient times, mystics and philosophers have spoken of dream experiences in which the dreamer was aware of being dreaming. But he is alone in 1975 that science has officially recognized this phenomenon. Since then, researchers have sought to unravel the mysteries of this fascinating mental condition.
“Lucid dreams are like a hidden superpower of the human mind,” explains the Dr. Michael Raduga founder of REMspace and studio leader. “And now we are learning to use this power in ways we would have thought impossible just a few years ago.”
The experiment: driving in dreams
In a laboratory in California, five brave oneironauts (dream explorers) underwent an experiment that seems straight out of a Christopher Nolan film. Using cutting-edge technology, researchers managed to establish two-way communication with participants while they were immersed in REM sleep. You can find the study here.
The setup of the devices was all in all simple:
- LEDs placed over the sleepers' closed eyes sent light signals.
- Ultrasensitive sensors detected micro-muscle contractions of the limbs.
- A virtual avatar responded to the dreamers' commands.
Like driving a car… sleeping
Once in a lucid dream state, participants had to control a virtual “cybertruck.” The flashes of light represented obstacles, and dreamers had to react by contracting specific muscles to steer or accelerate.
“It's like playing a video game, but with your eyes closed and your brain in dream mode,” commented one of the participants at the awakening. The experiment produced results as exciting as they were surprising:
- In total, 28 appropriate turns were performed.
- A participant he managed to make 17 turns controlled in a single session.
- Some have experienced unexpected difficulties, such as numbness in the limbs or sudden awakening due to bright flashes.
Lucid dreams: new frontiers of human-machine interaction
This experiment on lucid dreams opens up fascinating scenarios. REMspace researchers are already thinking about next applications:
- Control smart homes directly from sleep.
- Interaction with robots and drones during lucid dreams.
- Potential therapeutic applications for sleep disorders or anxiety.
“We're just scratching the surface of what's possible,” Raduga says. “Two-way interaction with a lucid dreaming computer opens up a whole area of new technologies.” I swear that I can't think of any useful applications, but if you have any, I'll gladly read about them on our social channels.
A dreamlike but concrete future
I have to be honest, and in this I admit my limitation: the potential of lucid dreams as a man-machine interface for me is very smoky territory. I don't find much enthusiasm to the idea that you can prepare coffee for the morning while still in the realm of dreams (maybe while listening to an advertisement) or that there is a world where architects could design buildings while they sleep.
The REMspace experiment makes clear (if any were needed) that the human mind is still largely a mystery, full of unexplored potential. And perhaps, right in our lucid dreams, we could find the keys to unlock incredible new abilities. Or not?
