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Mapping Dreams

Bill M
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In an astounding technological breakthrough, Japanese scientists have developed a means by which to convert a person's dreams into actual images on a computer screen.  The device captures electrical signals from the brain, then processes and converts the signals into actual, recognizable images.  The researchers are still only able to reproduce simple images, but the discovery paves the way for the ability to unlock people's dreams and other brain processes.

Creative Commons Image : Sleeping Kutchi by Meanest Indian on Flickr

 

 

 

 

Comments

Woah, this could be a

Submitted by Bridget Algiere on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 17:51.
Woah, this could be a wonderful window into ones own psyche, but I agree that if exploited (like most good-intended technology!) it could be very dangerous for everyone's psyche! Great story, thanks!

"The only thing constant in life is change" -François de la Rochefoucauld

hmmm

Submitted by rev0luti0n on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 18:33.

Yeah it definitely sounds neat, but some things should be private. We should be able to tell people about our dreams if we choose to. It's like a thought reading machine or something. I'd like my dreams to be private until I choose to share them.

 

What's the benefit from this technology? or is it just some sort of 'look what I can do' sort of thing? It reminds me of some movie with robin williams, I think, set in the future and there's some chip in people's heads that records all memories... creepy. Do you think knowing that people could see your dreams would effect your dreams?

 

Be the change you want to see.

who said other people would

Submitted by sonofman on Sun, 01/18/2009 - 07:46.

who said other people would be reading our thoughts?  its just a machine that displays your dreams in some primitive way.  though that'll be possible someday if it isn't already, whatevzzz. 

maybe we should be able to read each others minds.  what if all the truth was out?  all the insides were out?  would all the outside be in?  dont want to think about it now.  what did the sci fi writers say about that?

 

"Do you think knowing that people could see your dreams would effect your dreams?"

yes, everything effects your dreams.  everything effects everything cause everything is part of everything. 

goodnight, moon.  i am off to la la land again.  its my favorite place in the whole wide world. 

saw that movie

Submitted by Bridget Algiere on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 19:43.
I thought of that movie too, he would edit their thoughts to make the final story of their lives for posterity, and he was able to see everything they did, many horrible things...

"The only thing constant in life is change" -François de la Rochefoucauld

Sounds familiar...

Submitted by FractalTetractys on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 19:59.
Paprika, anyone? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0851578/

"All things are possible once enough human beings realize that everything is at stake." -Norman Cousins

Brain Waves

Submitted by Yem36313 on Thu, 01/15/2009 - 16:03.

This technology is nothing short of astounding. It always amazes me the things that we do, and the ways in which our society perverts and exploits these things.

 I guess I am just not really sure about the beneficial use of these machines. I would practically suppose that this could be used for mental health purposes, especially in the cases of those who are suffering from severe mental disorders.

 My question would be that if they can measure the images of those who are asleep and convert those thoughts (dreams) into pictures, then can they do this for those who are awake? Say, for instance, those with schizophrenic minds? That would be helpful!

reality sandwich when you hittin basic cable?

Submitted by sonofman on Sun, 01/18/2009 - 07:50.

the benefit might be mental thriving buzzing blooming.  the world, our lives, could be more magical.  and everyone loves disneyland and harry potter..

the benefit might be that this could raise consciousness for many.  the benefit is this is psychoanalysis 2.0 or 9.0 or wherever we're at now.  and everyone could use some next level psychoanalysis.  the benefit is that we all want to remember dreams better and technology will allow us to someday.

the downside is what happens when there aren't any secrets?  the downside is people are gonna dieeeee.  oh well thats life.  isn't it strrrrrange?  chrip

UNTIL THE END

Submitted by PHAEDRES on Fri, 01/16/2009 - 14:56.
If every commentator here would just see the movie mentioned above by "Ecolocal", the discussion might move to a higher level. Wenders details how humans would become obsessive about technology such as this and addiction would soon result. It's not other peoples dreams that would intrigue a person, but their own. Narcissistic-narcotic-Pyschotherapy... "Sehr deutsch ". The details of this Mapping Dreams device remain unclear. Neural brain activity on a graph is a long way from a photographic image of an actual dream. Even further than that would be a movie/story which could entertain (entrainment?) If it turns out that dreams are shaped by current conditions and events in ones daily life then the whole thing is a mute point anyway. We know that memories are not reliable so dreams based on them are what?

Your nothing but a collection of memories.

Submitted by PHAEDRES on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 00:20.
There are a hundred articles I could refer you to including the latest special issue of Discover magazine on the human brain. It's pretty much accepted in the scientific world.If two people see the same accident they describe it differently ten minutes later.I refer you to any of J.D. Krishnamurti's works.You obviously do not believe your own dreams are memory based.What do you think your dreams are invented from,quantum soup?

science is limited

Submitted by Bridget Algiere on Mon, 01/26/2009 - 11:54.

Seeing as dreaming is such a subjective experience, i don't feel the scientific method can cover the gamut of dreamtime. of course there are some dreams i've had that include obvious ref's to my waking life, but i've had just as many that dont. for instance, dreaming that my baby is hooked up to all kindsa IVs and tubes in a hospital and 2 weeks later it's true. or how about the one where i'm sought after by a spirit husband "blolo bian"? too many of my own dreams don't include memories or parts thereof.

 

"The only thing constant in life is change" -François de la Rochefoucauld

Unreliable memories?

Submitted by Bridget Algiere on Fri, 01/16/2009 - 19:44.
Tell me how we "know" that memories are unreliable! Also, how are dreams based on memories the only kind of dreams we dream?

"The only thing constant in life is change" -François de la Rochefoucauld

get your apocalypse here!!!

Submitted by sonofman on Sun, 01/18/2009 - 07:26.

HD dreams baby! bring it. time to wake up and play babies! understand the unconscious like never before. time to swim in the oddworld. everyone trippin on our dreamy lives. figuring the thang out, uhhuh. chrrrrrippp.

 

 we wants to remember! we gotsta remember. we got no choice, remember?

 

hey, you, this is my cloud. but you can sit here if you let me borrow two lightnings.

 

just a vague outline of our dreams would be a huge help in remembering and tapping them. what happens when we can watchthe forbidden dreams lost to the dark? the stuff in the heavy sleep when we are truly blissing/freaking out. what the f is down there? pandora's box is being opened ever so slowwwwwwwwly.. but hold on to your butt cheeks now, the sounds.. they grow.

 

maaan the kids would diiig this shit. they would share their dreams no problem. scaredy people might not. wounded male geeks might not. maybe until they saw everyone else changing too fast. the kids would go bonobo for this. they dgaf man. theyd become infinite giggle pools watching they're increasingly silly dreams. and i would swim in them in an infinite heartbeat. theyd freak each other out on scary ass dreams and raise their freak tolerance and scary ass tolerance. our tolerance tolerance would be through the mother floppin roof. everythings gonna go through the mother fappin roof shizz gonn be off the chain.

 

 i've had dreams scarier than any movie i ever saw. it would take everything to a higher level. tolerance of happiness, fear, hate, hunger, color, exhilaration, ecstasy, whatever.. everything at the same time. and then comes the light

 

(im not allowed to curse on here, right? cant we just curse, it doesn't really matterrrrr its not a big deeeeeal, but yeah i know.. oh well thats ok.. like i said, itdoesn't really matter)

 

man life is weird huh? and getting weirder, huh? are y'all getting weirder, or is it just me?

Dreams Soul Flight

Submitted by SoulTraveller on Sat, 01/24/2009 - 22:14.
My Dreams would surely make for good films as they tend to be rather vivid...this makes me think of the films "Brainstorm" and "Strange Days"...and how incredible it would be to tap into the dream realm in HD...that is years away, could be fascinating! Photobucket visit Myztico's Visionary Psychedelic Surrealism Gallery at:      www.myztico.mosaicglobe.com 

Dream Recording

Submitted by ejw1951 on Sun, 03/08/2009 - 14:32.
I began working with dream recall in June of 1975 and to date have 15,700+ dreams written in a multitude of notebooks. I'm now in the process of scanning the notebooks so that I can maintain an easier to handle storage system. And because some of the 3500 pages have started to show their age. As a long time dreamer, I always wanted some sort of dream VCR to catch the ones that got away. Knowing that some dreams are precognitive and others are just plain fun, I think that it would be a great boon to any dreamer to keep recordings of their dream content. My only fear is that the device would make us lazy and keep us from doing things the old fashioned way. Not to mention it would probably put Shamans out of business.