An experiment conducted last September 24th by the Californian startup REMspace would have led to first communication between human beings occurred during a lucid dream (i.e. a dream in which you are aware of being asleep). Two individuals, monitored remotely while sleeping in different homes, were able to exchange a simple message using a advanced technology that detects and sends signals while you sleep: the company has not disclosed the details of the system, which certainly includes specific sensors and earphones. This extraordinary result represents a big step forward in the field of neurotechnologyopening up new possibilities for human communication and interaction within dreams.
The centerpiece of the experiment was a system capable of detecting when participants entered the REM phase (Rapid Eye Movement“rapid eye movement”), or that phase of sleep characterized by intense dreams. Once the system had identified the lucid dream state, it sent a randomly generated word to one of the two participants, who repeated it in the dream. This response was recorded and sent to the second participant, who had to confirm the message when he woke up to demonstrate the success of the experiment. Apparently that’s exactly what happened.
How “dream communication” happened: the details of the REMspace experiment
The lucid dreamin which a person is aware that they are dreaming and can (with a little practice) control their dreams, represents one of the most fascinating areas of sleep research. During the REM phase, this technology made it possible to overcome the traditional limit of dream communicationa field that until a few years ago seemed pure science fiction.
REMspace, the startup that ran and spread some details of the experimentdeveloped a system that combines advanced sensors and a language called Remmyodesigned to be understood by devices via facial electromyographya specific instrumental test that measures muscle signals. Although it did not reveal the exact technology used, the company stated that it used «specially designed equipment» and, remaining rather vague, confirmed the use of a server, an unspecified device, sensors sensitive to brain waves and Wi-Fi technology.
The conduct of the experiment, also summarized in the video published by REMspace which you find below, was conducted by having the participants sleep in separate environments, each in their own home. While they rested, theirs brain waves And other polysomnographic data they were tracked remotely taking advantage of the apparatus developed ad hoc by REMspace. The moment the server detected that one of the two participants in the experiment had entered a lucid dream, he generated a random word and he has it sent via earphones. The latter then repeated the word in his dream and his response was captured and stored by the server. Eight minutes later, the other participant also entered a lucid dream and, having received the message “sent” by the first participant, repeated its contents upon awakening. The experiment was then repeated with two other people, who would also be able to communicate via the system created by REMspace.
Next goal: communicate in real time in lucid dreams
The experiment is the result of approximately five years of research and development. After putting two human beings in communication for the first time in history during the sleep state, what will be the next goal of REMspace? Allow to communicate in real time in lucid dreams. This is an even more ambitious and complex objective which, however, REMspace is confident of achieving in just a few months.
Michael Radugafounder and CEO of REMspace, in expressing his vision of the future commented:
Yesterday, communicating in dreams seemed like science fiction. Tomorrow, it will be so common that we will not be able to imagine our lives without this technology. This opens the door to countless commercial applications, reshaping the way we think about communication and interaction in the dream world. That’s why we believe REM sleep and related phenomena, such as lucid dreaming, will become the next big industry after artificial intelligence.