Embarking on Innovative Sleep and Dream Projects
Interactive dreaming
How can individuals in the realm of sleep and dreams consciously interact with reality, seamlessly exchanging messages without waking up? Past demonstrations have proven the feasibility of limited communication (see our open access proof-of-concept study in Current Biology, wikipedia entry, detailed interview), but our aim is to enhance this method. The Sweyepe method, detailed below, presents an opportunity to exchange words, sentences, or even 2D patterns between dreamers and reality. Our long-term vision includes real-world applications such as learning during sleep, dream entertainment, therapeutic uses, and artistic expressions.
Sweyepe 2D eye movement reconstruction
The sweyepe method focuses on high-speed messaging during interactive dreaming through 2D eye movements. An algorithm capable of reconstructing shapes scanned by the dreamer's eyes holds promise for applications like creating art from dreams. The next step involves training a machine learning classifier to translate real-time 2D EOG recording data back into eye movement patterns or words. Sweyepe aims to be a versatile tool for various purposes during interactive dreaming sessions. Check out our whitepaper on the topic!
Sleep lab at home 2.0
Traditionally, sleep laboratory equipment is costly but vital for advanced sleep experiments. Our project aims to develop affordable, high-quality devices for home users, building on tools like the Traumschreiber hightech sleep mask. The upcoming phase involves testing and enhancing the new Traumschreiber version 3.1 for advanced sleep experiments at home. Our ultimate goal is to make all institute-developed technologies accessible to home users through user-friendly and economical tools.
Dream incubation research
Dream incubation explores influencing dream content externally, guiding dreams toward specific topics or emotional tones. The next steps involve gaining a comprehensive overview of existing methods and testing them through self-experiments. The ultimate goal is to establish methods for dreaming about specific topics or inducing predefined stories into dreams.
Idea Collection for the Future
In this project, we collect ideas about futuristic sleep and dream technologies from various sources, including Sci-Fi literature, movies, and online forums. Our next steps include creating a structured collection of these ideas, expanding it further, and maintaining an up-to-date list for discussion of their ethical implications. We aim to bring these ideas to life eventually.
Technology Tree Development
Understanding the dependencies between existing and future sleep and dream technologies is crucial. The ongoing project involves continuing the development of a technology tree, akin to those seen in video games, to illustrate the relationships between different tools and methods. Our goal is to have a comprehensive technology tree for sleep and dream technologies.
Long-term SSILD Exploration
This project focuses on understanding the lucid dreaming induction technique known as SSILD (also see this study about SSILD) through detailed and long-term self-experiments. Practicing SSILD and maintaining a structured diary of attempts are the immediate steps. Our objective is to gain a nuanced understanding of the method and share this knowledge with others.
Lucid dreaming hidden factors
Numerous techniques exist for inducing lucid dreams, but their effectiveness varies widely. This project aims to identify overlooked success factors by researching known influences and expanding the list through interviews with researchers and practitioners. The goal is to compile a list of potential induction success factors and create a standardized procedure for measuring them in future studies.
Ethics of sleep and dream technologies
New technologies in sleep and dream domains bring opportunities and challenges - see the op-ed letter on dream advertising that we signed, for example. This project delves into the ethical implications of our work, aiming to establish a monitoring system for risks connected to new sleep and dream technologies. Our long-term goal is to navigate these risks and find ways to mitigate them, ensuring responsible development and usage.
