Dreams could be soon watched on computer screens

**ExoByte** · 12-11-2008 08:41 PM

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...ch-screen.html

Have you been dreaming of a white Christmas? Scientists may soon be able to show your winter scene on a computer screen once you've drifted into a peaceful slumber.

A Japanese research team has successfully processed and displayed images directly from the human brain, they said in a study to be published in the US magazine Neuron.

While the researchers at the ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories have only reproduced simple images from the brain, they said the technology could eventually be used to display dreams.

A spokesman for the Kyoto-based company said it was the first time that it had ever been possible to visualise what people saw directly from their brain activity, a spokesman said.

'By applying this technology, it may become possible to record and replay subjective images that people perceive like dreams,' they added.

When people look at an object, the eye's retina recognises an image that is converted into electrical signals which go into the brain's visual cortex.
The team, led by chief researcher Yukiyasu Kamitani, succeeded in catching the signals and then reconstructing what people saw.

Firstly they studied people's individual brain patterns by showing them some 400 different still images. They then showed volunteers the six letters in the word 'neuron' and succeeded in reconstructing the letters on a computer screen by measuring their brain activity.

Scientists hope eventually this software could be used to map complex dreams.

Dreaming is associated with rapid eye movement sleep although the biological purpose is still not understood. The most common recorded emotion experienced in dreams is anxiety.

More links, from duplicate threads by other members that were merged into this one:
http://www.mediafire.com/?gmlefuzunng
http://www.physorg.com/news148193433.html
http://gizmodo.com/5107377/new-techn...eams-on-screen
-Shift

**Hukif** · 12-11-2008 08:54 PM

yay! That sounds so cool, now to wait for the device to be complete, then public... then to arrive here, and then to get a better comp that can actually record a movie withouth extreme lag <.<

**John11** · 12-11-2008 09:01 PM

I never knew we were anywhere near being able to do something like this. This is extremely exciting news. It has always been my dream to have a machine that could record dreams.

**Pegasis** · 12-11-2008 09:08 PM

I have thought about this tecnology myself and wonder would I get it.

**Barbizzle** · 12-11-2008 09:27 PM

If this ever comes true, Lucid Dreamer will be the movers and the money makers of Hollywood. Everyone would rather hire a Lucid Dreamer then a Special effect artist

**magical mike** · 12-11-2008 09:56 PM

I had a dream one of my friends was telling me he had a lucid dream, and I asked him "Really what did you do?" then he said "Ill show you! I recorded it"

weird eh?

**Hukif** · 12-11-2008 11:17 PM

Originally Posted by Barbizzle

If this ever comes true, Lucid Dreamer will be the movers and the money makers of Hollywood. Everyone would rather hire a Lucid Dreamer then a Special effect artist

Actually, wouldn't that make any company with a good lucid dreamer as good as hollywood lol.
I wonder if the same would work for cartoons <.<

**Robot_Butler** · 12-11-2008 11:27 PM

Why bother with the monitor? Wouldn't it be easier to redirect the signals to another person's brain? How cool would that be!! Shared dreaming here we come!

DC Mini anyone?

**Barbizzle** · 12-11-2008 11:30 PM

Paprika

Oh god, that would be scary on second thought.

**slayer** · 12-11-2008 11:33 PM

That would be awesome to have a Paprika dream!

**rvdork** · 12-11-2008 11:43 PM

I saw a documentary on TV about a month ago, it actually involved lucid dreams, it was called, The Human Body: Pushing the Limits and it had this lady, who lost her sight, but doctors drilled holes in her head and gave her some sight back. It wasn't very much but it was a big leap. They said one day we would get video games "zapped" directly into our heads!
~rvdork

**iank** · 12-11-2008 11:48 PM

On the one hand, this could be incredibly cool.

On the other hand, we're talking potential for some serious invasion of privacy once governments and "law makers" get hold of it. I can just imagine the "thought police" creating laws for punishing us for what we dream about.

**Mortalis** · 12-11-2008 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by Robot_Butler

Why bother with the monitor? Wouldn't it be easier to redirect the signals to another person's brain? How cool would that be!! Shared dreaming here we come!

DC Mini anyone?

This could be awesome, but also embarrassing. What if you lost lucidity or control and suddenly you are broadcasting your innermost thoughts to another person. Eek!

**Brandon Heat** · 12-12-2008 03:07 AM

OMG this is a dream come drue. Having all of your dreams recorded to a device for your viewing pleasure.... F R E A K I N G A W E S O M E.

**hypnotoad1579** · 12-12-2008 03:21 AM

Whoopee, another step towards loosing mental privacy! Damn I hate science sometimes.

**dearly** · 12-12-2008 03:33 AM

Here's the technical breakdown if anyone's interested:

http://www.mediafire.com/?gmlefuzunng

**Brandon Heat** · 12-12-2008 04:02 AM

Originally Posted by hypnotoad1579

Whoopee, another step towards loosing mental privacy! Damn I hate science sometimes.

Quite the contrary this simply means we know have the means to reproduce dream sequences, imagery, etc. For those who would be interested. Most likely you would have to actually go to a scientist to have this done.

But seriously this is quite a breakthrough in the field of science.

**Eagle** · 12-12-2008 05:46 AM

I'm confused as to how this destroys mental privacy. I mean, you're not being forced to hook up your brain to the monitor. Just do it when you feel like it. Or better yet, record every dream you have (great for those who have very bad dream recall) and just not show people the embarrassing ones.

By the way, dreams could be a substitute for porn once we can start recording them... >>;

But I think this is awesome. This is one step closer to true virtual reality!

**Paradox-db3** · 12-12-2008 05:47 AM

I find this whole "dream screen" a bit off. After all, it's our brains which are interpretting the signals and turning them into images. In order to actually record a dream so that someone could watch it, the computer, which picks up brain wave activity or dream activity if you will, would have to interpret the signals the same way the individual's brain does. And I'm no brain sergeon (or even spelling sergeon for that matter!) but I would think that your "mind's eye" interprets certain signals differently than mine does. Therefore, a computer would have to generate its own images, which may look nothing like the dream.

**MistowBubbows** · 12-12-2008 06:19 AM

Strange stuff man.......

I'm definitely not hookin my head up to that new-fangled nonsense! Hahahahaha.

Seriously though. That is pretty awesome.

**Mes Tarrant** · 12-12-2008 06:20 AM

Wow wow WOW!

Well now that I've read the general explanation, it's not as out-there as I would have thought. Ohhh I love Japan today. I should visit.

Imagine instead of keeping a dream journal on paper or typing one up, it'd all be on video. Ohhhh wow.