Imagine this: a form of artificial intelligence like ChatGPT capable of recognizing the images in a sleeping person’s mind. While OpenAI focuses on the input and output of text, in this case, we’re talking about an ultra-precise neural network that decodes images from the brain. The machine receives frames from your dreams and then learns and determines the specific sequence of brain states needed to activate the prefrontal cortex, allowing for lucid dreaming (LD). Externally, it is extremely simple: you simply wear a small headband that uses ultrasound to switch the brain to generate the waves necessary for LD.
Is this a utopian vision of a distant future? Well, the authors of this idea, Eric Wollberg and Wesley Berry, promise that we will see a semi-working prototype this November, and full-scale trials will take place within a year. By spring 2025, anyone will be able to purchase the device. However, as CNBC reports, the inventors are still far from fulfilling their promises. Nevertheless, they have inspired the scientific community and investors with their ideas—they have already been provided with over a million dollars, and the prototype will be created by a company that has developed equipment for Elon Musk.
Wollberg had his first lucid dream at the age of 12. Although he no longer remembers the details of the plot, he considers it the most profound experience of his life. In his college years, he began practicing LD regularly and set a goal to use LD to explore human consciousness. Meanwhile, Berry has worked with neurotechnologies and artificial intelligence. When Berry and Wollberg met in March, they became the CEO and CTO of the ambitious startup Prophetic.
According to Berry, he initially dismissed the possibility of the technology: how could one induce dreams, let alone lucid ones? However, he later realized that people are constantly experiencing dreams. They don’t need to be induced; it’s just a matter of activating the prefrontal cortex, and the brain will shift into a state of consciousness. As Wollberg posted on his social media: “Prometheus stole fire from the gods, we will steal dreams from the prophets.”
What do you make of such prospects?
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