Lucid Dreamer is an ingenious device programmed to detect REM sleep, the time when people dream more vividly, and emit low electrical impulses to help you realize that you are dreaming, allowing you to take control of your dreams and go on lucid adventures.
Lucid dreams are dreams in which you realize that you are dreaming, but while 20% of the population experience lucid dreams every month, these are usually happen accidentally. However, recent research has shown that a specific brain activity, known as “gamma activity” is associated with lucid dreaming, and that gama activity can be enhanced with the use of Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS), a form of mild electrical stimulation of the brain. During a study in which tACS was used to enhance gamma activity during REM sleep, lucidity was achieved in 77% of dreams.
Based on these scientific findings, Dutch company Neuromodulation Technologies B.V. has come up with a device that can let you know when you are dreaming and help you take control of your dreams. While research into lucid dreaming is still in its infancy, the creators of Lucid Dreamer claim that they have tested the device within their team and have achieved moderate success. After having their brain stimulated two times per night, for seven nights, “three out of five participants became lucid the first night, one participant became lucid on the second night and one participant on the third.” The number of nights with at least one lucid dream varied between participants – the maximum was five nights out of seven (one participant), and the minimum was two nights out of seven (one participant). It wasn’t a prefect result, but it was definitely better than the average of one time per month.
The Lucid Dreamer is currently being crowdfunded through Kickstarter, and has so far raised €51,613 out of its €100,000 goal, with 47 days left to go. For a pledge of €297 ($330), you get the Lucid Dreamer Essential, that offers stimulation at two set frequencies for a set period of time. For €417 ($465), you will receive the Pro version of the device, which lets you experiment with more current frequencies and set the duration of the stimulation. Finally, for at least €497 ($555) you get the Lucid Dreamer Connect, which comes with an experimental feature that may let you share a lucid dream with another nearby device user. Neuromodulation Technologies B.V. emphasizes that shared lucid dreaming is currently only a theory, and cannot guarantee it will actually happen. But if it doesm you can be one of the first to experience it.
While the makers of the Lucid Dreamer admit that there are currently other ways of achieving lucid dreams, they add that they are other ineffective compared to their device, or take months, ever years of practice to master.
