California startup REMspace has claimed that they conducted a successful experiment where two individuals communicated in their dreams on Sept 24. They claimed successful inter-dream communication using specialized technology.
Reportedly, both the participants were experienced lucid dreamers. They are conscious of what they are doing during a dream.
What is lucid dreaming?
Lucid dreaming is a phenomenon where a person becomes aware that they are dreaming while still in the dream state. In a lucid dream, the dreamer can often control aspects of the dream, such as the environment, characters, and storyline. It makes the experience more vivid and conscious than normal dreams.
Lucid dreaming has intrigued scientists, psychologists, and dream enthusiasts. It offers insight into the nature of consciousness and the subconscious mind. Some people use lucid dreaming for problem-solving, creativity, or even overcoming nightmares.
Lucid dreaming typically occurs during REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement). It is a stage of sleep where vivid dreaming is most common. REM sleep is one of the five stages of the sleep cycle and is characterized by rapid movement of the eyes, increased brain activity, and temporary paralysis of most voluntary muscles.
The experiment
According to Daily Mail. Before drifting off, the participants were connected to specialized equipment that monitored their brain activity and sleep patterns in real-time. This data was transmitted to a central system that tracked their dream states as they occurred.
Once the first participant entered a lucid dream, the system detected this change in brain activity and transmitted a random word in a specially created language called “Remmyo.” The word, “Zhilak,” was delivered to the dreamer through earbuds while they remained asleep. In the dream, the participant heard the word and repeated it out loud, with sensors capturing and sending the spoken word back to the system.
Shortly afterwards, the second participant also reached a lucid dream state. The system identified the brain activity linked to this state and sent the same word, “Zhilak,” to her through earbuds. She too heard the word in her dream and repeated it aloud. Upon waking, she confirmed that the word she heard in her dream was indeed “Zhilak,” marking the first successful communication between two people in their dream states.
“Yesterday, communicating in dreams seemed like science fiction. Tomorrow, it will be so common we won’t be able to imagine our lives without this technology,” REMspace CEO and founder Michael Raduga reportedly said. “This opens the door to countless commercial applications, reshaping how we think about communication and interaction in the dream world.”
Once this technology is approved, it could be helpful in sleep research, mental health treatment, and skills training.