Lucid dreams are defined as the experience of knowing you are dreaming while you are asleep, and can range from the sublime to the genuinely terrifying. According to the CEO of new startup, its latest project aims to"detect when dreamers are in REM to induce and stabilize lucid dreams" via a wearable device they call"The Halo". And if that doesn't sound like a cyberpunk future developing in front of our very eyes, I'm not sure what does.
Wollberg and Berry are quick to tout the supposed benefits of lucid dreaming, from helping with PTSD all the way through to inducing an experience that sounds remarkably close to gaming."You can fly, you can make a building rise out of the ground, you can talk to dream characters, and you can explore". Blimey., albeit with dubious effectiveness.
Regardless, the implications here are massive, and while it's fun to think about the potential game-like experiences that something like The Halo could create, there are obvious ethical and moral concerns at play here.
Now working as a hardware writer for PC Gamer, Andy can be found quietly muttering to himself and drawing diagrams with his hands in thin air. It's best to leave him to it.