Electronic Recording and Interpretation of Dreams

An American researcher said that the dream recording process is "possible" as scientists are able to develop a device capable of recording a higher level of brain activity. He is currently planning to record and interpret dreams electronically.

In a new study published in the specialized scientific journal Nature, Dr. Moran Serve, the scientist who oversees the project, said: "We would like to read people's dreams".

The American researcher added that the goal of the project is not to intrude and disturb, but to spread our understanding of how humans dream and why dreams happen.

The new study draws attention to the fact that humans remained enchanted through the ages and centuries by dreams and what they meant, as the ancient Egyptians believed that they were "messages from God".

Dream Analysis:

Dream analysis science has recently been used by psychologists as a tool to understand the subconscious mind, or the mind when it is in a state of unconsciousness. However, the only way for humans to interpret their dreams is to ask other people about the subject of those dreams after they wake up from their sleep.

Dr. Serve said that the ultimate goal of his project is to develop a system that enables psychologists to establish the relationship between what people remember about their dreams and the electronic perception of their brain activity.

He added: "There is no clear answer to the question of why do people dream? And one of the questions we want to answer is when are we going to make this dream come true? ”

Dr. Serve based his claims about his ability to record and interpret dreams on an initial study suggesting that an individual's brain cell activity or nerve activity is related to specific objects and concepts.

Thinking about Marilyn Monroe:

For example, during the field study by his team, Dr. Seart found that when a volunteer thinks of Marilyn Monroe, a specific nerve alerts and flashes a light on the screen.

During the study, the team of researchers showed the group of volunteers a series of images, and Dr. Serve and his colleagues were able to identify the nerves associated with a wide range of things and concepts.

These were later used by researchers to build an information base for every volunteer, and the list included photos of former U.S.President Bill Clinton and his wife, current U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, other celebrities, and landmarks like the Eiffel Tower.

Nerve monitoring:

When observing which nerves are lit up on the screen and when, Dr. Serve saw that he could effectively read what each volunteer had in mind.

Dr. Serve acknowledges that there is still a long way to go before this simple result is translated into reality through the invention of a device that records dreams, or a kind of “dream catcher”.

As for the next step, Dr. Serve says it will be to monitor the brain activity of the volunteers during sleep. 

Images and Concepts:

Researchers will then be able to identify images and concepts associated with those stored in their database, which could theoretically be constructed, for example, by observing a volunteer's neural activity while watching a movie.

For his part, Dr. Rodrigue Honor, a clinical psychologist and dream expert, expressed the belief that such a limited conception of dreams could become a source of real interest for academics.

Nonetheless, he said that he would not actually help interpret dreams, nor would it be used as a means of treatment, adding, “In order to achieve this, we need the full and complex narration of the dream.”

Electrodes:

Another difficulty encountered by researchers was the type of technique that had to be followed to obtain the required degree of accuracy to monitor people's nerves.

Researchers were forced to implant small electrical devices, electrodes in deep areas of the brains of patients volunteering through complex surgery.

In the study published in the journal Nature, researchers said that they reached new results only by studying the cases of volunteer patients to whom these electrical devices were originally implanted in their brains for the purpose of monitoring and treating them from strokes.

But Dr. Serve believes that technology is developing too quickly that may ultimately enable professionals to monitor brain activity in a way that avoids complex surgical work.

If that were to happen, it might open the door wide to many possibilities that could be applied in the future. 

Minds reading:

He added: "It would be nice to read what is going on in the minds of people who cannot be contacted in the first place, such as those who are lying in a coma.”

Attempts have been made before to create brain monitoring machines or screens before moving on to translating people's thoughts into instructions to control computers or machines.

However, the new system that Dr. Serve is talking about can monitor areas at higher levels of the brain; therefore, it can identify abstract concepts within it, unlike previous attempts that have been monitoring what is happening in specific areas of the brain to control the movement of some of its sections.

Imagination navigating:

On this, Dr. Serf said, “We can navigate our fantasies and think of all the things we can do if we can get into people's brains and basically film their thoughts.”

He concluded by saying, “For example, instead of having to write an email, you just have to think about it. Or there will be another application in the future, which is to think of a stream of information and see it directly written in front of your eyes.”

Professor Colin Blakemore, a neuroscientist at Oxford University in the United Kingdom, said he believed that "The new study marks a real leap from the stage of researchers' limited findings to talking about dream recording.”