For decades, scientists have attempted to harness the unconscious as a means to transcend reality. Some people experiment with mind-altering drugs such as cannabis or hallucinogens, while others turn to methods such as transcendental meditation, hypnosis, and hypnosis. Anyone who has tripped their brain with acid will tell you it’s a completely different experience than, say, floating gently in a floating aquarium, but the altered state they’re trying to unlock. The types are almost the same. The mind helps us unlock our unconscious, and in doing so helps us reframe our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
In January, I started researching lucid dreaming as a way to unlock the subconscious mind after reading about: Development of new equipment This allows users to control their dreams using AI. The idea that we might soon be able to hack our dreams felt like the stuff of science fiction, but given the rapid development of AI in recent months, it’s an entirely unthinkable possibility. Not. Prophetic AI’s Halo has not yet been successfully commercialized, and other companies are trying to induce lucidity through apps and devices that track REM sleep, but these too have no guarantees. Then, last month, I received an email saying that a hotel in London had announced the world’s first AI lucid dreaming experience. Naturally, I had to try it.
of Kimpton Fitzroy London‘s “Room to Dream” experience includes the use of a VR headset and other meditation and relaxation techniques, such as a calming tea mixed with mugwort tonic (an herb known to increase your chances of lucidity). Through a combination of techniques, we promise our guests will be able to activate their lucid dreams. (I’m dreaming) and lavender spray on my pillow before bed. ““So much of lucid dreaming relies on set and setting, so when you combine VR with a cup of tea and a dream journal, all of it helps prepare your mind for a lucid state.” says dream expert Charlie Morley. “This technique is designed to prepare the mind for lucidity by consciously inducing a hypnotic state. Most lucid dreaming techniques rely on the ability to consciously enter a hypnotic state. Therefore, VR experiences can help teach this.”
Put on your VR headset and take some time to relax in bed while listening to a Siri-like voice guide you into meditation. It says, “Welcome to the factory of dreams.” The idea is that millions of AI-blurred abstract shapes will float across the screen like a cloud, inducing a feeling of weightlessness in the user. I follow the instructions and take a deep breath, sinking deeper into the cushions and letting my mind drift absentmindedly into a calm, semi-dreamlike state. “You are now in a hypnotic state,” it continues.
The experience is only five minutes long, relatively short given the limitlessness of the dream world, and takes a hybrid approach to lucid dreaming, integrating elements of guided meditation with the gentle combination of visual and audio stimulation of a virtual reality experience. doing. To be completely clear, I do not experience lucid dreams that night, although the dreams I experience are particularly vivid. But what struck me most about this experience is how much wellness professionals are tapping into the sleep market. Sleep tourism is rapidly becoming popular. One of the biggest trends in tourismcompanies offer everything from sleeping pills to weighted blankets to dream technology that increases your chances of a comfortable night’s rest.
Given how digitally mediated our lives are, it’s no surprise that companies are turning to emerging technologies like AI and VR to induce a smoother dream state, but… Part of the reason we have trouble sleeping is because of screen time. Interest in lucid dreaming, or sleep more generally, also comes at a time when the digital world is becoming increasingly volatile and more people want to use technology to track their health. It’s no coincidence that we’re at our peak. Think of what digital wearables like the Oura ring can do. Users can also track their sleep through the app and follow trends like the sleepy girl mocktail that went viral on TikTok. “Sleep is getting cooler,” Morley says. “Gone are the days of ‘go to bed when you’re dead.’ People want to live their lives to the fullest, and to do that they need proper sleep.”
