Today in crazy cool: You can use this headband to control your dreams

No, we’re surprisingly not dreaming. Electronics company Luciding is currently developing a headband that will allow us to have control over our dreams. In other words: We can finally go on a pizza date with Tom Hiddleston, casually ride horses into the sunset with Tom Hiddleston, and have Tom Hiddleston impersonate all our fave celebs while we’re vacationing on the beaches of Spain.

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Imagine that you can feel in a dream like you feel in your daily life, but better,” Luciding’s COO Maryna Vermishian told Good. “You can travel, you can fly, you can do anything.” (Like date Mr. Hiddleston?)

Essentially, the LucidCatcher taps into the power of lucid dreaming, which allows a dreamer to be aware of the fact that they’re dreaming. They can then have influence over the plot of their dreams. To make this process easier for those who have trouble tapping into this talent, companies like Luciding are creating wearable tech that uses  transcranial electrical stimulation to help users lucid dream during REM sleep.

This is how it works: You put on the LucidCatcher headband, use the app to make sure the electrodes are placed correctly, and go to sleep. While you’re in REM sleep, the headband will push transcranial alternating current stimulation (influences the brain’s rhythm and currents) to the brain’s prefrontal cortex. This will then allow the user to know they’re dreaming so they start playing around with what’s happening.

If you’re skeptical, you’re not the only one. Harvard professor and psychiatrist Allan Hobson asserted, “People are right to want to be lucid, but if they think that a gadget is going to help them, and they don’t try pre-sleep autosuggestion first, or they’re over 40, good luck with a gadget. They’re just wasting their money.” Lucid dreaming expert Robert Waggoner reaffirmed Hobson’s opinion, stating, “When it comes to technology, and especially new technology, I think everyone needs to be cautious.

In the face of criticism, Vermishian retorted that LucidCatcher is designed for skeptics. “Of course people can do it themselves. No one is forcing them to buy anything,” she stated, adding that the device can be a helpful shortcut for those who don’t want to spend time honing their lucidity skills. To help with this, even airlines and hotels have signed up to buy the headband for their guests.

Now, the only question is: Will this lead to a dystopian society filled with people who are addicted to lucid dreaming? “People seem to forget we are talking about dreaming here; a process that happens naturally,” replied Vermishian. “I think there are plenty of ways already for people who want to ignore life to do so, that are much easier to accomplish. Lucid dreaming takes effort.

Not only does lucid dreaming require effort, it will also require funds if you plan to use the LucidCatcher for assistance. Though there’s no official price yet, the company estimates that it will cost hundreds of dollars. Alternatively, they will also be offering subscription packages that will cause the headband to stop working when time and money runs out.

Lucid dreaming or not – we still hope that you all have sweet dreams.

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