The Insiders Intrinsic technology – looking for Lucidity ?
For a long time biofeedback ( particularly measuring the brain ) has totally fascinated me. In this project this is particularly intrinsic for my research, recordings and for assisting me with a deeper learning about the changes in brainwaves and consciousness during sleep, especially around the Rapid Eye Movement stage. I’ve been using brainwave biofeedback, measuring EEG in various conscious and altered states for over 15 years. I began with a simple 70’s electronics enthusiasts’ magazine device I built whilst studying a degree in Interactive Art in Newport Wales ( led by Roy Ascott, and inspired with hands-on experiments in the sound / electonics lab by Pete Appleton ). It was a simple Alpha EEG device eg ‘tone ON, or tone OFF’, annoying and cute. After much primitive web searching – this was in the ancient times before there were fancy web browsers with rich media content, I found a company making the type of device I craved, called the ‘IBVA” in Japan…. It’s a long story but by 2004 I found my interest had also become my business, and I was selling it internationally to Apple Mac advocates – artists, musicians and universities. Ive also tried some other systems of course, pc based ones, the EEG trainer, MindMirror, ThoughtStream, Pocket Neurobic are some.
Lucid Dreaming technology toolkit :
1. The pen and paper, or dream journal and quill pen, or LED pen for secret nocturnal scribbles.
Ok not a modern technology, but essential equipment for anyone prepared to put in the time and effort with recall, memory, planning ahead, dream journalling, and the mental techniques described elsewhere.
2. The NovaDreamer
During the LD course in Hawaii we were offered the NovaDreamer to assist with out training, we had over 7 nights to adjust to it, and calibrate for our differing sensitivities in sleep. We could also download by USB our cues and REM activity from the night to pc for quantative analysis and evaluation with (any) dreams or LD encounters to go with our dream journals.
It is a type of biofeedback detecting REM eye movements from inside a soft sleep mask, then it gives you a cue (flashing lights or sounds) to remind you to recognise you are dreaming. Cues enter your dream, becoming incorporated just as an alarm or radio will sometimes work its way into a dream.
I would continue to persevere with this device if commercially available ( maybe later in 2008 a new generation of this tech will retail from The Lucidity Institute )
In the meantime this custom Kvasar system looks good, with similar sensitivity, here are the plans to build it :
Kvasar dreammask
