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Sweet Dreams Are Made By This

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the dreaming-my-dreams-with-you dept.

schnoz writes "From Takara, the folks who brought you Bow-Lingual the dog translator, comes the Dream Workshop. Before going to sleep, all you have to do is stare at a photograph of what you want to dream of (Natalie Portman maybe) and record the dream plot. When you fall asleep, this gadget waits for REM and then uses your voice recording, lights, music and aroma to help direct your dream."

25 of 438 comments (clear)

  1. dreaming by mjc_w · · Score: 5, Interesting

    How bout if I change someone's dream input?

    Hacking dreams???

    --
    This is the Constitution.This is the Constitution under the Bush administration. Any questions?
    1. Re:dreaming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Increased strength, close combat, martial arts? That's not right!?

      What did I get?

      Advanced knitting.

      -- Demolition Man

    2. Re:dreaming by idiotnot · · Score: 5, Funny

      Isn't that what the cockroach, Milquetoast, in Outland was supposed to be doing by whispering into people's (well, if you consider Bill the Cat a person) ears at night?

      As for me, I normally change my dream input by consuming Tequila before bedtime. It rarely disappoints. :-D

    3. Re:dreaming by marvin2k · · Score: 5, Funny

      Sneak up on your victim and keep the plot but replace Natalie Portman with Ron Jeremy. 8P

  2. Sounds Tempting! by MissMarvel · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Hey, this thing might work! Back in the dark ages when I was in college I used to tape lectures and listen to them while I was asleep. Amazing results!

    My dreams could use a bit of spicing up, but I think I'll opt for Johnny Depp instead of Natalie Portman. Anyone know how much 14,800 yen is in US Dollars?

    1. Re:Sounds Tempting! by radixvir · · Score: 5, Funny

      Back in the dark ages when I was in college I used to tape lectures and listen to them while I was asleep. Amazing results!

      weird, i fall asleep during lectures all the time, and nothing good has ever come out of it

    2. Re:Sounds Tempting! by pantycrickets · · Score: 5, Funny

      weird, i fall asleep during lectures all the time, and nothing good has ever come out of it

      It was me and the professor. Only, he looked different. He had daisy duke shorts on and was carrying a rifle. I approached him, and he spoke.. but I couldn't understand. I think it was another language. When I got closer, I noticed my skin was burning. And then I realized I was covered in fire ants. I jumped off of a cliff towards what looked like a pool of water at the bottom. Only when I hit it, I realized it was a pool of broken glass. I tried as best as I could to swim through the glass, but my skin was literally falling apart.. when I could no longer move, I woke up.

      Needless to say, I failed the exam.

  3. I'm dreaming of... by HappyCitizen · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Darl McBride vs. Darth Maul Ok, on a more serious note, could this replace studying in some way shape or form. I mean a book under your pillow is crazy, but what about making it direct you through a dream in which you learn. This could really help self education. Imagine going further, having it teach you programming. Yes, you would need to record a plot and such, but I bet someone smart could have a computer generate one from an online manual or something. Just my 2 cents

    --
    http://www.beyourowneviloverlord.tk
    http://www.frozenchickenthrowing.tk
    http://www.killercamel.tk
  4. Re:Why not... by iminplaya · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm getting me a "Linus in speedos" module

    --
    What?
  5. must be user error by poindextrose · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can't wait to see people who screw this one up. The people with pictures of Grandma on their night table.

    --
    Karma: Raspberry Kiwi
  6. Mars by owlstead · · Score: 5, Funny

    I want to have a dream about a trip to mars. Oh, wait...

  7. To be used for fun...and evil... by idgrad · · Score: 5, Funny

    You could play some nice pranks with this toy after a scary movie.... aliens perhaps...muhahahahaha

    --
    "If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, now would it?' -Albert Einstein-
  8. Flim-flam. by RyanFenton · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Classic flim-flam. Variations of these flashing-light eye-glasses have been around for decades, claiming to be everything from a headache cure to, in this case a dream machine. The nice thing about claiming things about dreams is that most dreams aren't remembered, so there's nothing to be able to go after when it comes to false advertising.

    Yes, I'm a skeptic. I suppose I should want to try this product beforhand to be scientifically valid... but testimonial "evidence" with this sort of product does not give me any motivation to hand out money so I can reward these people to test their wild theory.

    Ryan Fenton

    1. Re:Flim-flam. by Ieshan · · Score: 5, Informative

      I love it when Psychologists tout products / services with testimonials. As someone aspiring to be a real-life research psychologist some day, it seems particularly ironic that none of these guys have ever heard of the Availability Heuristic.(that, or they have, and they're just trying to exploit it, but it doesn't really look good to anyone who's taken Psych 101.)

      Example: The Wigetmobile is the best selling car in america because it's super-cheap and super-reliable, according to statistics. Your uncle says he drove his into a tree and it nearly killed him, so you don't buy it, because his vivid description of his near-death incident (probably on account of his own stupidity) "outweighs" statistical evidence that the product is good. This is the same thing, only in *reverse* of the product advertising.

      Alex Chiu is a big fan of this kind of marketing exploitation. He's also a complete idiot.

  9. Wet Dreams by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    But wouldn't it be embarrasing if you died in your sleep and the coroner came to pick up your body a week later with a picture of Oprah beside you, while your voice described your dream date, bow-chicka-bow-bow music played, and musky perfume poured out of this thing?

  10. Lucid Dreaming is Cheaper by GuyMannDude · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Although lucid dreaming is not exactly the same as dream control, it does give you the ability to control your OWN ACTIONS in a dream. The advantage of lucid dreaming is that you don't have to buy any gizmos to make it work (although some people do sell things to help you achieve lucidity). The disadvantages are, as I mentioned, the fact that you only control yourself and not necessarily your surroundings and it takes some time to learn the skill of becoming lucid in a dream.

    Lucid dreaming is basically a technique for becoming conscious that you are in a dream without actually waking from that dream. It takes some work, believe me. We're talking months here. But it is kinda cool. Once I realize that I'm dreaming, I usually take advantage of that fact by blasting any enemies around me with a Godzilla-like breath weapon! While this is admittedly pretty geeky, I can say that here without being laughed at (right?) because we're all geeks. Plus, it's pretty neat to see Bill Gates go up in flames!

    Another advantage of lucid dreaming is that it's a proven technique whereas this new gizmo is just something that someone is trying to sell you.

    GMD

    --
    watch this
  11. Re:Why not... by kfg · · Score: 5, Funny

    Maybe Thinkgeek could sell a "Natalie Portman in Hot Grits" version?

    They were workin' on it, but the prototypes kept petrifying.

    KFG

  12. LotR by Arc04 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Dream about Lord of the Rings, before you wake up and realise you have just been Tolkien in your sleep.

  13. Re:Why not... by Ralph+Wiggam · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I would want the 2001 Christina Aguilera. Is anyone else frightened by the 2004 Christina?

    -B

  14. Interrogation/torture device? by danwiz · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Picture this ...

    A sleep-depraved Saddam is forced to stare at a photo of his dead son's bodies. After he's finally allowed to sleep and REM kicks in, a voice-over script explains to him that its all his fault and guides him on how he should cooperate fully.

    After steering his dream through freedom, a comfortable exile, and a harem of virgins he is conveniently woken up for his next round of questioning.

  15. Lucid Dreaming by localman · · Score: 5, Informative

    You know, I don't know why lucid dreaming isn't a bigger thing. Given all the effort people put into altered conciousness, that is. No hardware required.

    I've never been a big one for altered conciousness, but I did do some lucid dreaming for a while. Basically you just get good at recognizing when you're dreaming, and then you can start controlling what happens. Yes, Natalie Portman is an option.

    It does take some dedication, though. Keeping a dream journal is essential. There's some basic info out there that will help get you started.

    The only downside I found is I sometimes felt I wasn't sleeping as deeply. But it is a great way to explore altered conciousness without worrying about killing brain cells or geting addicted to anything.

    Cheers.

    1. Re:Lucid Dreaming by pongo000 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Interesting you bring this up...for several years I suffered from episodic sleep paralysis. During dream states, your body is semi-paralyzed as a defense mechanism against acting out your dreams. People with episodic SP wake up from vivid nightmares still paralyzed. It's an extremely spooky and gut-wrenching experience. Think about your worst nightmare, and how you thought it was real. Now imagine lying in bed, eyes open, cognizant that you are awake, and your nightmare still continues. But you cannot move, and oftentimes you have great difficulty breathing, shouting out, or otherwise defending yourself from whatever horror you've cooked up. That's what episodic sleep paralysis is about.

      One of the methods used to treat the condition is a form of lucid dreaming in which you train yourself to recognize, in your nightmare, that you are in control of the situation. By moving a finger or something similar to "break" the paralysis, you can then wake up fully.

      For a long time sleep paralysis was treated with SSRI's, usually tricyclic antidepressants that, in light doses, would keep REM light enough to fully emerge from the paralysis stage. But if you've ever been on an SSRI, the side effects can be pretty miserable.

      It's an interesting subject that has a study all its own here.

  16. Re:Why not... by NanoGator · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Why not just sell these pre-programmed with Britney Spears..."

    Only if it has a mute feature.

    --
    "Derp de derp."
  17. the worst nightmare by WormholeFiend · · Score: 5, Funny

    would be if you put images of the goatse.cx in the dream machine.

    i swear if someone did that to my machine, i d use a hot iron to brand -1 Troll on his forehead

  18. Re:mod parent up for poster having balls. by monkeyfinger · · Score: 5, Insightful
    (You'd think straight male slashdotters would want as little competition for females as possible, actually)

    That's how I've always looked at it, a gay man is just one less competitor for the ladies. The more men who turn gay the better. I've been chatted up by blokes on numerous occasions and I see it as a compliment not a problem.

    I've always seen some truth in the idea that homophobes are often closet homosexuals who are threatened by gayness because they are in denial about their own sexuality. I'm glad that homosexuality isn't as much of a taboo as it was in my parent's or grandparent's time. I hope society continues to become more accepting of peoples preferences.