Dreamachine
The Dreamachine (or Dream Machine) was invented by Beat generation members Brion Gysin and Ian Sommerville in 1959. The Dreamachine in its basic, original form is made from a cylinder with slits cut in the sides. The cylinder is placed on a record turntable and rotated at 78RPM. A light bulb is suspended in the center of the cylinder and the rotation speed allows the light to come out from the holes at a constant frequency, situated between 8 and 13 pulses per second.
This frequency range corresponds to alpha wavess, electrical oscillations normally present in the human brain while dreaming. The Dreamachine is viewed with the eyes closed: the pulsating light stimulates the optical nerve and alters the brain's electrical oscillations. It is claimed that viewing a dream machine allows one to enter the state of lucid dreaming. Warning: the dreamachine may be dangerous for people with epilepsy or other nervous disorders. It is thought that 1 out of 10,000 adults will experience a seizure while viewing the device; about twice as many children will have a similar ill effect. Also, others report that viewing a Dreamachine can become addictive, and moderation is encouraged when using the device.
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