A researcher uses the first generation of Dormio. Image via MIT.
There's an interesting realm between being awake and being deep in sleep that researchers associate with intense, creative thinking. It's in this space, technically called hypnagogia, that you have dreams called microdreams—seemingly random, short dreams that you don't remember when you wake up. Now, Adam Horowitz, an MIT graduate student, wants to change that.Horowitz and his team created a device called Dormio to maximize this stage of dreaming, which actually allows users to influence the content of their microdreams. The device consists of an Arduino microcontroller mounted to a glove with small flexion sensors, and it works alongside a smartphone app that suggests thoughts as the user sleeps. Researchers hypothesize that being able to tap into this in-between stage of associated thoughts and creativity could be insightful.Motherboard’s Daniel Oberhaus talks about the possibilities of tapping into dreams on this episode of the VICE Guide to Right Now Podcast.You can catch The VICE Guide to Right Now Podcast on Acast, Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. And sign up for our newsletter to get the best of VICE delivered to your inbox daily.