Dream Laboratory by Clare Brown

Author:Clare Brown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: 2021-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Day twenty-three: Thursday

I can’t quite remember when Reeves started to take Delphine off for sessions on her own but it must have been about six months after she’d joined. Not just for PSGs but for all sorts of other tests. ‘Mostly just questionnaire sort of things,’ she told me nonchalantly. I do remember how odd the lab felt afterwards. It was something to do with Reeves’ cutting-edge project which he called ‘Transmissions’, and although it was supposed to involve Jag it really seemed to rely on the technical expertise of whizz-kid Wayne from the Sleep Clinic. The notion of ‘harnessing’ a subject’s dream and ‘transmitting’ it on to a screen sounded like such a mad fantasy that I didn’t give it much thought, but Simon and a couple of the others continued to be intrigued.

‘Do you really think, Huw, that some day we’ll be able to see people’s dreams?’

Reeves nodded with great certainty. ‘Oh yes. I don’t doubt it. The fact that the machinery which measures brain activity is becoming so much more sophisticated – and so quickly – means that it’s going to be a wholly natural progression.’

I thought this was preposterous. ‘What, you really think that at some point in our lifetime we’re going to be able to project our dreams on to a screen for everyone else to see?’

There was an uncomfortable pause as Reeves thought how to respond but he evidently decided not to pull his punches, as he said, ‘In my lifetime. Yes, I think that will happen.’ I blushed, a rare response from me, but more from anger than humiliation. He went on, ‘But obviously we’re right at the start of it all. Wayne and I are experimenting with the technology but it’s way beyond both our level of expertise and what’s possible in terms of science at the moment. Top people are already working on it in the US and elsewhere but there’s not much information available just yet. We think that what we can do is start trying to identify which areas of brain activity are most likely to undergo successful transmission . . .’

‘You mean the strongest signals?’ I asked. ‘The greatest REM density?’

‘Probably. But it may be the most prolonged activities of REM sleep that transmit better. Or those which take place in a particular part of a REM sleep phase. We’re not sure yet.’

I remember Julie asking a question then, and I was surprised by the sharpness in her voice. ‘Huw, you haven’t spoken about this element of your research to us very much. I know you’ve worked on it a bit with Alfred and Simon, and now with Delphine. But do you think you could fill us in a bit more?’

Reeves shuffled a little. I sensed he was wishing he’d never brought the subject up. ‘Well, it’s been a topic I’ve wondered about for years. But I’ve only really got together with Wayne to work on it in the last couple of years and it’s been – well, it’s been a sideline.

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