Scientists are developing a new language to enable communication between people during lucid dreams. Known as Remmyo, the language consists of muscle movements that can be detected by sensors on the face during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. People who are lucid dreaming are aware of their state and can control what happens in their dreams. Remmyo can be learned during waking hours and those with the ability to lucid dream could potentially communicate using the language while asleep. While there have been other attempts to communicate with people during REM sleep, Remmyo is the first general language to be developed for this purpose. Despite initial skepticism about the effectiveness of the translation software, scientists are optimistic about the future potential of lucid dream communication technology.
Sleep and REM Sleep
Sleep is a semiconscious state during which neurons continue to fire within the brain. The brain activity during the deepest phase of sleep can potentially enable communication with the waking world during lucid dreaming. It takes approximately 90 minutes for the human body to transition from the lighter phase of sleep to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, during which time most dreaming occurs, including lucid dreams. In REM sleep, the brain waves, heart rate, and blood pressure all become similar to levels seen in the waking state. Breathing becomes faster and erratic and the sleeper’s eyes constantly move from side-to-side, despite eyelids remaining closed. In this state, the body’s arm and leg muscles cannot move, preventing it from acting out the dream.
Remmyo: A Language for Lucid Dream Communication
Sleep expert Michael Raduga has developed Remmyo, the first language of its kind and specifically intended for communication during lucid dreams. The language consists of six sets of facial movements that can be detected by electromyography (EMG) sensors on the face. During sleep paralysis, slight electrical impulses reach facial muscles, making them capable of movement, which in turn, are picked up by the sensors on the face. These movements are then transferred to software that can type, vocalize, and translate Remmyo. The effectiveness of Remmyo turned out to be between 13 to 81 percent effective, according to Raduga’s initial experiment. However, Raduga is optimistic about future research, which will include the use of machine learning and AI to improve Remmyo decoding. Raduga predicts that what may sound like science fiction will soon become mainstream and that “communication between asleep people will become an ordinary thing.”
Other Attempts at Communication During Sleep
There have been other attempts to communicate with people during REM sleep. In a 2021 study by Northwestern University, people having realistic dreams (including lucid dreams) were able to communicate with researchers who were awake using eye and muscle movements, which demonstrated the ability to reach out to the waking world. While no specialized sleep language was used in this experiment, Remmyo could potentially be a breakthrough in facilitating communication during lucid dreams.
Conclusion
Scientists are developing a new language, Remmyo, to enable communication between people during lucid dreams. The language consists of facial muscle movements that are detected by sensors and transferred to software that can type, vocalize, and translate Remmyo. While initial experiments returned uncertain results, scientists are optimistic about the potential of lucid dream communication technology and predict that communication between sleeping people will become increasingly mainstream.
