Your Dreams Can Be Hacked

Neal Stephenson coined the term – metaverse – in his novel Snow Crash. Now we hear of this term on a consistent basis thanks to Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook. Maybe this is a mixing up of various realities, however now the latest marketing gimmick is hacking your dreams. Elegant Media is a company that undertakes App development in Melbourne which creates Apps. Browse for App development company Brisbane and you’re sure to come across Elegant Media. Why are Apps important when it comes to the topic of discussion in this article? It is because applications are the vehicle through which hacking can take place.

Dream hacking can actually help you heal and even offer a sense of entertainment, but what is different is how corporations could utilise this technique for commercial gain. Consider this type of marketing messaging as subliminal and in fact a violation of privacy. Of course dream incubation is something that even the ancient Egyptians and the Greeks from the classical era all practiced. Molson Coors recently used Targeted Dream Incubation or TDI to sell an addictive substance. These are some of the issues that need attention in the real world. To what extent can companies use dream placement to manipulate people’s purchasing power?

The extent is great. But still it is not developed to such an extent where it is deployed globally. If you want to consider yoga nidra you will realise that it is very beneficial when it comes to getting a good night’s rest. There have been tests done where when participants were shown pictures of flying, their dreams also reflected the act of flying. We have heard of individuals like Salvador Dali who have used sleep to tackle interesting problems. There is no doubt dreams have been utilised by writers and musicians to jump start their creativity with great results.

With this in mind consider Dormio, which is a wearable device that can help facilitate dreams and initiate creativity. It is a concept of psychoanalysis, which has helped the advertising industry to sell products through association. Concepts like subliminal stimuli have helped organisations to sell their products and services using orthodox and conventional advertising mediums. A good example of this subliminal messaging is found in advertisements during movie intermissions. Still, what needs to be mentioned is the fact that hacking into people’s dreams will become a marketing mainstay in the years to come.

There are plenty of wearables right now whether they are from Android or iOS devices. There has been a great hue and cry with regard to how biometrics can be hacked. Hacking humans seems to be the next best thing. What corporations in the world in general need to be aware of is the legitimacy and ethical value of going down this route. Given the huge issues with regard to privacy and data harvesting this is certainly a topic that needs to be addressed from all levels. While checks and balances need to be put in place, remember that technology along with artificial intelligence and machine learning will create the right solution.

All in all, this whole concept certainly appears to be something straight out of a science fiction novel or a movie, but it is very much a reality. With a mixing of realities and our current reality touted to exist in a multiverse of sorts, the idea of understanding how we can navigate dreamscapes of this nature appears to be seen. They say that technology creates problems, but, ironically, technology also creates the solutions to the problems that it creates. This will only evolve to become something that is a central theme in our lives in the near future. 

On a final note, for those of us who are focused on being ethical, it begs the question: what exactly are ethics, morals and mores? They are but human constructs that have become socially accepted truths that we all adhere to. While the naysayers will always contest the advent of new technology and how they are deployed, there is a thin line between what is right and what is wrong. It is best to have a philosophical outlook on our present reality and how it will change in the years to come. This is a narrative that should be initiated and accepted by tech philosophers, historians and influencers that are looking at how society and humanity should move forward as a whole.