Is it possible to manipulate our subconscious so we can think, feel and dream however we want? Dream:ON is a new iPhone app that's being used as a mass participation study to test whether or not people can really influence their dreams.

“Getting a good night’s sleep and having pleasant dreams boosts people’s productivity, and is essential for their psychological and physical well being,” said Professor Richard Wiseman, the psychologist behind Dream:ON. “Despite this, we know very little about how to influence dreams. This experiment aims to change that.”

Download the app for free from the iTunes store, and participants can choose a specially designed soundscape and wake up time and leave their phones on their beds. The accelerometer on the app will measure the sleeper’s motions and track when he enters a REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage — when the most vivid and memorable dreams occur — and starts dreaming.



When the sleeper is in REM mode, the app will play soothing sounds he's chosen beforehand. If theory is proven true, the soundscapes could influence the sleeper's dreams under the right conditions.

Results so far from the study, documented on the Dream:ON Twitter account, are mixed.



Wiseman and his colleagues hope to have at least 10,000 participants, and after a few months, they’ll examine the data to see if it really is possible to influence your dreams. The app is free to download if you want to try.