Dreams: Beyond Time and Space
There is an interesting description of a dream in Marcel Proust’s monumental novel, In Search of Lost Time. The depiction starts with this sentence: “When a man is asleep, he holds in a circle around him the chain of the hours, the sequence of the years, and the order of universe.”[1] In a world of dreams, time and space keep expanding and shrinking around people, and they can encounter numerous unexpected scenes of past, present, and future. There might be tears, laughter, and inspiration. At the same time, they are healed from mental traumas and given the insights for the future. For this design project, I would like to explore the mystery of dreams in order to reveal the idea of how they are generated according to the mechanism of universe.

Effects of Dreams
It is not academically proven yet how dreams are made and where they come from. Some distinguished scholars like Sigmund Freud highlighted the significance of dreams in a psychological way. However, there are still many questions about dreams that Freud or Carl Jung's theories could not answer. They were successful in revealing the positive effects of some dreams in a way that they are giving key clues for psychoanalyzing. But there is a dream that does not need to analyze further, but rather has complete meaning itself. That is a vivid dream that leaves a strong impressions like healing from mental traumas, getting a sense from current situations, receiving wisdom and insights for the near future. As soon as these dreams are experienced, they are perfect and the profound meaning is realized by dreamers immediately.

Assumptions: How Dreams are Generated
For this design project, I wanted to find out how these vivid dreams are generated. Those dreams are giving me a sense of time traveling which is possible only in space. According to Einstein’s theory of relativity, time and space is relative and flexible because of the massive power of gravity. I started to think about the possibility that there might be a similarity between these vivid dreams and the universe. I found interesting research on the connection between the human brain and the universe. Mark Miller, a neuroscientist of Brandeis University, discovered that human brain cells are similar to a large cluster of galaxies. Actually, the human brain shows even more complexity than our galaxies. There are 100 billion stars in the Milky Way, but over a trillion neurons and gliocytes in one human brain. Fractal cosmology is a modern theory of universe which has developed from Leibniz’s Monadology in the 17th century. What Leibniz argued was that the universe consists of numberless monads and each monad has its own complete universe. Fractal cosmology succeeds his theory and develops further: if each monad has its universe inside, that universe is also composed by smaller, countless monads, and those small monads have their universe with tinier monads as well. This cycle repeats infinitely, and if we think backward, all of these might be a gigantic existence. If the smallest particle that constitutes human is the infinite universe of tiny, invisible other species, and the universe we are belong to could be also a brain of one gigantic being.[2] In that sense of fractal cosmology, I would suggest a possibility that we can transcend our scale of time and space in our unconsciousness. Another cosmology called “the fractal-holographic universe” insists that singularity, also as known as a black hole, is no longer a pit hole devouring everything, rather it is a perfect balance of nothingness creating infinite data constantly. Moreover, according to that theory, this feature of singularity is essential and universal characteristic of all creatures.[3] Based on this theory, I assume that if our brain is a universe, this singularity means sleep and infinite data generated from there could be dreams. Sleep simulates death, complete nothingness, which generates a new radiation of information, dreams.

Goals and Forms of Project
My design project will be expressed based on these findings on dreams and universe. The goal of the project is to help the viewers get a sense of dream generation, and inspire them to reevaluate the effects of dreams on their lives. The message I would like to convey is a dream is “creation from nothingness,” which visits us in our unconsciousness (nothingness) and gives us an abundance of insights and creativity. Through watching, participating, sharing and reviewing the process of this artwork, I hope the audience will renew their thoughts on values of dreams and receive gifts from dreams in their lives. The form will be an art installation, which has kinetic elements moving according to the interaction with the user. Based on a combination of complex, and aesthetic geometric shapes, various movements representing the radiation of dreams will be experienced by the audience. The shapes will symbolize the core meaning of dreams that I found through research, creation from nothing, which is the essential, and ironical feature of dreams. Also they will be referred to various geometric shapes representing elements of universe based on spiral movements.

Design Values

• Abstract Concept to an Actual Form
  The abstract idea of dreams will be expressed as an actual form in this project. The form will be visible, meaningful, and aesthetically beautiful. The sharp concentration on the idea itself through the whole process is essential because most of times it can be easily distracted by some forms from research which actually are not related to the idea.

• Invitation to Calmness
  The users will be invited to experience the artwork individually. It is a call to rest and calmness. The more a user feels relaxed, the more vigorous the interaction will be.

• Illustration of Nothingness
  The atmosphere of the artwork will be silent, calm, and still. The sense of vacuum and nothingness will be expressed through the visual and interactive elements.

• A Participant and Audience as the Third Party
  While one user is participating, the rest of the audience will watch him or her and get the sense by looking at the whole picture. This project is intended to give different values to each party, the value for participants, and the one for the rest of the audience. For participants, they will experience the closest state to dreams through guidelines so that they get some insights and ideas through their random thoughts. For the rest of the audience can see the whole metaphorical expression of how participants’ process is going and how their states influence the movement of installation.

• Mesmerizing Movement
  The geometric shapes of the artwork will be moving according to the user’s brain waves, and the movement represents dream creation. The combination of shape and movement will be mesmerizing for audience.

Brain Waves as a Parameter
For the goal of this project, an EEG headset will be used during interaction. The EEG headset is made for measuring the user’s brain waves, which can be presented as beta, alpha, delta, theta, and gamma. Beta waves are the frequency range between 14 and 30 Hz, which is generated in awake, normal conscious state. Alpha waves are classified as the range between 9 and 13 Hz, which is appeared in awake, but drowsy state; physically and mentally relaxed. Delta represents deep, dreamless sleep when the frequency is below 4 Hz, and theta is the range of 4 to 8 Hz which means deep meditation, light sleep, and REM sleep. This Theta states can be said as a dream mode. Lastly, gamma represents above 30 Hz, which means heightened perception, and often appears when a person gains an insight, idea, or creative inspiration: “Aha! Moment”.[4] However, the interesting fact is, if in the consciousness, this “Aha! Moment,” which is a burst of gamma waves, is preceded by alpha waves which represent relaxation. Moreover, there might be the even greater potential of higher gamma waves if delta or theta waves were prior.[5] Therefore, dreams could be interpreted as one of these “Aha! Moments” preceded by delta and theta, which has enormous potential of creativity. This assumption has actually proved by Sean M. Montgomery, Anton Sirota, and Gyorgy Buzsaki, who are in Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University. They said, “Theta and gamma synchrony (simultaneous occurrence) was significantly higher during REM sleep compared to active waking.” [6]

Interaction: Simulation of Dream Status
These studies on brain waves support the idea that dream is the “creation from nothingness.” To simulate dreams for the movement of my installation, using an EEG headset is the right mode. But I figured it would be a better experience when the participant is awake rather than sleep because they can realize the positive effects of dreams in consciousness. So it would be a similar setting to measure alpha and gamma instead of theta and gamma. According to the alpha and gamma frequency of the participant, the installation will move. The exhibition setting will be like this: a comfortable, private space will be given to participant, and EEG headset, blindfold, alarm clock, and simple guideline will be also offered on the screen (Figure 1). That guideline leads them to the similar states to dream, which alpha and gamma waves occurred. After 5 minutes of experience, participants have opportunity to share their experiences to others. They will be given a card to write or draw their experience (Figure 2), and those will be posted in the board in the exhibition. Sharing is not required so the participants have freedom to reserve their experience on their minds. Through deep relaxation, I hope participants can realize something that they did not know before, or they can get the solution they have been trying to find, or get some creative ideas which are helpful for their study or career. Having those realizations will symbolize the power of dreams and is what this artwork aims to do.

[Figure 1]

[Figure 2]

Conclusion
It is true that not every person enjoys their own dreams, but there is a certain moment of dreams coming unexpectedly from beyond time and space. That moment is the key factor providing vitality of life to people who experienced that. I believe a dream is not disturbing rest, rather it reinforces rest. Through those dreams, people will receive full energy and refreshment for that day. I would like to say a dream is one of the most effective psychotherapy methods. I hope people discover treasures of dreams that they did not realize and have the opportunity to rethink the authentic beauty of dreams through this project.