Real-life inception: Army looks to ‘counteract nightmares’ with digital dreams

October 26, 2011
Power dreaming

Power dreaming (credit: Uniformed Services Academy of Family Physicians)

In an Army-backed experiment called “Power Dreaming,” Naval Hospital Bremerton in Washington State will help traumatized troops battle their nightmares — with soothing, digitally-made dreams crafted in virtual worlds, Wired Danger Room reports.

The project is a form of biofeedback therapy, in which a PTSD sufferer is fed real-time data on his physical stress levels so that he can be cued to calm down. If he successfully brings down his heart rate and anxiety levels, he may be rewarded with visual cues.