A digital recreation of Brion Gysin's Dream Machine (1959) — stroboscopic light combined with binaural beats for exploring altered visual and mental states.
When you close your eyes and face the flickering screen, the stroboscopic light stimulates the optic nerve and produces vivid visual patterns, colors, and dreamlike imagery on your retina. The flicker frequency entrains brainwave activity — particularly in the alpha (8–12 Hz) and theta (4–8 Hz) ranges associated with relaxation and dreaming.
Binaural beats complement the visual stimulation: two slightly different audio frequencies are played in each ear (headphones required), creating a perceived third tone that further guides brainwave states.
The original Dream Machine was invented by artist Brion Gysin and mathematician Ian Sommerville in 1959. It consisted of a cylinder with precisely cut slots rotating on a record turntable around a bare light bulb, producing flicker at approximately 8–13 Hz. William S. Burroughs was an early adopter, and the device became an icon of the Beat Generation's exploration of consciousness.
Created by Chloé Lavrat · Source on GitHub