Dreamwatchers

Scientists 'read dreams' using brain scans
Rebecca Morelle, BBC World, 4 April 2013

glow in the dark transparent brain_Kwanghun Chung et al

Brain activity correlated with the images that people saw in their dreams
60% accuracy

The team used MRI scans to monitor three people as they slept.

Just as the volunteers started to fall asleep inside the scanners, they were woken up and asked to recount what they had seen.

Each image mentioned, from bronze statues to keys and ice picks, was noted, no matter how surreal.

This was repeated more than 200 times for each participant.

The researchers used the results to build a database, where they grouped together objects into similar visual categories. For example, hotel, house and building were grouped together as "structures".

The scientists then scanned the volunteers again, but this time, while they were awake and looking at images on a computer screen.

With this, they were able to see the specific patterns of brain activity that correlated with the visual imagery.