Anything seems possible in our dreams. However, we are typically unaware that we are dreaming and have no control over our own actions. But what if we were capable of tapping into the infinite possibilities that dreams offer while remaining aware that we were dreaming? You would be able to be anyone, go anywhere, and do anything you could imagine. Learning to control our dreams, or lucid dreaming, has been a goal of humankind for centuries. In fact, cultivating such awareness while dreaming was common among early Buddhists. However, the term itself was only coined in 1913 by Dutch psychiatrist Frederik Willem van Eeden. Over time, we have found various techniques for attaining this state, but one Russian man may have gone a step too far. Using a drill to bore a hole in his head, he inserted a chip into his head in order to trigger lucid dreaming.
Man Inserts Chip In Brain to Trigger Lucid Dreaming
We have made leaps and bounds recently when it comes to brain-chip technology. Companies like Neuralink have developed brain-computer interfaces that give back autonomy to those who are paralyzed or suffering from similar physical disabilities. So far, the results have been nothing short of miraculous; however, these trials are conducted by highly skilled professionals who have undergone years of training. One Russian man, however, decided to implant a chip into his brain in order to control his dreams. Most alarmingly, he is not a surgeon and taught himself how to perform the surgery by watching YouTube videos! As you can imagine, things did not go exactly as planned.
In May 2023, the man, identified as Michael Raduga, used a household drill to drill a hole in his skull so that he could insert an electrode into his brain. Sharing the images of the operation on his Twitter account, Raduga said that he lost around 1 liter of blood during the operation, almost giving up several times. While extremely dangerous, he stated that the results opened up “fantastic prospects for future dream control technologies.” On the 18th of July, he tweeted that “On May 17, 2023, I performed by myself trepanation, electrode implantation, and electrical stimulation of my brain’s motor cortex. I needed it to test brain stimulation during lucid dreaming.”
Read More: MIT Tests ‘Dream Incubation’ Device That Manipulates The Content of People’s Dreams
Raduga Then Required Hospitalization
Raduga then had to be hospitalized so that his injuries could be treated. He posted photos that show his face wrapped up in bandages alongside an X-ray displaying the electrode buried inside his head. Raduga has absolutely no medical qualifications, though. In fact, according to his organization’s website, he is an author as well as the founder of Phase Research Center. Most of his work centers around researching subjects such as lucid dreaming, astral projection, and out-of-body experiences. On the 28th of June, Raduga tweeted that “For the first time in history, we conducted direct electrical stimulation of the motor cortex of the brain during REM sleep, lucid dreams, and sleep paralysis.”
He added that for many people, this technology will be some kind of entertainment. However, for people who suffered from paralysis, it would offer them the opportunity to go wherever they want, do whatever they want, without any physical restrictions at all. Raduga initially thought of approaching neurosurgeons to perform the surgery. However, there was a chance that any clinician performing such a surgery would suffer potential criminal liability.
So, he decided to do it by himself. He apparently watched hours of neurosurgery videos on YouTube and even practised the operation on five sheep. However, the implant was subsequently removed after five weeks. Neurosurgeons have warned that his actions were extremely dangerous and could have led to cortical vein bleeding or a stroke. Additionally, there would also have been a very high risk of infection. Additionally, any scarring to the brain could increase the risk of epilepsy.
The Bottom Line
Many of us feel a calling to do something great with our lives. Michael Raduga obviously had very lofty aspirations and wanted to create something that could potentially benefit many people. However, brain surgery is something that requires many years of study and should ideally not be something learned from a YouTube tutorial. Considering how risky the operation was, he is extremely lucky things did not turn out worse. However, epilepsy risk caused by potential scarring may only emerge in years from now. While lucid dreaming is indeed a fascinating topic, there are many far safer techniques for achieving this state. Drilling a hole in your head does not sound like the best option.
Read More: What is Sleep Paralysis: Causes, Risk Factors, and Prevention