'Hallucination Machine' Takes You on a Drug-Free Psychedelic Trip

[Judi Lynn]

By Tereza Pultarova, Live Science Contributor | November 29, 2017 04:20pm ET

Virtual-reality devices can transport users to magical realms from the comfort of their own homes, but a new device built by British engineers takes users on a different kind of trip: It lets people experience the trippy visuals brought on by psychedelic drugs in a completely drug-free way.

But this "hallucination machine" isn't just for entertainment; it also opens new avenues into research on visual hallucinations, according to a new study.

The device combines a virtual-reality headset with Google's Deep Dream algorithm, which uses a so-called deep neural network to analyze and enhance images. Deep Dream works by spotting patterns in images and transforming them in a way that mimics a phenomenon called pareidolia, which occurs when people see faces or objects in random clusters of visually perceived patterns. [Trippy Tales: The History of 8 Hallucinogens]

To develop the VR device, the researchers fed the algorithm panoramic videos of natural scenes instead of static images, to re-create the lifelike hallucination experience.

More:
https://www.livescience.com/61055-virtual-reality-hallucinations.html?utm_source=notification

[FuzzyRabbit]

1. Or just listen to this great hit song from 1967

Watch in full screen mode for best effect.

[bdtrppr6]

2. sounds cool

but without the teeth grinding, increased heart rate/metabolism, confusion and paranoia! what's fun about that? i'm not called "bdtrppr6" for nothing!