The Dream Suppressor
By Matrin Taylor
There has been much discussion recently about the pros and cons of the Dream Suppression Device I created for Barney, and what exactly it does. Let me first explain a little about the brain, and what IT does.
First off, you must realize that the brain is an electrochemical organ; Uta and I believe that a fully functioning brain can generate as much as 10 watts of electrical power (by which I mean a normal brain... I imagine Dr. Bustoffson's brain could probably hit as high as 25 watts).
Electrical activity emanating from the brain is displayed in the form of brainwaves. There are four recognized categories of these brainwaves, ranging from the most activity to the least activity. It's the little-known (or rather, rarely acknowledged by the scientific community) fifth brain wave that makes the Dream Suppressor so vital (more on that below).
When the brain is aroused and actively engaged in mental activities, it generates beta waves. These beta waves are of relatively low amplitude, and are the fastest of the four(ish) different brainwaves. The frequency of beta waves ranges averages about 10 cycles a second. Beta waves are characteristics of a strongly engaged mind. A person in active conversation would be in beta. A typical SPONGE Historian would be in high beta.
The next brainwave category in order of frequency is alpha. Whereas beta represented arousal, alpha represents non-arousal. Alpha brainwaves are slower, and higher in amplitude. Their frequency also typically occurs at 10 cycles per second. Someone that has completed a normal task and sits down to rest is often in an alpha state. A person who takes time out to reflect or meditate is usually in an alpha state. Kilroy is usually in alpha state.
The next state, theta brainwaves, are typically of even greater amplitude and slower frequency. This frequency range is normally between 5 and 8 cycles a second. If you were awake, but beginning to daydream, you'd probably be in a theta brainwave state (as I was through most of high school). If you've ever realized you were just driving on "auto-pilot", then you just came out of theta state.
The final brainwave state is delta. Here the brainwaves are of the greatest amplitude and slowest frequency. They typically center around a range of 1.5 to 4 cycles per second. They never go down to zero because that would mean that you were brain dead. But, deep dreamless sleep would take you down to the lowest frequency. Typically, 2 to 3 cycles a second.
When most people turn off the lights and try to sleep, their brainwaves descend from beta, to alpha, to theta and finally, when they fall asleep, to delta. While one of these brainwaves is usually dominate over the others, they are all present at all times in some capacity or another. For normal people.
It is a well known fact that humans dream in 90 minute cycles. When the delta brainwave frequencies increase into the frequency of theta brainwaves, active dreaming takes place and often becomes more experiential to the person. Typically, when this occurs there is rapid eye movement, which is characteristic of active dreaming. This is called REM, and is a well known phenomenon.
What the Dream Suppressor does is simulate a theta state in your brain. That is, it fools your brain into thinking it's in a strong theta state, which is when mucho dreaming would occur. This is done through a series of binaural beat sound technologies, and a soothing "ocean surf" sound I recorded when I was in the Outer Banks a few years back.
The reason that the Dream Suppressor is so vital is that in order to enter the Dreamlands, it seems that the brain has to be in a deep theta wave state to be able to tap into the fifth brainwave (the one we call the RanCar Wave). It is THIS wave that facilitates entrance to the Dreamlands, but can only be stimulated when one's theta waves are cycling at over 5 cycles a second (without the assistance of an external device, like the Silver Key, for instance).
Normal people need to have their brains in a theta state, or they go insane. Just ask Dr. Tillinghast. But someone like Dr. Bustoffson, whose brain is far from normal (I mean that in the best way, Barney), it is too dangerous to allow normal theta wave activity. The Dream Suppresor is the perfect solution.
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