RECONSTRUCTING PHANTASIA: THE SOCIO-TECHNICAL CHAIN OF DREAM VISUALIZATION IN THE AGE OF GENERATIVE AI
RECONSTRUCTING PHANTASIA: THE SOCIO-TECHNICAL CHAIN OF DREAM VISUALIZATION IN THE AGE OF GENERATIVE AI

Summary/Abstract: Emerging research in neuroimaging and generative AI demonstrates the possibility of partially reconstructing human dreams and mental imagery from brain activity. While technical studies focus on decoding visual patterns via fMRI, EEG, and diffusion-based AI models, this paper examines the social implications of these practices. We frame dream reconstruction as a socio-technical chain in which neural data, expert analysis, algorithmic output, and public interpretation produce not only images but new forms of cultural meaning. This paper draws on selected scientific publications and press coverage to examine how dream reconstruction is represented and interpreted. Particular attention is given to how these representations may shift the boundary between science and speculation, objectivity and imagination. By situating neuronal phantasia as co-produced across brains, machines, and cultural frameworks, the paper highlights how experimental neurotechnologies become cultural artifacts that shape expectations about memory, identity, and the future of the self, well before they achieve stable scientific reality.

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