# Dreamachine \| The key to creativity — An aid to visionary experience > Stroboscopic light and sound device for creativity, relaxation, and focus. (iPhone/iPad app by charlie southard.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dreamachine-the-key-to-creativity/id1229373775 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [charlie southard](https://appshunter.io/developer/1229373774) - Category: Health & Fitness - Price: Free - Rating: 4.36/5 from 14 App Store ratings · 7 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 10.2 · 20 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2017-07-12 - Data updated: 2026-06-10 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dreamachine-the-key-to-creativity/id1229373775/reviews.md ## What is Dreamachine | The key to creativity? Experience a digital version of a famous device that William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Kurt Cobain, David Bowie and Paul McCartney used to enhance creativity. Allen Ginsberg - “I looked into it – it sets up optical fields as religious and mandalic as the hallucinogenic drugs – it’s like being able to have jeweled Biblical designs and landscapes without taking chemicals.” Dreamachine is a stroboscopic and sound device that aligns your brainwaves to a desired state of consciousness. Combined with the power of binaural beats and trance-like sound choices, it provides the user with the choice to stimulate their mind for concentration, meditate for relaxation or enter a dream-like state for creativity and visions. The app was designed to stimulate Alpha and Theta brainwaves via entrainment. Dreamachine is a means to conscious dreaming. Dreamachine works best with Google cardboard and headphones. Primarily used as a tool for creativity, Dreamachine also has a wide range of purposes. Dreamachine can help relax and calm your mental state. The University of North Carolina researchers have demonstrated that stroboscopic light to enhance Alpha brain wave activity, boosts creativity and reduced depression. Stroboscopic light has been used as a visionary aid since antiquity by the likes of Ptolemy, Aristotle, and Nostradamus. * Benefits * • Solve problems: retrieve visions, expand imagination and create associations between an imaginary and verbal world. The hypnagogic Theta state has been utilized in different ways to form some of the most groundbreaking discoveries. • Mind’s Theater You may choose to venture into the hypnagogic state; the place the mind travels between sleeping and ordinary consciousness. This region of consciousness has been referred to in the writings of Aristotle to Edgar Allan Poe. I suggest starting the light mode at 8 Hz and playing with slightly lower frequencies to find your sweet spot. Stimulate waking reveries and open the curtains to the theater of your mind in. Behind closed eyes, you will see a variety of patterns, shapes and vibrant swirling colors. Splendor and bliss are within the Theta/Alpha range between 5-7 Hz. Sound: Pink and white noise stimulus, in particular, promote entry in the Theta State. • Optimize cognitive function – Flickering light has been utilized to reduce symptoms of ADHD, reduce depression and heighten creativity. In one study out of Western Washington University. Photic stimulation (flickering light) has also been identified as a way to enhance academic performance. • Sleep and learning – Binaural beats have been used to elicit sleep. Frequencies in the Delta range combined with melatonin may provide restful sleep. Researchers have noticed that adequate sleep is needed to properly learn and create positive connections. Dreamachine was made with care and patience because I have found it personally helpful to stimulate creative thought and relax. I want others to have the same positive experience and benefits that I have experienced. * Light + Sound * Using the machine is as easy as sliding to the desired state and closing your eyes and wearing your phone like glasses. Google cardboard is recommended. * Features * • Easy to use interface with scroll frequency selector • Light and sound mode can be used together or independently • Light and sound mode are best used together • Stroboscopic light generator • Binaural beat generator integrated into the same interface as stroboscopic light mode • Choice of color during flickering light mode • Ability to use flicker flashlight alternately if display is not bright enough • Alternative sound choices as white noise, pink noise, rain or choose your own music • Inexpensive alternative to the several hundred dollar mind machines • Additional features are coming, but I’m open to all feedback PLEASE NOTE: THIS CAN CAUSE PHOTO EPILEPSY IN SOME PEOPLE (1/10,000) ## Key features - Stroboscopic light stimulation - Binaural beats for brainwave entrainment - Modes for concentration, meditation, and creativity - Induces Alpha and Theta brainwave states - Enhances imagination and problem-solving - Promotes relaxation and calm ## Recent user reviews (7 of 7) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dreamachine-the-key-to-creativity/id1229373775/reviews.md ### 4/5 — Easy to use, but would love a desktop version *2023-12-10* I've been using binural beats in conjuction with meditation for about five years now. The addition of the flickering light is an interesting sensation. My only problem is that I'm not a fan of having to hold my phone in front of me or wear something around my head. It would be much better if I could download the app on my desktop (Mac) and have the color flash on my screen. I downloaded the app onto the desktop, but the slider in inoperable and the field of color/flashing is mimicking a smartphone screen so there is only a narrow band in the middle. Is it possible to fix this? ### 4/5 — Why doesn’t it override auto lock? *2022-10-21, version 1.0.1* Seems like a pretty easy thing to do, but everytime I use the app I have to change my auto lock setting to never. Then I can use this for 15 or 20 minutes. ### 4/5 — Really like, but finicky UI *2020-05-27, version 1.0.1* It’s very simple, and does what it says. My only issue is that setting the frequencies is very sensitive, and you can’t really control it very well. It would be easier if you could type it in, or there were stops every so often, instead of just a slider where the display disappears quickly ### 5/5 — I like the app a lot *2020-04-24, version 1.0.1* I have a problem though... When trying to select music from Apple Music my playlist The app crashes instantly and closes once I have selected my song of choice. Please fix this 🙏🏼 ### 5/5 — Really like this app.. *2019-07-31, version 1.0.1* The user interface is very simple to use and simple in design yet offers a lot to the user. I’ve only used it for two nights and without any recommended equipment but used it with eyes closed alternative option while having it in “light” mode that displays the therapeutic flickering screen, while falling asleep, and it has produced some increased dream activity in me, I must say. I will continue to play with this app and try to get more defined results with its effects on brain activity. I believe it will be a winner for me. I’m a new hypnotherapist and am even thinking utilizing this in my practice if possible. To help reduce my time and energy with clients by getting them into the proper altered state of mind without me having to manually do it. So I hope it doesn’t go away any time soon. 5 stars so far! ### 4/5 — Great app though one issue *2018-06-27, version 1.0.1* Couldn’t access all the colors as the buttons on the bottom are covering the palate options. Other than that it’s pretty great ### 5/5 — Effortless Relaxation! *2018-03-01, version 1.0.1* As a psychologist, I use brainwave entrainment and binaural beats technology with my patients to achieve effortless states of deep meditation. Dreamachine induces this relaxing phenomenon in a single app! "Sixty to ninety percent of physician visits are stress related." ~~ Herbert Benson, MD, Harvard Medical School ## Frequently asked questions about Dreamachine | The key to creativity ### What is Dreamachine? Dreamachine is a digital tool that uses stroboscopic light and binaural beats to help users achieve specific states of consciousness, such as enhanced creativity, relaxation, or concentration. ### How does Dreamachine work? It works by stimulating Alpha and Theta brainwaves through a combination of flickering light patterns and specific sound frequencies, aiming to guide the user's mind into desired states. ### What are the benefits of using Dreamachine? Users can experience benefits like solving problems, expanding imagination, optimizing cognitive function, and improving sleep and learning. Research suggests stroboscopic light can boost creativity and reduce depression. ### Does Dreamachine require any special equipment? While the app can be used on its own, it works best with Google Cardboard and headphones to enhance the immersive experience. ### What kind of sounds does Dreamachine use? The app utilizes trance-like sound choices, including pink and white noise stimulus, which are particularly noted for promoting entry into the Theta State. ### What is the age rating for Dreamachine? Dreamachine has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users. ### On which devices can I use Dreamachine? Dreamachine is supported on iPhones and iPods, allowing users to access its features on their Apple mobile devices. ### How often is Dreamachine updated? The app was last updated on July 18, 2017, with its latest version being 1.0.1. It was initially released on July 12, 2017. ## Version history (last 2 releases) ### 1.0.1 — 2017-07-18 This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon. Fixed Fonts and Title Typo. ### 1.0 — 2017-07-12 No release notes. ## Apps similar to Dreamachine | The key to creativity | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Mindleap: Psychedelic Wellness](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mindleap-psychedelic-wellness/id1521805174) | 3.9 (24) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [Binaural Zen](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/binaural-zen/id1519178765) | — | Free | Health & Fitness | | [Binaural Beats Machine](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/binaural-beats-machine/id1327464565) | 4.6 (122) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [WeVoice-AI: Sleep Stress Focus](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wevoice-ai-sleep-stress-focus/id1577589862) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [BrainwaveZ](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainwavez/id1509780536) | 5.0 (4) | $9.99 | Health & Fitness | | [Audio Binaural Beats](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/audio-binaural-beats/id1558724845) | 1.0 (1) | Free | Health & Fitness | --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*