Umbra
Kruti Mehta
Dreams are a map created by our brain from the fragments of reality. Our brains are incredibly creative problem solvers and some parts are most active while we are asleep. Dreams form an important part of one’s identity and behavior. Although dreams are considered to be extremely personal and are difficult to talk about, they directly correlate with reality. Problems, solutions, fears and behavioral patterns are highlighted through recurring dreams. However, this enormous database with infinite potential is lost because we do not have a good method of recording or understanding them. People undergo a lot of stress and trauma trying to deal with these recurring dreams. What would happen if we remembered and learned to make sense of it? What if the unconscious could influence and help determine the conscious?
Umbra is a platform that makes dreams universal by initiating conversations and creating a community of dreams divided by categories predominantly for people with PTSD, ODC, epilepsy, or anxiety. A gradually escalating alarm slowly transitions you from the unconscious to a hypnopompic stage enabling you to remember and record your dreams. It normalizes the stress and trauma faced by presenting the user with dreams similar to theirs and initiating a conversation between the dreamers. With a continuously expanding database, dreams can be openly shared creating communities based on similar experiences of the users. Umbra strives to encourage the act of being open with dreams because one single dream entry can easily be a large support system to someone else.