These sessions are for anyone who would benefit from a more informal setting where audiences members are free to make noise, move around, and enter and exit the experience whenever needed. This may include those with dementia, a movement disorder, anxiety, Tourette’s, bowel and bladder conditions, an autism spectrum condition, or a learning disability.

Curl up in a blanket, sit back and get lost in a moment that is just for you.

Dreamachine: Deep Listening will take you on a relaxing journey through light and sound. A curated lightscape will gently wash over you together with music by Jon Hopkins in 360-degree spatial audio, creating a deeply immersive sonic experience.

This unique experience is a chance to disconnect from everyday life and reconnect with both yourself, and others.

Dreamachine has been created by a team of leading minds in architecture, technology, music, neuroscience, and philosophy, including Turner Prize-winning collective Assemble and Grammy-nominated composer Jon Hopkins.

It's inspired by an extraordinary 1959 invention by artist Brion Gysin, described as the ‘first artwork to be experienced with your eyes closed’. Now, over 60 years later, the 21st-century Dreamachine has been radically re-imagined into a multisensory seated experience.

Like a modern kind of campfire, you’ll share your Dreamachine journey with a group of up to 32 people at a time. After your experience, you’ll be invited to reflect on what you heard and how you felt, by yourself or with others.

Dreamachine is presented by Collective Act and UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK in partnership with Edinburgh Science as part of Edinburgh International Festival.

There are two versions of the Dreamachine relaxed experience:

Deep Listening

The Deep Listening experience is an immersive 360 degree spatial audio experience, with a gentle lightscape and has been designed to make the experience as accessible as possible. Please note that the Deep Listening experience itself has not been adapted – the experience is an immersive 360 degree spatial audio experience, with a gentle lightscape. It does not contain fast flashing lights. It has been designed to make the experience more accessible to customers who may be sensitive to strobe lighting or high sensory environments.

High Sensory

There is also a High Sensory version of the Dreamachine experience, which uses fast flashing bright lights, known as strobe lighting, with 360-degree spatial audio to create a deeply immersive experience. For many people, the effects of the lights and the music will generate colourful patterns and visuals behind your closed eyes. You will need to complete a pre-booking form before booking the High Sensory experience.

Find out more about the relaxed High Sensory experience..