Imagine a computer displaying and enhancing your visual thoughts.

We just attended the TED Conference in Long Beach, California, an annual get-together known for its intense, high-level talks on humanity’s future. One of the most mind-blowing presentations was scientist Mary Lou Jepsen showing how computers can now interpret our thoughts visually.

Two recent scientific studies show high-resolution scanners successfully interpreting an image in someone’s thoughts. In one particularly strong example in the video shown below, The University of California, Berkeley was able to link specific brain waves with specific images. In other words, its computer program was able to decipher what image the test subjects were thinking about.

As Jepsen put it, “Imagine if we could leapfrog language and communicate directly with human thought. What would we be capable of?”

This technology has two clear impacts on the future of adult entertainment. First, directors may be able to make films by simply visualizing the scene in their heads. Traditional films will obviously need to be interpreted by human actors, but animated or virtual experiences could be created solely in the auteur mind. As Jepsen noted in her talk, now it’s just a matter of improving the quality of the software.

Second, users may be able to create an avatar or supporting characters literally based on their imagination.  Imagine a virtual reality experience like Sinful Robot, but instead of choosing from a set of predetermined players, it actually develops a unique character based on what the user is thinking about.

Jepsen believes mainstream brain visualization technology will be here in a matter of years. “It’s coming,” she said during the talk. “We’re going to be able to dump our ideas directly to digital media.”

Image source: TED Conference