Lucid dreams are dreams in which the dreamer is aware that they are dreaming and, although they have no control over the content of the dream, are nevertheless able to cognise and maintain a logical train of thought throughout the dream sequence. I reliably experience lucid dreams whenever I take the supplement agmatine sulphate (or sulfate).

For the neuroscience minded, agmatine (aka 4-aminobutyl-guanidine) is a neuromodulator (and possible neurotransmitter) with affinity for several receptors, such as alpha-adrenergic, imidazoline and glutamatergic NMDA receptors and it strongly inhibits and causes downregulation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase. Animal studies demonstrate anticonvulsant, antineurotoxic and antidepressant-like action. In humans it's most often used recreationally by weight-lifters to improve their 'pump' via increased blood flow. I'm no weight-lifter but find it has a powerful acute motivational and mood enhancing effect, especially when undertaking mundane tasks that require physical effort.

The idea for this ongoing project came from a particularly lucid dream in which I was visiting a new unnamed city and had my camera bag with me. The thought occurred to me that my photographs would not simply be captures of the place I was (supposedly) in, but actual captures from the dream itself. And in my dream I thought I would be the first person to achieve this feat! But, of course, I awoke and had no images to see and show.......

Instead, I started to collect a series of images that related in some way to my agmatine dreams. Some are re-enacted, some are from the archive and post-processed to fit, some are coincidentally matching scenes from dreams or familiar in a déjà vu kind of way. All are attempts to preserve mere glimpses of experiences that are gone forever. They're all in black and white simply because I cannot recall a lucid dream in which colour has played any prominent role, contrary to others who report lucid agmatine dreams.