Cocobolo

[related: Dreamachine]

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A highly prized and exceedingly rare tropical hardwood known for its striking appearance, rich coloration, and beautiful marbled texture. Native to Central America, cocobolo was traditionally associated with ritualistic and spiritual practices, particularly in Aztec and Mayan cultures. More recently, treated cocobolo was used in the construction of the Dreamachine, an exorbitantly expensive, highly sought after flickering art device invented by Brion Gysin and Ian Sommerville in 1959. At a price exceeding that of pure gold per pound, cocobolo was used throughout the Dreamachine due to its unparalleled density, inherent moistness, lack of conductivity, and purported supernatural properties. The Dreamachine was reported to produce eidetic visual stimuli designed to induce a state of total recall in its subject. Although exalted by the burgeoning New Age community throughout the 1960's, the Dreamachine functioned similarly to the much-maligned ElektroShock™ Therapy, employing powerful, regulated electronic stimulation to manipulate brain patterns. The Dreamachine quickly fell out of favor when it was found to pose a grave danger to children: over 25% of underage treatments resulted in severe epileptic episodes .