The Lathe of Heaven

by

Ursula K. Le Guin

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Lathe of Heaven makes teaching easy.
The Augmentor is a device similar to an EEG (Electroencephalography) machine that Dr. William Haber uses to enhance Orr’s dreaming capabilities and track his brain activity.

Augmentor Quotes in The Lathe of Heaven

The The Lathe of Heaven quotes below are all either spoken by Augmentor or refer to Augmentor. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
).
Chapter 6 Quotes

He must act, he had to act. He must refuse to let Haber use him any longer as a tool. He must take his destiny into his own hands.

Related Characters: George Orr, Dr. William Haber
Page Number: 74
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

“Volcanoes emit fire.”

Related Characters: George Orr (speaker), Dr. William Haber
Related Symbols: Mount Hood
Page Number: 149
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

“They are of the dream time. I don’t understand it, I can’t say it in words. Everything dreams. The play of form, of being, is the dreaming of substance. Rocks have their dreams, and the earth changes … But when the mind becomes conscious, when the rate of evolution speeds up, then you have to be careful. Careful of the world. You must learn the way. You must learn the skills, the art, the limits. A conscious mind must be part of the whole, intentionally and carefully—as the rock is part of the whole unconsciously. Do you see? Does it mean anything to you?”

Related Characters: George Orr (speaker), Dr. William Haber, Heather Lelache, Tiua’k Ennbe Ennbe
Related Symbols: Mount Hood
Page Number: 167-168
Explanation and Analysis:

Destruction was not his line; and a machine is more blameless, more sinless even than any animal. It has no intentions whatsoever but our own.

Related Characters: George Orr, Dr. William Haber
Page Number: 174
Explanation and Analysis:

After a while the big body moved, and presently sat up. It was all slack and loose. The massive, handsome head hung between the shoulders. The mouth was loose. The eyes looked straight forward into the dark, into the void, into the unbeing at the center of William Haber; they were no longer opaque, they were empty.

Related Characters: George Orr, Dr. William Haber
Page Number: 174
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Lathe of Heaven PDF

Augmentor Term Timeline in The Lathe of Heaven

The timeline below shows where the term Augmentor appears in The Lathe of Heaven. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2 
Dreams and the Limitations of Knowledge  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...that occurred during d-sleep, and eventually creating a complex device called the Dream Machine, or Augmentor, which can make the brain of the person hooked up to it dream in a... (full context)
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...waking or hypnotized state and a dreaming state. Haber then explains that he’ll use the Augmentor to force Orr into a dream state, thereby increasing the likelihood that Orr will have... (full context)
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
Dreams and the Limitations of Knowledge  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...Haber says “Antwerp,” and the lines on the EEG screen become “stronger and slower.” The Augmentor records Orr’s s-sleep patterns. Suddenly, the lines become quicker, marking Orr’s entrance into the d-state.... (full context)
Chapter 3
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
Dreams and the Limitations of Knowledge  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...voice, Haber commends Orr’s ability to “dream to order,” follow hypnosuggestions, and respond to the Augmentor, which is great, since Haber would prefer not to treat Orr with drugs, as the... (full context)
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
Dreams and the Limitations of Knowledge  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
...Orr only has effective dreams once a month. Though under Haber’s care, and with the Augmentor keeping him in the d-sleep phase, he’s had three in the last two days. Orr... (full context)
Chapter 4
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
Dreams and the Limitations of Knowledge  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...this ability “for ends of his own, without [Orr’s] consent.” He tells her about the Augmentor. Still, Orr insists that Haber isn’t an evil scientist; on the contrary, Orr is sure... (full context)
Chapter 5
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...p.m. today, and a HEW inspector will be there to observe their session with the Augmentor. Haber grumbles about the “Goddamn Government prying,” and the way his many successes have made... (full context)
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...improving with treatment. Lelache asks Haber to describe this treatment, and Haber describes how the Augmentor produces stimuli encouraging dreaming.  (full context)
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
Lelache presses further, asking Haber what the Augmentor actually does. Lelache’s nosiness annoys Haber, but he tries not to show it. Haber describes... (full context)
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
...screen as he does so. Then he commands Orr to sleep and turns on the Augmentor, which makes Orr descend into the d-state of sleep. Haber explains to Lelache that Orr’s... (full context)
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
Haber turns off the Augmentor once Orr is deep inside his dream. He and Lelache watch the EEG screen, waiting... (full context)
Chapter 7
Dreams and the Limitations of Knowledge  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...Heather tells Orr that he didn’t create the Aliens on his own: Haber and the Augmentor had coerced him into doing it. Orr has been addressing Heather as Miss Lelache up... (full context)
Chapter 8
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
Dreams and the Limitations of Knowledge  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...Sleep Lab One, and Haber announces that he’s figured out a way to make the Augmentor replicate Orr’s d-state brainwaves. Now, Haber will be able to hook up Orr to the... (full context)
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...Heather to run to the basement and turn on the Emergency Generator to power the Augmentor. (full context)
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
Dreams and the Limitations of Knowledge  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...him to stop the Alien invasion and restore peace for “everybody.” Haber turns on the Augmentor to guide Orr into the d-state, but before he can look at the EEG screen,... (full context)
Dreams and the Limitations of Knowledge  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
Haber wraps himself around the Augmentor to protect it while keeping a close eye on the Alien ship hovering outside the... (full context)
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
Dreams and the Limitations of Knowledge  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...dreaming Orr and realizes that his dreams haven’t changed anything. Haber then turns off the Augmentor, wakes up Orr, and orders him to summarize his dream. To Haber’s frustration, Orr merely... (full context)
Chapter 9
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
Dreams and the Limitations of Knowledge  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...of things like geography and “human nature.” Ever since Haber learned how to use the Augmentor to exercise more precise control over Orr’s dreams, though, this continuity has begun to dissolve.... (full context)
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...enters Haber’s magnificent, half-acre office suite. Haber is in his office making adjustments to the Augmentor. Haber calls hello to Orr but doesn’t get up from his work to greet him.... (full context)
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
Dreams and the Limitations of Knowledge  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
After Haber finishes working on the Augmentor, he tells Orr they’re going to try something new today and attach him to the... (full context)
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
Dreams and the Limitations of Knowledge  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
Haber tells Orr to keep his eyes open.  He switches on the Augmentor, and Orr is walking around downtown when an Alien bumps into him. Orr apologizes, and... (full context)
Dreams and the Limitations of Knowledge  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...Orr’s thoughts had produced odd, intense brainwaves in his cortex without being supplemented by the Augmentor. Haber demands to know what Orr was thinking. Orr is extremely reluctant to pass along... (full context)
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
Dreams and the Limitations of Knowledge  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...ago. When Orr comes to, he assumes his good feelings were the work of the Augmentor, but Haber, barely concealing his irritation, tells him the device isn’t doing anything. They begin... (full context)
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
Dreams and the Limitations of Knowledge  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...that he’s on the cusp of a breakthrough: he’ll soon be able to use the Augmentor to induce effective dreaming in anyone and will no longer need Orr. Until then, Haber... (full context)
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...after they’ve made so much progress, but Orr disagrees: the more Haber experiments with the Augmentor, the worse the world becomes, and Orr thinks the worst is yet to come if... (full context)
Chapter 10
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
As Heather watches Orr sleep, Haber turns on the Augmentor. He fiddles with the equipment as Orr drifts between dreams. Haber alternates between observing Orr... (full context)
Dreams and the Limitations of Knowledge  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...enters Heather’s head and refuses to leave. Suddenly, Orr wakes up. Haber is livid. The Augmentor was stimulating Orr with d-state patterns, which should have made him dream—not wake up. Haber... (full context)
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
Dreams and the Limitations of Knowledge  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...final plea to Haber to say the Alien word “Er’ perrehnne” before he uses the Augmentor on himself, which will give him “a little help from your friends.” Heather thinks Orr’s... (full context)
The Limits of Utilitarianism  Theme Icon
Dreams and the Limitations of Knowledge  Theme Icon
Cosmic Balance  Theme Icon
Power and Selfishness  Theme Icon
...room is cold, dark, and spinning. Orr can’t see a thing, but he locates the Augmentor by touch and turns it off, which propels the world back into existence. Orr and... (full context)