1 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:05,920 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind from how Stuff 2 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hey, welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind. 3 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: My name is Robert Lamb and I'm Julie Douglas. And 4 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 1: this week we are talking about sensory deprivation. Uh. This 5 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 1: is an interesting stuff that we've we've touched on here 6 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 1: and there in the past, but we are this time. 7 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: We are talking about the tank. We're talking about the water. 8 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: We're talking about immersing yourself in what John C. Lily 9 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: referred to in the introduction to the Beak self as 10 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: the womb to tomb wet box, which sounds lovely, right, Yeah, 11 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:44,559 Speaker 1: I want that for myself. But I kind of do 12 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 1: want that for myself, just because I have seen these 13 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: wonderful photos of people floating around in the Dead Sea, 14 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 1: which is full of water, right, people live, people with 15 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 1: these beatific smiles on their face. And apparently the salt 16 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: content is is makes the water so buoyant that it 17 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: feels like this sort of zero gravity experience. So I've 18 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 1: always thought that seems pretty neat. Um, what's the deal 19 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 1: with that? Well, you can have that sort of experience, 20 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: albeit in this sort of tomb like coffin. Uh. Well, 21 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:17,479 Speaker 1: I wouldn't. I mean, yes, it is kind of coffin esque, 22 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:19,680 Speaker 1: but I wouldn't, you know, I think of it more 23 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: of as a more of a like a space sarcophagus. 24 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 1: You know, there are there are different iterations of it, 25 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:27,960 Speaker 1: and some of them look really slick and very much 26 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: like they would be on some sort of spacecraft. And yeah, 27 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: like I like to think of, you know, like those 28 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 1: those pods that people you know enjoy hyper sleep then 29 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:42,759 Speaker 1: in the science fiction stories. Exactly right, Um, so this 30 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 1: is you know, this is this idea of the suspended hibernation. 31 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 1: This this idea that we could have a forced shutdown 32 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: of our brain without dying, and perhaps there would be 33 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: some sort of benefit to it. And there's a long 34 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: tradition of studying this, the sensory deprivation which causes this 35 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 1: this forced shutdown. So we're going to discuss some of 36 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 1: that today, and I thought it would probably be helpful 37 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:10,959 Speaker 1: to talk a little bit about, um some of our 38 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: other podcast episodes before, particularly Splendid Isolation, when we talked 39 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:20,079 Speaker 1: about what happens when, um, you are isolated and when 40 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 1: your senses are deprived of stimuli, and also touch on 41 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: the default mode network. Really quickly because we talked about 42 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: this with the science of hallucinogens. We've talked about it 43 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 1: meditation and yoga. This idea that this part of your brain, 44 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: the default mode network, is causing that constant shatter buzz 45 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 1: in your brain which can sometimes lead to depression. Yeah, 46 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: so let's talk a little bit about the brain and 47 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: it's and it's sensory input. I like to think. I 48 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:52,840 Speaker 1: like to think of it this way. I invite everyone 49 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: else out there to think of the most media addicted 50 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:58,640 Speaker 1: person in your life. Uh, the person who is just 51 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 1: they're constantly on Twitter, They're constantly uh, you know, checking 52 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 1: their Facebook status, They're they're using four Square, they always 53 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 1: have earbuds in, uh, fingers typing away. They just have 54 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: to be connected to all these things. So they're like 55 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:14,239 Speaker 1: they're doing Twitter, they're doing live Twitter updates, while they're 56 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:17,800 Speaker 1: watching some show on t vow. Everything is connected. And 57 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 1: then what happens when you break them away, if you've 58 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 1: ever successfully broken them away from those things, that it 59 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: changes them. There's like a shock that goes through their system, 60 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,799 Speaker 1: sometimes for the better, maybe sometimes for the worst, but 61 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:32,080 Speaker 1: their sensory input has has has altered, and it has 62 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: altered how they feel about the world around them and 63 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: how they interact with the world around them. Well, on 64 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: a more basic level, sensory deprivation involves robbing the brain 65 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 1: of a lot of its inputs. Our brain is constantly 66 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 1: chewing on stuff. Uh, it's chewing on thoughts, and it's 67 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: chewing on all the sensory input that's coming into us. 68 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: It's chewing on the sites, the smells, the sounds, the taste, 69 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: various other senses that we've just discussed in the path 70 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: that are further down the list. But it's it's processing 71 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: all this, it's crunching it, it's making sense of the 72 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 1: world around it. And what happens when you cut off 73 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: even one or two or three of those senses, well, 74 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 1: you see that chatter go down, specifically in the medial 75 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 1: prefrontal prefrontal cortex, the medial parietal cortex, in the medial 76 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: temporal lobes, because this is where uh, most of the 77 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:25,160 Speaker 1: activity activity occurs when you have repetitive thoughts. It's sort 78 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 1: of the cohesive, the center of self, the ego of 79 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: the brain. And when you can shut down some of 80 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 1: that stimuli, well, then, as we've seen with meditation or 81 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,719 Speaker 1: with some of these studies with hallucinogens and depression. It 82 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: gets pretty quiet there, and that is the goal of 83 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 1: some of the sensory deprivation. So, as we've discussed before, 84 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 1: this ties into the basic eye story that ends up 85 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: clogging up most of our brains all the time, this 86 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:55,599 Speaker 1: story that we put ourselves at the center off and 87 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:58,480 Speaker 1: it's the constant chatter that's telling you, hey, you're you're 88 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 1: not doing it right, you're doing it wrong, you're really 89 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: screwing up this podcast, that kind of thing, and uh, 90 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:05,479 Speaker 1: and then you have to to shut that down in 91 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:09,840 Speaker 1: order to properly focus on anything that's right. So there 92 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 1: are a lot of benefits here for having sensory deprivation 93 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,840 Speaker 1: in your life, right, Um, But there is a dark 94 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: side to it. And in order for us to really 95 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:21,120 Speaker 1: get to the benefits of plunging yourself into a bunch 96 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: of water encapsulated, uh by walls around you, we should 97 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:31,599 Speaker 1: look at the CIA and some past experiments with sensory deprivation. Yes, 98 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:34,600 Speaker 1: I mean, we've discussed before in our episodes Splendid Isolation 99 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:38,040 Speaker 1: some of the the harmful effects of isolation on the 100 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 1: human mind because you can shut off a lot of 101 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 1: these these inputs and have beneficial effects as we were 102 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: going to discuss, but also the brain can have a 103 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:50,480 Speaker 1: tendency to sort of chew on itself in these situations. UM. 104 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: For instance, prisoners who have who have been isolated for 105 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:59,599 Speaker 1: long periods of time have been known to experience depression, despair, anxiety, rage, claustrophobia, hallucinations, 106 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: problem with impulse control uh, and impatability to think, concentrate, 107 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 1: or remember um tonitus, weakening get the immune system, uh, 108 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: premature menopause, aggressive behaviors, and prisoners, volunteers, animals. There's a 109 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:18,479 Speaker 1: whole list of dire consequences to shutting oneself off. So 110 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: for a long time it's been a It's also been 111 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:25,240 Speaker 1: used as a method of interrogation or even if you 112 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 1: want to use the more um harsh terminology here, soft torture. Um. 113 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: What is a way to induce a horrible state upon 114 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 1: upon a human mind without actually resorting to physical violence 115 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 1: and physical torture. Well, you just start shutting off the 116 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:46,160 Speaker 1: sensory input. You put them in a position where, uh, 117 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,359 Speaker 1: maybe they're not seeing, they're not hearing. Uh. So some 118 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:52,480 Speaker 1: of the experience were we're looking at involved even even 119 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 1: you're like putting the equivalent of thick gloves on or 120 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:57,360 Speaker 1: cardboard tubes around the arms, so they can't even get 121 00:06:57,400 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 1: any kind of sensation that way, putting them in a 122 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 1: space that essentially just has room for a bed. In 123 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:05,839 Speaker 1: some cases you see the use of hoods, two heavy 124 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:10,239 Speaker 1: thick hoods that also uh contribute to even more dampening 125 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 1: of sound, or the use of white noise your phones 126 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:16,560 Speaker 1: to to clog the mind with with with just this 127 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: constant white noise. Yeah, I mean, essentially what we're talking 128 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 1: about is taking away the chew toys of the mind. 129 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 1: And you just described doctor David Hebb's experiment and he 130 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 1: did this and I believe in the fifties and the sixties. 131 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 1: In one study, he had student volunteers at McGill University 132 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 1: where he was the head of psychology, and he put 133 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 1: them in an air conditioned cubicle, as you said, just 134 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 1: a room enough for a bed. He placed goggles, gloves, 135 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: and ear muffs on them, and then he piped in 136 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: some white noise. And he had hoped to observe them 137 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:49,040 Speaker 1: for up to six weeks. That's what he thought he 138 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 1: could get out of this. He could see this gradual 139 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: deterioration of the mind. But it turns out that those 140 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 1: students lasted for only two days in twenty four hours, 141 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 1: hallucinations begin in in forty eight hours. They suffered a 142 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: complete breakdown. And these students, by the way, we're not 143 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:08,160 Speaker 1: primed at all for this experience. Nobody was. In fact, 144 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 1: the students all came in with this idea that they 145 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: were going to get a lot of work done. There 146 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 1: was one student who was going to work on a presentation, 147 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 1: so they thought that they'd have this quiet, nice time, uh, 148 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: for their mind to really dwell in. But once you 149 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 1: took away from these basic stimulized it was just sort 150 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:27,119 Speaker 1: of wrecked them. Yeah, I believe this was the study 151 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: was Originally he was open to conduct it for about 152 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 1: six weeks, and it just did not last that long. 153 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 1: Like you said, we're talking ended up more like a 154 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:37,920 Speaker 1: few days at most with the participants. Yeah. Actually, the 155 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 1: BBC had a documentary called or they have a documentary 156 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 1: called Alone the Brain, Sensory Deprivation and Isolation, and it 157 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 1: recreated Hebb's experiment and it just was pretty awful. In fact, 158 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:51,559 Speaker 1: the person who suffered the most was a comedian who 159 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:53,680 Speaker 1: was so used to this sort of back and forth 160 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 1: of stimuli with his fellow humans that you know, he 161 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 1: was the first to fall apart. Yeah, star of a 162 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 1: comedian of his or her audience and U and it's 163 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:07,120 Speaker 1: gonna are gonna be dire consequences. All right, Well, let's 164 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 1: talk about these sensory deprivation tanks that we encounter today. 165 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,320 Speaker 1: If you live in a larger area, chances are there's 166 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:16,440 Speaker 1: at least one that you might be able to find 167 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 1: in your area. I know in the Atlanta area there 168 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:21,720 Speaker 1: seems to be mainly one place to go, I understand. 169 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:24,679 Speaker 1: In New York City even they're only a handful of possibilities. 170 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 1: Some individuals who are really into sensory deprivation make own 171 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 1: their own tanks, and there are people out there who 172 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 1: will sell you one. Michael Crton, by the way, has one. 173 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:36,200 Speaker 1: He had one. He has one. Well he's dead, alright, 174 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: he had one. Um though there are various interpretations of 175 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 1: of of what that might might consist of, but in 176 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:46,080 Speaker 1: a sense, he does have one. Now I think I 177 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 1: don't know the details of his burial, but I mean, 178 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 1: you know, defined has Yeah, right, was this re arranged atoms? 179 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:53,319 Speaker 1: But that makes sense? You know, he was. He was 180 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:55,560 Speaker 1: a thoughtful individual. I can imagine him. He probably had 181 00:09:55,559 --> 00:09:56,760 Speaker 1: to get an extra big one though he was a 182 00:09:56,880 --> 00:09:59,559 Speaker 1: very tall man. I don't know, but I mean, but 183 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:02,559 Speaker 1: apparently this was something that was This is very helpful 184 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: to people in the arts, also athletes as well. Yeah, 185 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 1: a lot of the benefits, which we'll get into uh here, 186 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 1: involved benefits to creative individuals who are trying to think 187 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:19,080 Speaker 1: creatively about various tasks, individuals sustained various injuries or bodily trauma, 188 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:22,680 Speaker 1: people dealing with with with depression. Um, if it's coupled 189 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 1: with the right amount of psychotherapy as well. But but 190 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:30,559 Speaker 1: what are we talking about here. Sensory tank is essentially 191 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:34,679 Speaker 1: the dead sea inside of a container. Like we're talking earlier. 192 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 1: The idea that you're gonna have a salty broth to 193 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 1: float in, and the chamber itself is uh is soundproof. 194 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 1: There's no light. You're just floating as if as if 195 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:50,959 Speaker 1: in the womb. Yes, and salty womb. And this is 196 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 1: from the somebody manufacturer. One of the manufacturer of these 197 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: tanks says the float tank is a little larger um 198 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 1: than a twin size bed and about chess tie. It 199 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:04,280 Speaker 1: contains ten inches of water to which so much epps 200 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:07,240 Speaker 1: and salts have been added that when you get in 201 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 1: and lie on your back, you are pushed to the 202 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:11,320 Speaker 1: surface so that you float like a cork weight list 203 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:13,640 Speaker 1: as an astronaut in space. Now when they talk about 204 00:11:13,679 --> 00:11:16,040 Speaker 1: a lot of salt here, they're talking about eight hundred 205 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:20,960 Speaker 1: pounds of epps and salt in this uh this pool here. Uh. 206 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:22,960 Speaker 1: There is a lightweight door that you can leave open, 207 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 1: or if you want to get rid of the distractions 208 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: of noise and light, you can close the door. You 209 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:29,480 Speaker 1: can also put your plugs in, purportedly helped with not 210 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: getting the water into your ears. Yeah and yeah, it's 211 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 1: that sound counseling canceling and all I believe. Um and 212 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:37,199 Speaker 1: and also worth knowing you mentioned the door. The door 213 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:39,680 Speaker 1: is not locked. You're not sealed in here like a tomb. 214 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 1: So if you do have a need to get out, 215 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:45,280 Speaker 1: be it physical or or or mental, um, it's it's 216 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:47,520 Speaker 1: easy to do. So okay. So the cool thing about 217 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 1: this though, in case your germophobe, is that between floating sessions, 218 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:53,840 Speaker 1: the water is filtered and sterilized with UV light on 219 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: a regular basis and hydrogen brock side is poured into 220 00:11:57,280 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: the water for of course more hygienic. So it's not 221 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 1: like just a giant footpath at a at a cheap 222 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 1: nail salon exactly. So, so if someone peas in the pool, 223 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:12,560 Speaker 1: don't worry about that. I can imagine asking that when 224 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:14,319 Speaker 1: one goes in. You know, is it okay to pee 225 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: in the in the isolation chamber in the century deporation chamber. 226 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:22,199 Speaker 1: I dare you. I will not bring it up, but 227 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 1: I mean it might be in the literature when you 228 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:26,000 Speaker 1: sign out. I mean I should have mentioned that I've 229 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:28,680 Speaker 1: not used one of these yet, but but I do 230 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 1: intend to at some point. We both are going to 231 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 1: this yeah, um and uh so so, but we wanted 232 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:39,360 Speaker 1: to go ahead and cover it in the podcast right now, 233 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:41,520 Speaker 1: talk about it, talk about sort of the limited studies 234 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:43,719 Speaker 1: that surround this, and then have the experience for me 235 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:45,280 Speaker 1: to talk about it, and then we can draw in 236 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 1: personal experience. Yeah, we don't want to prime our brains 237 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 1: too much. Um. But anyway, these these things, Uh, they 238 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:54,160 Speaker 1: gained popularity in the sixties and seventies and the eighties 239 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 1: they started to want a bit um, but they have 240 00:12:56,480 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 1: made a resurgence. Excellent, Yeah, because you did have that 241 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:04,720 Speaker 1: first first real push for the for the sensory deprivation tank, 242 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 1: especially based on the work of John C. Lily. Uh 243 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:11,800 Speaker 1: Dr suit Field will be getting into these guys in 244 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:14,000 Speaker 1: a bit, um, And I guess, like a lot of 245 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:16,360 Speaker 1: these things that you guys out for a little bit 246 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:19,079 Speaker 1: and then people get old, older they may be, and 247 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:21,760 Speaker 1: maybe the isolation tank just becomes a place where restore 248 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 1: some tools. It just sets empty in the backyard and 249 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:27,599 Speaker 1: occasionally you have to explain it to some guests. But 250 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:31,079 Speaker 1: now you have you have people that are rediscovering exactly 251 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 1: what what this uh technology or or methodology can do 252 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:38,200 Speaker 1: for one. Yeah, and well we will dive into the 253 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 1: tank in a moment. We're gonna take a quick break. 254 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 1: When we get back, we will talk about John cy 255 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 1: Lily to be patron saint of LFD and Galpin Science 256 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 1: and I will be right now. All right, we're back, 257 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 1: and uh let's talk a little bit about John C. Lily. 258 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:05,880 Speaker 1: We have discussed him in one episode in detail and 259 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 1: he's coming to time or two since then. Um, well, 260 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: now we probably miss him a couple of times in detail. 261 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 1: Because John C. Lily made his name in the field 262 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:21,080 Speaker 1: of electronic brain stimulation. Uh, in the field of dolphin communication, 263 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:23,960 Speaker 1: and in the in the end, in the field of 264 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 1: just progressively crazier and eventually unfunded research. Yeah. Although he 265 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 1: started out being funded by the Naval Institute and by 266 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:34,000 Speaker 1: the National Institute of Mental Health, but as you say, 267 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:39,040 Speaker 1: his studies, his experiments became a little bit more fringe. Well, 268 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:41,640 Speaker 1: of course he lost his funding. But this is someone 269 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:46,360 Speaker 1: who is was steeped in science, at least pure science 270 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 1: in the beginnings, and then it kind of got muddled. Yeah, 271 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 1: I would argue that he never you know, he never 272 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 1: ceased being being a very brilliant, thought provoking man. It's 273 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:57,040 Speaker 1: just in the early stages he was more of a 274 00:14:57,040 --> 00:15:01,200 Speaker 1: pure scientist, and his work and his and his curiosity 275 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 1: became more and more esoteric as the as the decades 276 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:07,160 Speaker 1: rolled on, and well in the influence of his own 277 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:10,720 Speaker 1: studies of LSD, which he used himself as a subject 278 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 1: quite a bit. Yeah, generally, Yeah, combining sensory deprivation tank 279 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:19,120 Speaker 1: with a large amount of LSD two to create the 280 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:22,560 Speaker 1: expected results. As he attempted to at times to communicate 281 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 1: with dolphins, and not only dolphins as we know them, 282 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 1: but dolphins as this kind of pan dimensional creature. Remember too, 283 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: this is the guy who took a two bedroom house 284 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:36,440 Speaker 1: and he submersed it in water input one of those 285 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:40,680 Speaker 1: female research assistance in with a dolphin and uh, the 286 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 1: dolphin and the female had a sort of relationship. And 287 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:46,600 Speaker 1: I will leave it at that. But so this is 288 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:49,840 Speaker 1: someone who's thinking outside of the box. And the tank. Yes, 289 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:53,920 Speaker 1: now his tank was pretty hardcore. Um. This is you know, 290 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:56,040 Speaker 1: the older day, the early days, the cowboy days of 291 00:15:56,080 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 1: sensory deprivation tanks, where you you really needed to go 292 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:00,480 Speaker 1: out and build your own design, in your own if 293 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:02,920 Speaker 1: you got exactly what the specs were gonna be. So 294 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: temperature regulated, salt filled, soundproof, lightproof tank. Um. And in 295 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:09,960 Speaker 1: this one, you though there was no just sort of 296 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:12,240 Speaker 1: gently floating on top of the water. You were submerged 297 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 1: up to the very top of your head. Yeah. This 298 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 1: is the pre salt one hundred and sixty gallons of water. Yes, 299 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:22,440 Speaker 1: and uh, and so your head is basically encased in 300 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 1: this uh this latex mask, like wrapped in a latex 301 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 1: with these uh, with with these these breathing holes coming 302 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 1: out front from it. It's called a blackout mask. And 303 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:36,280 Speaker 1: it it looked if you imagine something that you might 304 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:38,840 Speaker 1: see and say, you know, a nine inch Nails video 305 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 1: from from the nineties or at some sort of a 306 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:44,960 Speaker 1: fetish club or something that this is about what the 307 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:47,400 Speaker 1: black out mask looking. Yeah, I was thinking about the 308 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:49,880 Speaker 1: gimp from pulp fiction. It looks kind of like a 309 00:16:49,960 --> 00:16:53,080 Speaker 1: gimp mask as designed by Dr SEUs. Yes, right, because 310 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:55,520 Speaker 1: that's where the air hose connected to the pump comes 311 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 1: in the susy and pump, I think, or if you've 312 00:16:57,320 --> 00:16:59,840 Speaker 1: ever seen anyone receiving some getting some sort of like 313 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:01,960 Speaker 1: Mountain Monster makeup for a movie and they you know, 314 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:04,360 Speaker 1: they put the straws in and they cowed them completely. 315 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:06,800 Speaker 1: It's that level of just wrapping your head up and 316 00:17:06,840 --> 00:17:10,120 Speaker 1: cutting off all of the sensory equipment from the outside world, 317 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:14,399 Speaker 1: in addition to being in this lightless soundproof tank and 318 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 1: possibly on LSD. Right. But the nice part of this 319 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:19,440 Speaker 1: is at the water I think you had mentioned is 320 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:22,680 Speaker 1: kept at thirty four degrees celsia's fore degrees franheight, so 321 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:26,200 Speaker 1: it was nice and warm. Yeah, contrary to the description, 322 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:29,480 Speaker 1: there was not a torture method. It was this was 323 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:32,639 Speaker 1: just an inability to again shut down the sensory and 324 00:17:32,640 --> 00:17:35,840 Speaker 1: put to the brain, uh, and go on this journey 325 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:40,920 Speaker 1: of self discovery or pan dimensional communication. Yeah. And so 326 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:43,840 Speaker 1: later on though, of course Lily figured out that he 327 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 1: could just fill this tank with a bunch of salt 328 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:49,000 Speaker 1: and have people float to the top. They didn't have 329 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:51,320 Speaker 1: to wear their latex mass because of course people were 330 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:55,320 Speaker 1: bothered by that, and he could still have his experiments. Um. 331 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:58,119 Speaker 1: And also, by the way, this tank was then um 332 00:17:58,359 --> 00:18:01,920 Speaker 1: sort of as you described, more of like a sarcophagus, 333 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:04,720 Speaker 1: and then you have no light source and you have 334 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:08,240 Speaker 1: the sort of quietude that you need um to have 335 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:11,040 Speaker 1: the sensory deprivation. Yeah. Now he wrote a lot about 336 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,840 Speaker 1: the the womb to tomb wet box and uh and 337 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:17,320 Speaker 1: and and with Lially, like a lot of people who 338 00:18:17,359 --> 00:18:19,560 Speaker 1: get into some crazy stuff, it's it's also easy to 339 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:21,280 Speaker 1: just discount him and say, oh, well, that's that's just 340 00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:23,920 Speaker 1: a crazy old man and in a tank of water 341 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 1: doing drugs. But a lot of what he said, even 342 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:29,680 Speaker 1: you know, as he went further down the French path, 343 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:32,199 Speaker 1: a lot of it still lines up with what we 344 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:34,560 Speaker 1: know about the one in the Workings of the human mind, 345 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:38,240 Speaker 1: about the default mode network. UM. One quick quote here 346 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:41,480 Speaker 1: from from his book. At the highest level of satory 347 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:44,359 Speaker 1: which people from which people returned, the point of consciousness 348 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:46,920 Speaker 1: becomes a surface or a solid which extends through the 349 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:49,879 Speaker 1: whole universe. It was in this state that I experienced 350 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:53,280 Speaker 1: myself as melded and intertwined with hundreds of billions of 351 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:55,680 Speaker 1: other beings in a thin sheet of consciousness that was 352 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 1: distributed around the galaxy a membrane. So, on one hand, 353 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:02,919 Speaker 1: that does sound like maybe a lot of hippie trippy nonsense. 354 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:08,000 Speaker 1: But this idea of like voices shutting down, a consciousness 355 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:14,359 Speaker 1: becoming like a a single featureless plane, uh, lines up 356 00:19:15,119 --> 00:19:17,359 Speaker 1: with a lot of what we know about just having 357 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:19,760 Speaker 1: a calm mind, about calming the mind, about shutting down 358 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:23,240 Speaker 1: the default network. Well, I was thinking about his experience 359 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:27,400 Speaker 1: and then other people's experiences minus the LSD, and how 360 00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:31,040 Speaker 1: they all share that sort of overview effect that astronauts 361 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:35,320 Speaker 1: sometimes experience when they look at the Earth UM and 362 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:38,159 Speaker 1: they get that sense of unity and the shedding of 363 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 1: the self, the shutting of the ego. So that's something 364 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:43,640 Speaker 1: that his experience has in common with with a bunch 365 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:48,720 Speaker 1: of other people. UM. But again, most people who have 366 00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:52,200 Speaker 1: undergone this sensory deprivation in the tank. Do not have 367 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:55,440 Speaker 1: that experience that he had where he had the conferences 368 00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:59,119 Speaker 1: of the three entities or whatever sort of aliens or 369 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,359 Speaker 1: other being that came to him. So that probably was 370 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:05,600 Speaker 1: part and parcel of the hallucinogens that he was taking. 371 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:08,480 Speaker 1: But as we've discussed with hallucinations before, there are hallucinations 372 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:11,480 Speaker 1: in their hallucination, their drug induced hallucinations, but there there 373 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:17,440 Speaker 1: are hallucinations produced just entirely by by non um illicit methods. 374 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:19,359 Speaker 1: I'm glad you brought that up. So I just thinking 375 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:21,440 Speaker 1: about that. I was thinking that when you don't have 376 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:24,640 Speaker 1: the stimuli, just like when we talked about lilcution hallucinations, 377 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:28,080 Speaker 1: the brain will make something up UM. So, yeah, you're right, 378 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:30,920 Speaker 1: there are degrees to it and there are sources of it. Yeah. 379 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:33,360 Speaker 1: I was actually looking at two thousand four study that 380 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:38,120 Speaker 1: found it during prolonged blindfolding experiments with cited individuals, they 381 00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:41,000 Speaker 1: experienced visual hallucinations. And then there's a two thousand and 382 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:44,680 Speaker 1: nine study from a Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, 383 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 1: University College London. I would have time that just fifteen 384 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:50,600 Speaker 1: minutes of near total sensory deprivation was enough to trigger 385 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 1: vivid hallucinations in many of its test subjects. So again, 386 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:58,560 Speaker 1: no LSD required when dealing with a sensory deprivation tank. 387 00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:02,800 Speaker 1: And that's one of the appeals to some users of it, okay, 388 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:05,879 Speaker 1: is that the anarchic chamber the two thousand and nine study. 389 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:07,959 Speaker 1: I think i'd read the same thing about the fifteen 390 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:12,399 Speaker 1: minute yes Yes, which is a sort of different stimulation 391 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:15,560 Speaker 1: or the lack of stimulation, which we'll talk about an 392 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:18,639 Speaker 1: upcoming episode. But that's interesting to know that's just taking 393 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:24,320 Speaker 1: out that one bit would induce hallucinations. So enter Dr 394 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:28,120 Speaker 1: Peter Suitfeld. Yes, this is another individual who has had 395 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:30,119 Speaker 1: a lot to say and a lot of influence on 396 00:21:30,119 --> 00:21:34,760 Speaker 1: our modern understanding of sensory deprivation. UM. He quickly uh 397 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:37,879 Speaker 1: fell in love with the with the with the technology, 398 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:40,199 Speaker 1: the methodology, and it was one of the individuals who 399 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:43,040 Speaker 1: owns his own tank. Well you know too that he 400 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:46,280 Speaker 1: UM When he was a lad in school, he actually 401 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 1: underwent some sensory deprivation UH studies and that's how he 402 00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:54,399 Speaker 1: got interested in it himself, and uh so that fueled 403 00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:56,640 Speaker 1: his interest in the field, and he received his PhD 404 00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:59,560 Speaker 1: from Princeton and had Psychology Departments of Rutgers and the 405 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:02,920 Speaker 1: Universe be of British Columbia, where he ran tank studies 406 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:05,399 Speaker 1: for years in the labs there, and his work has 407 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:08,919 Speaker 1: led him to be a consultant with NASA and the 408 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 1: Canadian Space Agency regarding the effects of launderation, space flights 409 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:16,720 Speaker 1: and monotonous environments. As you can imagine, you know, running 410 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:20,440 Speaker 1: labs and something with UM with this womb to tomb 411 00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:22,840 Speaker 1: instrument is going to give you a lot of data 412 00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 1: on that, right, because what is the spaceship, but what 413 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 1: is the space station but a kind of sensory deprivation chamber. 414 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:32,200 Speaker 1: You're cut off from the world, You're cut off from 415 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:33,560 Speaker 1: a lot of your senses, and a lot of your 416 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:36,800 Speaker 1: senses are altered in one way or another. So's it's 417 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:39,000 Speaker 1: a great way to study what this is like and 418 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:41,280 Speaker 1: what it will be like. Uh, you know, presumably when 419 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:46,400 Speaker 1: we started dealing with longer term journeys or stays in space. Yeah, um. 420 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:49,199 Speaker 1: Sub field studies have shown that tank sessions can be 421 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:53,399 Speaker 1: used to treat autonomic nervous system problems like chronic pain, 422 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:56,679 Speaker 1: high blood pressure, and motion disorders. Of course, motion is 423 00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:59,280 Speaker 1: what it would be really great in space right. Um. 424 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:02,560 Speaker 1: He also aims that the tank shifts our brains focused 425 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:06,400 Speaker 1: from its dominant to its non dominant hemisphere, which has 426 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:09,359 Speaker 1: various benefits. He says in in a Slate article about 427 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:12,920 Speaker 1: floating by Seth Stevenson quote, but God only knows why 428 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:16,399 Speaker 1: hemisphere balance is affected. We can't yet fit a brain 429 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:18,560 Speaker 1: scanner in a tank or get the scanner wet for 430 00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:21,119 Speaker 1: that manner. Yeah, that's definitely one of the limitations on 431 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:24,439 Speaker 1: studying the effects of this. Uh, he can't get the 432 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,480 Speaker 1: scanner in the tank. Um. But but his work has 433 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:29,600 Speaker 1: has been pretty impressive, and that he has he has 434 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:32,360 Speaker 1: not gone in the direction of communication with dolphin aliens, 435 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:33,959 Speaker 1: but indeed his work has been in it has been 436 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:36,199 Speaker 1: very interesting, and that it has not gone with in 437 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:39,480 Speaker 1: the direction of communicating with aliens, but rather with with 438 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:44,639 Speaker 1: solving some real world problems such as again depression, mental disorders, 439 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:49,399 Speaker 1: chronic pain, chronic pain. And I kept thinking when I 440 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:52,920 Speaker 1: was looking at the information about the non dominant hemisphere, 441 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:55,600 Speaker 1: about how you switch from your dominant your nondominant, about 442 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:58,119 Speaker 1: the neuroscientists, and her name escapes me right now. But 443 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:00,359 Speaker 1: she has that great ted talk. It's called this stroke. 444 00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:04,959 Speaker 1: My stroke of insight, and she talks about that whole experience, 445 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:08,400 Speaker 1: about the left and right hemispheres of her brain sort 446 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:12,480 Speaker 1: of dissolving. And it reminded me a lot of what 447 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: people are talking about when they say they have this 448 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:18,320 Speaker 1: experience in the tank, this idea that your your brain 449 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:22,320 Speaker 1: is shutting off and that things are sort of melding 450 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:24,480 Speaker 1: into everything else. And so I thought, well, this is 451 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:29,280 Speaker 1: a very interesting experiment of the mind um and it 452 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:32,160 Speaker 1: will be once we can set a brain scanner into 453 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:35,000 Speaker 1: a tank, it'll be great to be able to see 454 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:37,800 Speaker 1: what is going on to sort of corroborate this. But 455 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:41,119 Speaker 1: just in terms of the the relaxation, the stillness of 456 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:44,840 Speaker 1: mind that one can can experience with a sensory deprivation tank, 457 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:48,000 Speaker 1: I found this, uh, this quote from a spiel particularly interesting. 458 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:51,080 Speaker 1: And this is from Embracing the Void by Seth Stevenson, 459 00:24:51,119 --> 00:24:54,400 Speaker 1: which is really fantastic Slate article that deals with sensory 460 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:57,359 Speaker 1: deprivation tanks. Highly recommend checking that out. That The quote 461 00:24:57,400 --> 00:24:59,879 Speaker 1: is as follows. We had a zen master who is 462 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:01,800 Speaker 1: in my lab once and he asked to go into 463 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:03,480 Speaker 1: the tank for an hour. Most of his life he 464 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 1: had meditated every day for four or five hours or more, 465 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:09,000 Speaker 1: and he thought the depth of meditation he reached in 466 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 1: the tank was on par with a level he reached 467 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:15,480 Speaker 1: maybe once a year in his normal meditation environment, which 468 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:20,160 Speaker 1: is not exactly the middle of times square. He was amazed. Yeah, 469 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:22,600 Speaker 1: and that's again, this is what comes up again and again. 470 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:25,359 Speaker 1: It's this altered state that people are able to achieve. 471 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:26,919 Speaker 1: And in a way, it seems a little bit like 472 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:29,399 Speaker 1: a cheat, right, like, Okay, I'm not gonna meditate, but 473 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:31,679 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go into this tank for an hour and 474 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:36,399 Speaker 1: induce a meditative state and altered state in which, you know, 475 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:38,720 Speaker 1: a lot of my anxiety just melts away and as 476 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:42,399 Speaker 1: a result, you know, this chronic pain I'm experiencing um 477 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,960 Speaker 1: or this depression is alleviated. Well, good, I say, you know, 478 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:49,200 Speaker 1: it's a nice cheat. It's a good cheat. Um. But again, 479 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:51,920 Speaker 1: the I don't want to want to say the problem 480 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:54,240 Speaker 1: because it's I mean, it's a problem in the sense 481 00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 1: that we don't have really good empirical data yet, like 482 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:01,199 Speaker 1: brain scans to proper a lot of this, But we 483 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:05,640 Speaker 1: do have a ton of psychological studies that keep backing 484 00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:09,720 Speaker 1: it up, keep saying that it does have a beneficial 485 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:12,840 Speaker 1: effect on the mind and the body. There's a two 486 00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:15,720 Speaker 1: thousand and eight study that was published in Nova dot 487 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:19,560 Speaker 1: E d U. The title is Sensory Isolation and Flotation 488 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:22,280 Speaker 1: Tanks Altered states of consciousness and Effects on well being 489 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:25,480 Speaker 1: and that looked at eight Swedish participants, six of whom 490 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:28,800 Speaker 1: were female and to male age thirty five to sixty nine. 491 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:32,760 Speaker 1: They all had different socio economic backgrounds um they had 492 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:36,680 Speaker 1: various states of employment. Some people were retired from people 493 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:39,720 Speaker 1: were not, but they all complained of depression, burnout, and 494 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 1: chronic pain. And they took these these participants who all 495 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:46,560 Speaker 1: had experience with floating before, because the idea was, let's 496 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:48,800 Speaker 1: just get people in here who can quickly get into 497 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 1: the state and who have had experience with it, and 498 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:56,520 Speaker 1: let's begin to try to figure out these qualitative um 499 00:26:56,720 --> 00:26:59,879 Speaker 1: categories that we can begin to rely on to assess 500 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:02,960 Speaker 1: the experience. And they came up with like twenty one 501 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:08,320 Speaker 1: different categories from these really intensive interviews with these eight participants, 502 00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:11,399 Speaker 1: and everything from their motivation to float, to the types 503 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:15,160 Speaker 1: of sensory experiences like out of body experiences, level relaxation, 504 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:18,040 Speaker 1: and then to the extent to which it changed their 505 00:27:18,119 --> 00:27:21,160 Speaker 1: views on life. And the one thing that kept coming 506 00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:24,800 Speaker 1: up over and over again is this altered state. Um, 507 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:30,040 Speaker 1: it's not just about relaxation. It is changing of the mind, 508 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:33,199 Speaker 1: a changing of the mind's patterns. And they say, the 509 00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:35,440 Speaker 1: results of the studies showed that floating as a method 510 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:38,200 Speaker 1: generally that I'm quoting here from the paper perceived as 511 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:41,480 Speaker 1: pleasant and comfortable, that actual pain relief may be achieved, 512 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:44,879 Speaker 1: and that very deep relaxation may be attained. Furthermore, we 513 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:48,160 Speaker 1: show that altered states of consciousness are induced during the session. 514 00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 1: Examples of experiences during a s C. Altered states of 515 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:57,240 Speaker 1: consciousness are visual imagery, acoustic perceptual phenomena, an altered sense 516 00:27:57,280 --> 00:28:02,000 Speaker 1: of time, a changed bodily sense, paranatal experiences right the 517 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:06,960 Speaker 1: womb experiences, and even trans personal experiences. And they said, 518 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:08,720 Speaker 1: and they said that in all of these people, these 519 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:12,320 Speaker 1: were profound life altering experiences. And I couldn't help but 520 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:17,600 Speaker 1: think about those psilocybin yes, yeah, of people who underwent that, 521 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:20,760 Speaker 1: and um, it was it was a huge percentage of 522 00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:23,600 Speaker 1: that study who said this was a number one life 523 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:26,600 Speaker 1: altering experience for me, the psilocybin. Yeah. And these were 524 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:29,320 Speaker 1: individuals that in many cases, this is this is coming 525 00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:32,200 Speaker 1: after they have you met their their their their mate, 526 00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:34,920 Speaker 1: that they've had children, they've had all these various life experiences, 527 00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:39,280 Speaker 1: they've lost loved ones to illness or and or death. 528 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:41,960 Speaker 1: But um, but then that they were given the sup 529 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:44,440 Speaker 1: experience that changes the way they look at the world 530 00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:47,040 Speaker 1: and it becomes in a way, the defining moment of 531 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:49,440 Speaker 1: their life. Yeah. And and now I'm not saying that 532 00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:52,200 Speaker 1: this is apples to apples that floating is like psilocybin, 533 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:54,480 Speaker 1: but a lot of people have said this is a 534 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:57,480 Speaker 1: way to achieve and experience without drugs. Yeah, it also 535 00:28:57,520 --> 00:28:59,800 Speaker 1: reminds there was looking at another study of floatation rest 536 00:28:59,840 --> 00:29:03,960 Speaker 1: and a applied psycho physiology by Thomas H. Fine and 537 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:07,880 Speaker 1: Rhetoric Bori, and they were they were looking at the 538 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:11,600 Speaker 1: way it can can be used in the psychotherapy and 539 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:13,240 Speaker 1: and they they stressed that you know, you can't just 540 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:17,480 Speaker 1: throw somebody into an isolation tank and expect the results. 541 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:20,200 Speaker 1: That it needs to be paired with with a certain 542 00:29:20,240 --> 00:29:23,920 Speaker 1: amount of prepping, a certain amount of pre programming and 543 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 1: and therapy too, so that they'll have the inter with 544 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:29,000 Speaker 1: the right frame of mind and have the right expectations 545 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:30,680 Speaker 1: of it, and that was lining up a lot with 546 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:32,920 Speaker 1: some of these these studies we've looked at where they've 547 00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:37,959 Speaker 1: looked at the use of psychedelics and treatment in uh 548 00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:42,160 Speaker 1: oh and nicotine addiction in UH in depression, end of 549 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:46,480 Speaker 1: life care, and terminal diseases. Yea. So priming becomes very 550 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:48,960 Speaker 1: important even in this I was thinking about that. I 551 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:50,560 Speaker 1: thought I'm gonna have to do a good amount of 552 00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:55,160 Speaker 1: priming before I go in. UM. But I wanted to 553 00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:59,160 Speaker 1: mention this little tidbit from an Ionine article called Everything 554 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:01,440 Speaker 1: You Ever Wanted to Do about some free deprivation chambers. 555 00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:03,840 Speaker 1: Uh it says that reports of a heightened sense of 556 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 1: introspection and out of body experiences by tank users mirror 557 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:10,120 Speaker 1: those of people with extensive experience and meditation. So you 558 00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:12,960 Speaker 1: talked about the end master, and both practices have been 559 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:16,880 Speaker 1: linked to decreased alpha waves and increased theta waves in 560 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:19,400 Speaker 1: the brain. And these are patterns that are typically found 561 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 1: in sleeping states. So again there's this idea that you 562 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:26,040 Speaker 1: are resetting your brain, that you are tinkering with it, 563 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:31,520 Speaker 1: although without the aid of any sort of hallucinogen or substance. Yea. 564 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:34,520 Speaker 1: So there you have it. Uh there is some basic 565 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:37,800 Speaker 1: intro material there for you to the sensory deprivation tank, 566 00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:40,760 Speaker 1: what it consists of, how we kind of got here 567 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:43,520 Speaker 1: with it, what some of the studies say, what some 568 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 1: of what some of its more curious historical tidbits happened 569 00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 1: to be. And indeed, in the weeks ahead, we're going 570 00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:55,200 Speaker 1: to set out to enter the sensory deprivation tanks ourselves. Yes, 571 00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:58,120 Speaker 1: and we will make sure to follow up either in 572 00:30:58,160 --> 00:31:02,040 Speaker 1: another podcast or video or or I don't know. We're 573 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:04,320 Speaker 1: so we're your dreams the media through through your dreams 574 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 1: as possibility h our new a pandimensional media option where 575 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:10,760 Speaker 1: you can you can tune in directly through our minds 576 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:14,600 Speaker 1: to social media. Thank you have to buy your own 577 00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:17,880 Speaker 1: sensory deprivation tank or rent one to actually tune in, 578 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:19,480 Speaker 1: but it's it's worth it. It's like a like a 579 00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 1: Google hangout inside your mind. So in the meantime, if 580 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:25,760 Speaker 1: you would like to reach out to us, uh, you 581 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:28,440 Speaker 1: know the various ways of doing it. Certainly, if you 582 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:32,440 Speaker 1: have entered a sensory deprivation tank before and had an 583 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:37,080 Speaker 1: interesting experience there, or even a non interesting experience, either way, 584 00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:38,840 Speaker 1: let us know about it. We'd love to hear your 585 00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:43,000 Speaker 1: thoughts on this, this particular way of shutting down portions 586 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 1: of the mind and maybe opening up others. You can 587 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:47,280 Speaker 1: find us at the mother Ship at stuff to Blow 588 00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:49,120 Speaker 1: your Mind dot com. You can find us at our 589 00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:51,240 Speaker 1: Facebook account, where we're stuff to Blow your Mind. You 590 00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:53,320 Speaker 1: can find us on Twitter where our handles blow the Mind. 591 00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:56,640 Speaker 1: On tumbler, we are stuff to Blow your Mind on there, 592 00:31:56,920 --> 00:31:59,840 Speaker 1: and over on YouTube, we have a channel that goes 593 00:31:59,840 --> 00:32:02,880 Speaker 1: by the name Mind Stuff Show. And you can also 594 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:05,719 Speaker 1: drop us a line at below the Mind at Discovery 595 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:14,000 Speaker 1: dot com for more on this and thousands of other topics. 596 00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:21,600 Speaker 1: Is it how Stuff Works dot com