I’ve become very intrigued by alternate states of consciousness. This intrigue began when I was introduced to the concept of the mental “flow state” and also read a piece shortly thereafter about how an artist perceives the world. This lead me to realize that we actually experience altered states of consciousness naturally, and they’re quite incredible.
I’ll probably talk more about this sometime soon, but I wanted to introduce something I’m going to be trying this weekend–The Sensory Deprivation Tank.
Here’s a bit of the history from wikipedia:
In neurophysiology, there had been an open question as to what keeps the brain going and the origin of its energy sources. One hypothesis was that the energy sources are biological and internal and do not depend upon the outside environment. It was argued that if all stimuli are cut off to the brain then the brain would go to sleep. [In 1954] Lilly decided to test this hypothesis and, with this in mind, created an environment which totally isolated an individual from external stimulation. From here, he studied the origin of consciousness and its relation to the brain.
A sensory deprivation tank is an enclosure that contains highly concentrated salt water that is dense enough that humans can easily float in the water. The tank is soundproof and blocks out all light. The water is set to the same temperature as the skin, which causes the feeling of the body boundary to fade.
We tend to forget how much information our brain is constantly exposed to. The goal of this apparatus is of course to remove all external stimulation and for the body to lose itself such that we’re left only with our consciousness.
This concept intrigues me greatly, particularly now that I’ve become very attuned to how powerful the brain can be when it is focused on one thing without distraction.
People seem to use this sensory deprivation experience differently. Some use it for meditation and de-stressing. Others use it for enhancing creativity and for learning purposes. I’m told some people in these conditions begin to hallucinate wildly. And of course, many people choose to augment the psychedelic experience with additional substances.
I’m extremely curious. I keep envisioning myself in this environment and how I think I’ll react.
Will I freak out?
I can imagine myself panicking–I don’t like being in tight spaces and my brain is hyperactive as it is, so it’s possible my brain heats up like a white hot iron and I’ve got to get out.
Will I achieve prolonged “hyper-focus” (/intense daydreaming)?
Especially when I was younger, I remember sitting in class and suddenly my mind would go off to some place wonderful far, far away. I was a bit of a space cadet. Once the daydream ended, I would always long to be back there. (Another altered state of consciousness that we tend to forget. Will have to write about this one too.) I can imagine myself regaining this experience for a more prolonged period.
Will my mind be cleared?
It’s hard for me to imagine nothing being on my mind. If I do go meditatively blank, I better emerge recharged.
Will my creativity gain full control over my mind?
My imagination/creativity is something I’m secretly (not so secretly?) very proud of. In the absence of the barrage of every day stimuli, perhaps my creativity will be able to take full control and I’ll be able to experience whatever I want, almost like a lucid dream.
I’m trying to not have any expectations for this first experiment. I’m told that it takes some time to be able to fully utilize the experience as you intend. So this time, I’m just going to go in with an open mind and see what happens. In subsequent visits, perhaps I’ll take more active control.
-Kevin
9.22.2011
