🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <5147@brazos.Rice.edu> rwilliam@uncle-bens.rice.edu (William R. Russell) writes:
>In article <16269@well.sf.ca.us>, 70117.2546@CompuServe.COM
>(Dunn-70117@cis.ohio-state.edu, 2546) writes:
>>      What ever  happened to  Dr Lilly of  "Day of  the Dolphin"  and "
>> Altered States" and  isolation chamber fame.  Instead of tapping  into

John Lilly will be the featured speader at the next conference of the
International REST Investigator's Society, in Washington D.C. on March
22 and 23.  The Society is a group of academic researchers involved in
various subjects that make use of Restricted Environmental Stimulation (the
name has been changed to avoid the various bizarre myths attached to the
inaccurate label "sensory deprivation" (e.g. "Altered States", which was
fun, but only accurate if you believe Dr. Frankenstein is alive and well)).

REST research areas include hormone levels, psychotherapy, amelioration
of chronic disease, treatment of addictions, cognitive theory, isolated
environments and others (don't have my references handy).

>> path to the  subconscious. All outside  stimulation would be cut  off,

Not cut off - just decreased below the normal roar.

>intrusions, it wouldn't help provide feedback or otherwise
>increase the "cyberspace" experience. It would serve to block out

I would expect it to increase the experience mostly for the kinesthetic
sense, since that nearly disappears when floating (i.e., you can make
yourself "tilt" in any direction by thinking about it).  Other senses
can be affected without floating (see below).

>Besides, do isolation chambers actually open a path a to the
>subconscious? I seem to remember reading Dr. Feynman mentioning

"Open a path" is too strong - I like "lower the barriers between various
parts of the mind".  When you don't have to spend all your time processing
outside information, the inside information becomes more available.

The best analogy might be astronomy - wait until the sun (sensory stimuli)
goes down so that you can study the stars (internal stimuli).

I use my flotation tank for: problem solving, naps, recovery from heavy
exercise and visualization.

>Anyway, it would be nice to develop a virtual worlds environment
>that *didn't* require a 100 gallon tank of brine to work
>effectively.

I agree, and it is very easy: cover ears, eyes and hands and lie down
in a dim, quit room and you get most of the same REST effects.  I would
expect there to be some added effects when a flotation environment is
used for cyberspace, but I doubt that they will be of overwhelming
importance.  Don't worry, somebody will do the research and tell us
if it's really worth it.

-- 
  Eric Read                     ` | '       harvard!cfisun!eric  (617) 899-6500
  Price Waterhouse / CFI        --*--         Look!  Skeletons
  51 Sawyer Rd.                 ' | `         In their best holiday clothes,
  Waltham, MA  02154                          viewing flowers.       (Onitsura)