Flip the Switch
July 23, 2015 6:33 PM Subscribe
This is so captivating. She uses wonderful color, too.
I grabbed a flyer from a floating tank place not too long ago, curious and seduced by the idea, but being claustrophobic even the idea of crawling into a tiny tank makes my heart race. The flyer specifically said most claustrophobic people have no problem, but that text was printed next to a lady ducking into some coffin-like enclosure. Eek.
posted by missmary6 at 7:10 PM on July 23, 2015
I grabbed a flyer from a floating tank place not too long ago, curious and seduced by the idea, but being claustrophobic even the idea of crawling into a tiny tank makes my heart race. The flyer specifically said most claustrophobic people have no problem, but that text was printed next to a lady ducking into some coffin-like enclosure. Eek.
posted by missmary6 at 7:10 PM on July 23, 2015
I can never figure out if I'd like to do sensory deprivation or if my claustrophobia would kick in and I'd lose my goddamn mind trying to find the light switch.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 7:12 PM on July 23, 2015
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 7:12 PM on July 23, 2015
I've done this a bit and have always enjoyed it. I've never found it as transformative experience as this cartoonist, but it is a nice way to meditate and relax. Not every place has the coffin-like spaces either. One place I've patronized in NYC had a setup with a large tub in a converted room, so the ceiling was normal height.
posted by ursus_comiter at 7:17 PM on July 23, 2015
posted by ursus_comiter at 7:17 PM on July 23, 2015
Sensory deprivation didn't particularly work for me (tho' the idea appealed). However, it turns out that the much more cost-effective solution of hypnotic induction videos on Youtube can cause me to mellow out of my dang mind. Something else to mess with if you're interested in such things.
posted by Going To Maine at 7:22 PM on July 23, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by Going To Maine at 7:22 PM on July 23, 2015 [7 favorites]
I really liked this. However, here's another comic about sensory deprivation.
posted by figurant at 7:30 PM on July 23, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by figurant at 7:30 PM on July 23, 2015 [6 favorites]
Going To Maine, any in particular you recommend?
posted by turbid dahlia at 7:36 PM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by turbid dahlia at 7:36 PM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
ugggh figurant that is my other fear, that some psycho will lock me in.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 8:10 PM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 8:10 PM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
fffm, you'll be fine, there's an alarm!
posted by turbid dahlia at 8:31 PM on July 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by turbid dahlia at 8:31 PM on July 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
Going To Maine, any in particular you recommend?
So here are my notes:
So here are my notes:
- A lot of people get turned on by hypnosis things. If you start searching around on Youtube for hypnosis videos, you're going to discover, um, some odd stuff; you might want to safe search it. I'm specifically talking about induction videos, which are very vanilla, “go to sleep and wake up refreshed” things.
- It took a lot of repeated trips to have a serious impact. You kind of have to play along; doing so amplifies the effect -at least for me- and has made it be more relaxing. The first time I legitimately started to get sleepy as soon the video started, I was surprised.
- With that in mind, I have gotten good mileage out of these three videos. Their primary virtue is that I find the hypnotist's voice soothing & well recorded.
- There are a lot of these out there, so if you're ok with searching around the squick, you might be able to find some other hypnotist who has a voice that you prefer.
Thanks Going To Maine, some great intel there, I will hook into this tonight!
posted by turbid dahlia at 8:41 PM on July 23, 2015
posted by turbid dahlia at 8:41 PM on July 23, 2015
This is similar to how MDMA made me feel the only time I've taken it (also never tried alcohol or other recreational drugs).
It was like life before and after getting glasses as a kid.
Before it's just how things are. You don't necessarily notice anything wrong because that's just how they are.
After, you just can't believe you didn't notice something was wrong, because now, holy-shit-everything-is-so-clear.
Highly recommended, in case you couldn't tell (both eyeglasses and MDMA).
posted by paulcole at 9:35 PM on July 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
It was like life before and after getting glasses as a kid.
Before it's just how things are. You don't necessarily notice anything wrong because that's just how they are.
After, you just can't believe you didn't notice something was wrong, because now, holy-shit-everything-is-so-clear.
Highly recommended, in case you couldn't tell (both eyeglasses and MDMA).
posted by paulcole at 9:35 PM on July 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
I have done the flotation tank thing. It was okay; quite relaxing really. Only downside is that the wifi signal was weak so tweeting from inside the tank was somewhat frustrating. Apart from that, would recommend.
posted by Wordshore at 9:44 PM on July 23, 2015 [24 favorites]
posted by Wordshore at 9:44 PM on July 23, 2015 [24 favorites]
I'm quite tempted to do this and have identified a tank near me (a few options, actually). But although I know they say the saltiness of the water makes you very floaty, isn't there any effort involved? What if you fall asleep? Why don't you drown?
posted by lollusc at 9:48 PM on July 23, 2015
posted by lollusc at 9:48 PM on July 23, 2015
… where did you keep the phone?
posted by Going To Maine at 9:48 PM on July 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Going To Maine at 9:48 PM on July 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
But although I know they say the saltiness of the water makes you very floaty, isn't there any effort involved? What if you fall asleep? Why don't you drown?
You float because your density is less than that of the water. (Smart people, correct me!) So no, there really isn't any effort involved. The only way you'd drown is if you got face down in the water, and that's hard to do unless you deliberately roll yourself over.
posted by Going To Maine at 9:52 PM on July 23, 2015
You float because your density is less than that of the water. (Smart people, correct me!) So no, there really isn't any effort involved. The only way you'd drown is if you got face down in the water, and that's hard to do unless you deliberately roll yourself over.
posted by Going To Maine at 9:52 PM on July 23, 2015
What if you fall asleep? Why don't you drown?
Set your iphone alarm to beep every 10 minutes in case you do nod off; you'll be fine.
posted by Wordshore at 9:54 PM on July 23, 2015 [12 favorites]
Set your iphone alarm to beep every 10 minutes in case you do nod off; you'll be fine.
posted by Wordshore at 9:54 PM on July 23, 2015 [12 favorites]
That is some advanced level trolling, Wordshore. Nicely done.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:58 PM on July 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:58 PM on July 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
I remember Rob Buckman doing this many years ago and reporting that he spent the whole time worrying about whether he was going to get an accidental mouthful of Epsom salts and a consequent dose of the runs.
posted by Segundus at 11:36 PM on July 23, 2015
posted by Segundus at 11:36 PM on July 23, 2015
I did this in Seattle a couple years ago, and while I didn't find it transcendental, it was probably the best nap I ever had. I woke up dreaming that I was scrolling through Metafilter, I could tell because of the distinctive blue background. Had a moment of panic that my laptop would be soaked as I realised that I was in a pool of water before I woke up fully and realised I didn't have my laptop at all.
posted by the agents of KAOS at 1:51 AM on July 24, 2015
posted by the agents of KAOS at 1:51 AM on July 24, 2015
John C. Lilly was experimenting with all kinds of things, including a fuckton of LSD.
I actually really like and respect Lilly and the stuff he was trying to explore, but much of it is very very woo-woo. I think it was his Programming and Metaprogramming in the Human Biocomputer: Theory and Experiments that I read that really got deep into his stuff, and while I found it fascinating, it was a bit too self-experiential and felt too unscientific for me to give it much scientific credence.
I'd be fascinated to see current or future scientists do some actual rigorous testing of the things he was exploring, because I think there might be something there.
posted by hippybear at 2:16 AM on July 24, 2015
I actually really like and respect Lilly and the stuff he was trying to explore, but much of it is very very woo-woo. I think it was his Programming and Metaprogramming in the Human Biocomputer: Theory and Experiments that I read that really got deep into his stuff, and while I found it fascinating, it was a bit too self-experiential and felt too unscientific for me to give it much scientific credence.
I'd be fascinated to see current or future scientists do some actual rigorous testing of the things he was exploring, because I think there might be something there.
posted by hippybear at 2:16 AM on July 24, 2015
Or maybe it was The Center of the Cyclone: An Autobiography of Inner Space. I read quite a bit of Lilly 10-15 years back, but haven't revisited any of his writings since.
posted by hippybear at 2:17 AM on July 24, 2015
posted by hippybear at 2:17 AM on July 24, 2015
I tried sensory deprivation a few times back in the 80's. Our local YMCA had a couple of tanks. The experience was...ok. In addition to your own breathing, you also hear the water in the tank slushing around whenever you move an arm or leg. I also had a problem with occasionally bumping the sides of the tank as I floated. I wouldn't mind giving it another go, though. But, alas, the Y got rid of the tanks ages ago.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:16 AM on July 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Thorzdad at 5:16 AM on July 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
Oh No Ross and Carrie tried it.
(It's fascinating to read reports from people in quiet environment that mention all sorts of sounds but not ringing, buzzing, tones, and hissing... I've always heard them, and assumed it was normal background noise in the nervous system that everyone hears. I suppose I should get evaluated for tinnitus one of these days.)
posted by BrashTech at 6:25 AM on July 24, 2015
(It's fascinating to read reports from people in quiet environment that mention all sorts of sounds but not ringing, buzzing, tones, and hissing... I've always heard them, and assumed it was normal background noise in the nervous system that everyone hears. I suppose I should get evaluated for tinnitus one of these days.)
posted by BrashTech at 6:25 AM on July 24, 2015
I am totally going to try this. I'm hoping to transform into pure energy, or at least get rid of my toenail fungus.
posted by orme at 9:20 AM on July 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by orme at 9:20 AM on July 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
I love this strain of autobiographical, semi-journalistic comics.
Her art is spot on, too.
posted by signal at 9:28 AM on July 24, 2015
Her art is spot on, too.
posted by signal at 9:28 AM on July 24, 2015
Coincidentally, I did this for the first time yesterday, and it was great. I've meditated before, so my experience was pretty much similar to the comic, but additionally, it was like being on the best waterbed ever. First time I could really just relax everything. I still feel good 24 hours later. (I also took my usual dose of GABA last night, and had great dreams, so that helped too.
I worried about falling asleep, but it's hard to roll over without pushing off something deliberately.
The buoyancy was amazing - I wouldn't mind actually sleeping like that for a while.
posted by bashos_frog at 3:19 PM on July 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
I worried about falling asleep, but it's hard to roll over without pushing off something deliberately.
The buoyancy was amazing - I wouldn't mind actually sleeping like that for a while.
posted by bashos_frog at 3:19 PM on July 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
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