Its probably unique in that it has everything to run apart from the
external world, but natural selection has probably left it in a state
where it needs an external environment to interact with in order to
function properly. It has come about by mutations and other changes in
the genes that direct the assembly of the nerves whos activities it
is. These activities are probably co-dependent upon an interaction
with the external world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_deprivation
Sensory deprivation experiments of the 1950s have shown that human
beings need environmental stimulation to function normally. In a
classic early experiment, college students lay on a cot in a small,
empty cubicle nearly 24 hours a day, leaving only to eat and use the
bathroom. They wore translucent goggles that let in light but
prevented them from seeing any shapes or patterns, and they were
fitted with cotton gloves and cardboard cuffs to restrict the sense of
touch. The continuous hum of an air conditioner and U-shaped pillows
placed around their heads blocked out auditory stimulation.
Initially, the subjects slept, but eventually they became bored,
restless, and moody. They became disoriented and had difficulty
concentrating, and their performance on problem-solving tests
progressively deteriorated the longer they were isolated in the
cubicle. Some experienced auditory or visual hallucinations. Although
they were paid a generous sum for each day they participated in the
experiment, most subjects refused to continue past the second or third
day. After they left the isolation chamber, the perceptions of many
were temporarily distorted, and their brain-wave patterns, which had
slowed down during the experiment, took several hours to return to
normal. The intensity of the discomfort these volunteers experienced
helps explain why solitary confinement is often regarded as the most
severe form of punishment in prisons.
The deterioration in both physical and psychological functioning that
occurs with sensory deprivation has been linked to the need of human
beings for an optimal level of arousal. Too much or too little arousal
can produce stress and impair a person's mental and physical
abilities. Thus, appropriate degrees of sensory deprivation may
actually have a therapeutic effect when arousal levels are too high. A
form of sensory deprivation known as REST (restricted environmental
stimulation), which consists of floating for several hours in a dark,
soundproof tank of water heated to body temperature, has been used to
treat drug and smoking addictions, lower back pain, and other
conditions associated with excessive stress.
An isolation tank is a large, coffin-like structure in which a person
can float effortlessly, due to a water solution present. Once a person
is inside the tank, the top is closed and it becomes a completely
dark, soundproof enclosure. Thus the subject is devoid of all visual
stimuli, most auditory stimuli, and much kinesthetic stimuli (of
course, there is radio communication between subject and observer, in
case the subject wishes to be let out).
The purpose of these techniques is to limit the amount of external
stimuli that a person can sense, in hopes of learning what the mind
does in such situations and whether or not these circumstances has any
effects on that person’s cognitive, verbal, and perceptual abilities.
Given the mind’s ability to create its own stimuli in absence of
external stimuli, it is interesting to examine reports of being in a
seclusion room or tank.
Also worth noting is that most subjects reported a loss of conception
of time. Without external cues which would indicate time passage,
people may become confused and not know how much time has passed. This
can be seen easily in "The Man Who Lived Underground," a short story
by Richard Wright. In this story, a man is in the sewer system, thus
with very little visual stimuli. Very quickly he finds that he has no
idea what time of day it is, nor how much time has passed since he
first entered "underground". There is also psychological evidence
which supports this idea – a survey conducted by Soloff and Turner, in
which some patients stated that they could not always tell how long
they were in seclusion for (Soloff & Turner, 41). This is also
evidenced in other works, such as Chayefsky’s fiction novel, Altered
States, and in Aquino’s journal article, "Relationships Between
Stimulus Deprivation Theory and Creative Communications," in which he
describes his experiences in an isolation tank. Both account to the
loss of conception of the passage of time.
There is a filmic representation of this phenomena. In the movie The
Shining, by Stanley Kubrick, Jack Nicholson plays the role of a
caretaker of a hotel in Colorado in the winter when the hotel is shut
down. They are all alone in this hotel for about a month when he
looses his sanity, partly because of the seclusion that he and his
family are in. He begins to think that they are plotting against him.
It is evident that, aside from the supernatural quality of the house,
his seclusion has partially led him to this conclusion. It is easy to
see the breakdown between his fantasy and reality. He has an
hallucinogenic experience of drinking at a bar and being at a party.
This is a very good representation of what the mind may do in response
to being in a seclusion environment.
.............................................................
Buy a Float Tank
"Second best thing to being in Heaven"
Richard Jones, Australian Senator
Scientists estimate that up to 90%% of the brain's normal workload is
caused by the effects of routine environmental stimulation the
combined effects of gravity, temperature, touch, light and sound on
the muscles, nervous system and sense organs of the body.
The float tank screens out these external physical stimuli, creating a
pure state of "sensory" relaxation. Under these unique conditions your
body has a chance to restore its natural powers of self regulation,
while you simply lie back and rediscover the latent abilities of a
deeply relaxed mind.
The sudden de-stimulation of large areas of the nervous system
triggers a spontaneous chain reaction throughout the body known as the
parasympathetic response. Muscle tension, blood pressure, heart rate
and oxygen consumption all drop dramatically. The whole chemistry of
the body changes.
Blood vessels including capillaries dilate, improving cardio-vascular
efficiency and increasing the supply of oxygen and nutrients to every
single cell in your body. This is called the vasodilatory effect
Stress related chemicals such as adrenaline, cortisol, ACTH and
lactate are removed from the bloodstream and replaced by beneficial
endorphins. High levels of cortisol and ACTH are known to weaken the
body's immune system and create feelings of depression, while lower
baseline levels are associated with feelings of dominance and
confidence.
Although your body enters a level of physical relaxation which is even
deeper than sleep, in the tank your mind remains awake and dreamily
alert, just above the threshold of sleep Large areas of the brain are
suddenly liberated from their normal workload of processing signals
from the nervous system and sense organs. There is a sharp drop in
the level of electrical activity of the brain (measured on an EEG)
from the usual 20-25 Hz down to 4-8 Hz.; EEG readings show a slow,
rhythmic wave pattern known as the theta state.
This is a twilight zone of creative, inspirational thought processes,
where your learning abilities are at their highest and powers of
visualisation and auto-suggestion are greatly enhanced. Measurements
of the brain waves produced by experienced zen meditators in deep
satori show large amounts of theta activity across the cortex. For
most people, however, the theta state is almost impossible to enter
without falling asleep. In the tank you enter this elusive state
effortlessly and enjoyably, and stay in it for most of the float
session. Time seems to vanish.
EEG measurements on floaters show that the level of activity in the
two hemispheres of the brain also becomes more balanced and
synchronised. This can produce a subtle shift in awareness away from
the normally dominant "left-brain" thought patterns (logical, linear,
analytical, detailed) towards the more intuitive, synthetic and large-
scale thought modes of the "right-brain". The tank does not inhibit
the left hemisphere, but simply changes its role from one of dominance
to one of partnership with the other hemisphere, enabling floaters to
use all their mental powers.
http://www.floattank.com/
