| Maverick American scientist John Lilly was working at the National Institute of mental Health in Bethesada, Maryland when he first became interested in exploring the relationship between mind and body. There was some debate at that time about exactly what would happen to a human brain that was completely isolated from all external stimulation. Some scientists believed that the brain would simply shut down, or enter some kind of coma state. Lilly did not believe this, but he needed some way to prove it and thus the first isolation tank was born. It bore little resemblance to the floatation tanks used today. The subject ( in this case Lilly himself) would float upright suspended in a tank of water whilst wearing an elaborate and bulky breathing helmet. The tank was recreated and immortalised in the 1980 movie " Altered States" which is very loosely based on Lilly's life and work. What Lilly discovered in the tank, was that far from shutting down, his brain began to experience a whole new state of consciousness. Lilly chose to publish his reseach as a book rather than in scientific journals and " The Deep Self " quickly became a cult classic. Lilly's later work was centred on inter species communication, between human and dolphin and this work was also immortalised by Hollywood in the film " Day of the Dolphin" Lilly died in 2001 and despite being ostracised by establishment science for his radical views and his use of psychoactive drugs, will forever be remembered as one of the great free thinkers of the twentieth century. |