A Battlestar Galactica float to start the day.

Slept in today and woke up at 2:30pm. I did a brief bit of work and then headed to Float House to meet up with Mark and Hannah for their first floats. I ended up listening to Bear McCreary's Battlestar Galactica solo piano mix again and by the third song I had relaxed enough for closed eye visuals to occur. 

There were waves of white lights that had a distinct impression of Cylons ascending into Heaven while wisps of quick red strings of light shot downward and felt like humanity descending into hell. This float was rife with emotional undertones that flowed along with the music. 

As it progressed I noticed a large crack of light leaking in the back of the tank and had to compensate. I kept my left eye closed and positioned myself in the tank so that it would not impeded my visuals too much. After this distraction the music got more uplifting in nature and I felt revitalized and was uplifted into a state of cleared void space. There was a brief pause between tracks and during this silence I became aware of the cooler temperature of the water. I did a minor stretch and submerged my feet under the waterline and right as the next song began I was bombarded by visual clutter filling up my void space. 

I used the flame and the void technique and was able to clear it out by the first chorus of the song and felt a strong sensation of my body going numb and limp. There was a moment where I couldn't feel my breath or heart beat and with the next note of the piano I reemerged into a full awareness of my time and place within the tank. I opened my eyes and then found and measured the light leak to inform the guys about it. Did a couple more stretches to ease my muscles and got out to have a wonderfully soothing shower. Overall a good and insight float. 

A little Gojira to wrap up the night.

Tonight, I listened to Gojira's album From Mars to Sirius in the tank. 

It was an interesting experience indeed. I was able to settle myself down cognitively and still myself  physically by the end of the first song. I didn't need to implement the use of my mantra due to heaviness of the music and by focusing my attention on the lyrics. If my mind wandered, I would simply lock into the music again and kept my attention on the words. It was honestly the first time I paid full attention to the words of the songs after hearing this album countless times in the last few months since I was first introduced to it. I focused on slowing my rate of breath down and by the time Unicorn came on I was able to slip easily into my visual space and my breathing became involuntary.

Instead of my typical starscape my whole visual field was covered in red glowing embers. As my eyes shifted across them they would move and were molding themselves into various forms and would transition back into an expanse of coals. This did last for quite a while and I was really surprised at how clear my mind was. I was absorbed by the music and at some points I even felt it surrounding my whole body and I my fingers, arms, and feet would twitch along with the tempo. Near the end of the album I had faded further into the void and when the song From Mars came on I was ecstatic with a full immersion into the words. This verse particularly seemed to be imprinted upon me and I found myself repeating it while I was showering.

Took off from the red place

In the sky I fly

I have lost my reason 

And I've made my sense

From up there I will see 

Where I'm From

And where the force of love 

Will tell me now to go. 

When the music had ended I was really hesitant to get out but I knew Nick was waiting on me to wake him. Got out with the drums and riffs of the album repeating in my head and humming them as I reflected on the float. 

24 Hour Day - Lemmy Rock Out, The Beatles Float, & a John. C. Lilly Reading.

TL;DR I've been up for over 24 hours now and feel like Motorhead's Rock Out after an amazing audio float at Float House listening to The Beatles and then emerging out and listening to Graham Talley from Float On promoting the re-release of Dr. John C. Lilly's cult classic Programming and Metaprogramming in the Human Biocomputer, which goes on sale May 15th through Amazon.

I had a great night at work with Brad. Hypnotoad ended the shift perfectly. Went home, Lou was up so we watched the documentary Lemmy. If you haven't seen it, watch it. At 5am I laid down in bed and was listening to The Beatles Anthology 3 Disc 1. While Mean Mr. Mustard was saving paper, I realized that I had to be up in 3 hours. The decision was instant. I got out of bed and went into my office, lit a smoke, and cracked a Red Bull and created myself an hour and 35 minute long The Beatles floatlist consisting of Revolver and Abby Road, plus three of my favorite songs from their Anthology; Dig A Pony, Happiness Is A Warm Gun, and Black Bird. I then converted it, while waiting I sorted about 536 HD landscapes for use at work and smoked more cigarettes. Once it was done, I left for Float House, arriving at 7:35ish. I was greeted with smiles and hugs and my Friday night after party started as I headed into the tank.

I took a wallop of my tincture with some delicious Easter Bunny chunks, had myself a refreshing shower. I gave the guys the signal and they started the music. I got into the tank and positioned myself close the speaker. Revolver began and I realized I had to readjust the speaker to that it was more centre and I could position myself with my head within the clearest and loudest audio zone.

With the first notes of I'm Only Sleeping I was able to slip right into the void along with the music and it was a warm soothing embrace with the tank at a temperature 97.3F. My mind wandered slightly and I realized that I had not crossed my feet to allow my toes to be fully submerged under the water (toes can becomes hypersensitive to the slightest temperature change and create the sensation of being in a 'cold' tub, similar to when you would normally use your feet to turn on the hot water for a minute or two to warm up your bath). I found a comfortable position with my right foot crossing onto my left and continued practicing my breath work.

After that, the sitar of Love You To kicked in and I opened my eyes and slowly the starscape appeared. While refocusing my eyes, the stars shifted and randomized patterns emerged. Within those patterns  I ended up applying the Flame and the Void technique,  while focusing on the progressing notes I picture a small candle burning in the centre of my visual field and the randomized patterns surrounding it took more definite shapes and I began my clearing process of feeding the images, thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations into the Flame. I smiled. The feeling was a lot stronger and more focused then when I was in bed earlier listening to The Beatles Anthology and the idea for the float came to me.

The starscape then reappeared behind the Flame and expanded rapidly. I focused strongly upon the left side of my visual field and a bolt of some sporadic substance flew to the right and I instinctively followed creating a wide array of trails that took on immediate cellular shape. Single and multicellular organisms moved through the viscous environment and competed for resources, attacked and absorbed each other using predation as the selective pressure. This continued on in population surges that flowed along with the music.

It was ended with Oh Darling. I was brought back to awareness and started to notice that sweat was collecting on my face, I sat up, opened the door and wiped my face off. I laid back down and left the door open and lightly closed my eyes and drifted along with music. As I felt the cooler air rush along the surface of my body and the water I felt a refreshing clearing effect. With my eye lightly closed I could see the colors change through my eye lids and I visualized walking through the Octopus's Garden.

With Here Comes The Sun I closed the door and laid down and my mind instantly went blank and I rolled my eyes into the back of my head and the white lights from beneath came on. When I looked forward again I had a flash of many sporadic images, one that distinctly stood out was of a chest tattoo with a large tangled tree's branches forming into the face of a wolf. I then shift the personality of the tattoo and it became a wolverine within the branches. Repeating the Flame and the Void I was able to clear my mind again and went into another warm embrace of the music for remaining of Abbey Road.

When Dig a Pony came on I awoke and without realizing it was stretching out my arms and legs, slowly started to move my fingers into a fist and sat up. Got out of the tank to the cycling shades of color and had a shower with Happiness Is A Warm Gun, Blackbird, and The Ink Spots song I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire.

I got out of room to a transformed Float House. It was a great beginning to a new day, even if somewhat post float foggy and semi tired.

The lounge had become a book reading. Graham Talley of Float On was there on tour promoting the re-release of Dr. John C. Lilly's cult classic Programming and Metaprogramming in the Human Biocomputer which goes on sale May 15th through Amazon.

I took some time to process my float, chat, and smoke a few cigarettes while writing my draft notes for this post. Heard some great Lilly anecdotes and readings. I had that mental state of being at school again, like on those days after an all nighter reading the relevant literature and then absorbing the a fresh and experienced viewpoint.  Paying attention to Graham's talk, but when that unknown nugget appeared my mind would wander with the subject and comparing them to my own concepts. When this occurred I would look to my left at the white sunlight gleam through the frosted glass on the door beside me and the movement of the small leaves from the sapling outside were quite soothing. I thoroughly enjoyed the talk and learned quite a bit. 

When it ended I hung around for a bit and then headed home and wrote this. 

Audio floats have a wonderful uplifting feature to them for me. Music is a trip, silence is a journey. Today's float was very visual and I was happy with the amount of control I had, but it lacked that lucid immerse that comes from my silent floats. All in all, I need to call my mum now and tell her I love her.  

Float 88 - Pink Floydscape

Stoned out of my mind Pink Floyd float. Listened to Meddle and then Obscured by Clouds. This float was truly one of a kind and had a deeply impactful meaning and revitalization for me...

I believe that I have perfected my ritual of entering the tank and preparing it's environment to my personal taste. I had a pre-emptive shower and ran the pump for 20 minutes or so with the heating pads cranked up, went and then smoked a joint and had a smoke before getting into the tank. The temp was 97.5 and then I left the door open for the first few minutes while I got in with my head by the door and stared up at the shifting colors of the LED lights (which sub sequentially caused my visuals during the float to be very color dynamic). I then closed the door and switched positions to the back end with my head by the speakers. I was able to quickly enter into the void and heavy visuals started.

The amount of things that I saw were baffling. I used the flame and the void technique to help clear my mindscape, but when certain images occurred I did focus solely upon them. For example, multiple occasions I saw a distinct form of an aged old patriarchal bonobo appear (my power animal?) and hold it's place amongst the chaotic swirling images surrounding it with an extremely stern and forceful presence. This then faded and another bout of evil faces within my lower right field of view emerged. I then started to force movement of my eyes and applied various levels of pressure on my optic nerve. Looking far upwards and rolling my eyes into the back of my head caused massive amounts of white and blue lights to fire upwards from below to beyond me. A handful of spasmodic twitches then occurred and I closed and opened my eyes to reset.

When I opened them again I was somewhere within a cellular world with monads evolving and consuming each other, when I focused upon one individual cell it divided a few times and then out of nowhere it became multicellular. During this period, I started to notice that my toes were becoming cold and it induced a feeling of a cooled down bathtub, I put my attention on my toes and all of a sudden it hit me about the subject effect of temperature upon my consciousness during the float. I moved around a bit and found that by crossing my legs/feet I was able to fully submerge my toes under the water and officially found my new and improved floating posture. While figuring this new posture out a drip of salty condensation feel upon my right nostril and into my mustache and due to the startling nature of it I took a big inhale (I breathe most often through my nose in the tank) of salt water went into my nostril. I exhaled immediately but was too late to stop a slight drip of it hitting the back of my throat. I coughed and ended up having to get out of the tank and having a shower to clear off my face and wash out my mouth. Oddly this occurred right at the end of Meddle and as Obscured by Clouds began I was re-entering the tank.

I practiced a bit of my breath work and played around with a few mantras while losing myself in the music. My mind started to become clearer and clearer and my internal conversations began. I debated about Nietzsche's Will to Power, me thriving off being a devil's advocate, and that amazing discussion that I had with Gregory the night before. There was an overwhelming emotional of acceptance that has occurred and realizing what I can do with my own nature when I want to. This then transitioned into a more defined argumentative experience with my internal debate on the ever changing and growing nature of Float House. Projecting a handful of possible futures I was delighted to test the metaphysical verses that each small decision can have. Also, when I reflected back to Buddhist ideal of having to polish and purify the mirror of the mind, yet in truth the is no mirror, my mind instantly went black and there was a strong sensation of me 'flying' through the intensity of space, in my new floating captains chair position, with stars, nebulas and galaxies soaring by me. They speed and rate of projection was tied directly now to the notes of Pink Floyd. At one point, my attention was then drawn to the word 'Choice' and in a flash of intense images I lived and died three times. Each time I was faced down by the same Patriarchal Bonobo. No words were spoken but a deep understanding was transferred. A sense of conflicting moralities was swept over me, but with each conflict there was a surrendering to it, "without pain and suffering we would have nothing".

The final chanting of the album began and a strong wave of hilarious laughter consumed me and I laughed deep and heartily as I exited the tank. Tom Waits "Old Shoe" started playing while I was cleansing myself in the shower and I sang loud and proud. The cycling of colors were also extremely pleasing and added to the impression of my ever forming ritualization of my floats. 

80th Float

This morning before work I had an amazing Float. It was like an extension of my float from last night but more Lucid in nature ending in maniacal laughter.  

I made very good use of my mantra and breathe work allowed me to enter the void space quickly. Then used the flame and the void to clear my mind. Once in a lucid dream state I changed the color of the floor to a bright red. Then I instantly transported myself to St. Patricks and walked around the pews and up to the alter and set that mother a blaze. I watched the flames climb the walls and spread. I could feel the heat on my face and walked down the aisle to the front door and watched as the flames followed me across the pews and start climbing into the choir. 

I exited the building and watched as it then changed to a full exterior burn and started laughing like a maniac. Could not stop the laughter and had to get out when salt water got into my eyes. Kept laughing during my shower. I was only in the tank for 35 minutes. 

69th Float

This morning after work I had an intensely short but sweet float. The Tank was so nice and warm that I simply melted into the void. After a few rounds of my mental workout I slipped into a state of bliss and joy and it felt like I was being covered in silk. Not just like a silk blanket being put on top of me, but being molding tightly over my whole body. I opened my eyes wide to check if it was real and I was instantly privy to an amazing view of space filled by an expansion of white stars and blue galaxies, all the while still maintaining that molded in silk feeling. While gazing at this I started to hear soft chanting in the distance. As I focused my attention on the sounds it became clear that is was exactly like the Pink Floyd song AbsoluteCurtains.

That then dissipated and my visuals shifted to more darker imagery. I had previously been looking at pictures of the riotsin the Ukraine and I was placed above an old city, looking down upon a scene of burning chaos. The area looked war torn, almost apocalyptic, the city was spewing thick black plumes of smoke while swarms of people in gas masks ran around tossing debris at each other. It was interesting to note that when I reflected on my emotions at this point I was neither sad, or mad, or glad. The best description I can make was that I felt very detached from the scene but yet in awe at its surging power, both physical and social. This got me thinking of a section from StephenBaxter's Weaver where a young woman describes her experiences during the London Blitz.

I dwelled on this for a bit and then shook it off and SUCCESSFULLY willed myself onto an asteroid sailing alongside a massive red dwarf star. I could see multiple planets orbiting in the vast distance and then started to laugh maniacally while overcome with that sweet taste of accomplishment. After that my moustache began itching my nose and I satisfied it with a good hearty scratch, which lead me into another Jeff Goldbloom chaos theory moment of awareness of the subtle movements of the drop of water along my skin and coursing through the hairs of my beard. 

I lol'd again and then did some basic stretches, got out of the tank, and had a shower. I had only been in tank for 45 minutes. 

Audio Floating With Finntroll

I have come to realize that one of my favourite things about active floats within the tank is that I can immerse myself in an almost infinite amount of settings, both positive and negative. One oddity about me I've noticed is that I am always drawn to both ends of the spectrum.

A good example of this was a float I had before christmas where I listened to 25 minutes of my go to meditation music, insuring that I was in a deep state of Theta when I then had it transition into one of my favourite folk metal EPs by Finntroll, Visor Om Slutet. The album is a themed ballad about a Troll attacking a small village in an isolated fjord. There are many ups and downs in the tone and mood of the music and when it started playing within the tank I was transported to a Skyrim Valley hot tub and was overcome with an extremely peaceful feeling during the first minutes. It is hard to describe all that occurred after that. The album was such a roller coaster of personal sensations, emotions, and ideas that there were movements of pure clarity and others of pure fear. That being said, it was an exhilarating experience and I look forward to trying it again. 

40th Float.

I started today off with a float before my night shift and was lucky enough to end my shift with my 40th Float at Float House and I experienced another intensely 'present' audio float.


It started off as I went through my mental clutter and as each thought emerged I fed it into the flame of a candle, which is a technique called The Flame and the Void that I learned while reading Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time series and have found to be extremely using when meditating and within the tank.

Then I let go of my body and it was highly emotive to start off and I was overcome with waves of what I can only describe as bliss and compassion flowed around and through me as I listened to Time and Space. I could feel the music in my body and each note swept through me and caused a feeling similar to chills going down my spine and into my extremities through my nerves but instead of that creepy chills it was accompanied  with a strong positive emotion.

I Noticed that I was able to create waves of yellowish red energy of enclosing patterns by slowly closing and opening my eyes. 
This proceeded to then morph into a white and black pattern similar to the swirling designs seen often in porcelain.Then silence occurred and I became aware again of my breathing and started to practice the breathwork technique of in through my right nostril and out through the left.

Then Surface of the Sun came on it was an exhilarating sensation as I focused on the subtleties of the background sound effects of his heart beat and breath underneath the building piano and orchestra. Again, waves of bliss surged through me along with the notes and surges of the music.




When Pangaea started I began to reflect on how during all of the above emotional sensations that I just went through, I had very faint and sporadic visuals that didn't really focus upon my visual cortex. I tried using my gaze manipulation tricks with little result. I do feel that when I float after having taken my Concerta it does inhibit the visual and dream states that I do have when I float before my meds. But yet, this float was more emotionally focused. Is there a connection? Or is this just another variety of float? More must be read and experienced to find out.


It is these kind of differences that I have been noticing to be occurring within my own cognitive processes and consciousness while using the float tank and I am become more and more interested in trying to find out the relation to my own neurochemistry and endocrinology is definitely something I would lobe to pursue for a masters thesis.


When pink Floyd came on I could barely hear it so I just got out. 50 minute float felt like 2 hours of hiking my Mindscape and I as I exited the tank with laughter and a massive smile on my face.

Audio Float #3

First half was settling in with minimal visuals, there was a memorable experience of the whole tank illuminating blue light from beneath me and a radiating feeling of 'glow'.

After 2nd Crash Test Dummies song I became aware of the temperature of the water being a bit cool and got out. I ran the pumps and checked the gauges and found that one of them was slightly unplug so only 1 heating pad was working. Fixed this and watched best of Dune quotes and did a load of laundry. 

Re-entered tank @ 12:45. Started where I left off on the play list. 

I don't know where to start. I entered the void quickly and wisps of smoke and coloured patterns emerged. 

During the heavy beat of music I had a overly red hued vision of a group of men in ski masks opening the tank and grabbing me out by my legs. My heat rate increased and I immediately formed a small flame and focused all that emotion and energy into it, more images fueled the flame brighter and brighter. Faces of orcs, goblins, genlocks, and shades went into the flame and as it grew I was able to force the flame back down into the candle through my will alone. This then transitioned quiet well into Elegy where the stars opened up and I explored the nebula's and stars across time for a while. 

Then as the next song came on I was overcome with a quickening sense of stimuli as clouds of gas spun and millennia passed as a planet was formed from the star dust. This then lead to what felt like information overload as my eyes darted around and tho used of flashing images of nature and its beauty and cruelness was witnessed. As cities grew and crumpled across the land I zoomed out and saw a starship fire something at the planet and with a bang the atmosphere ignited and all life died as the planet burned. 

It was so much for me that when the song ended I was breathing heavily and I suddenly remembered the name of the song, Pangaea, and I realized I just witnessed the creation and destruction of a world with my minds eye. 

I then underwent a wide range of deeply emotional moments as Kara's Coordinates and Assault on the Colony played. There were obvious differences between the two dominant tones of mood through colour.

The more aggressive drum beats and musical pieces were always red hued and some images included a predator sitting upon a black carved stone throne on top of a vast pile of skulls. Hundreds of evil faces with vivid features flashed by from almost all recognizable lore and fiction that I can think of, which had a distinct anime feel to the images. The more pleasant pieces had me uplifted into the stars again surrounded in flashes of whites, blues, and greens. It was simply breath taking. 

As the surface of the sun came on I was immediately placed with a front row seat for a storm of solar flares across a star. This was from a window in a ship resembling the one in the Doctor Who episode 42. Also, during this I heard an arrangement of quotes from Dune going through my head with me chanting internally "the sleeper has awoken". 

Repeatedly throughout both floats I had reoccurring image of a direct front view of an owl and coyote. This were very distinct and overlaid many different parts of my visions. 

Then It's a Sin to Tell a Lie came on and I sang along and went through my 'wake up' movements and looked back upon my experience and laughed. I was suddenly alert and wanting to write down the experience. Subsequently the selection of Bach's cello suites was a poor choice because I often use it for background music while working or mentally focused on a task and was unable to slip back into the void. I emerged from the tank refreshed and full of laughter. 

First Audio Tank Experience

After work today I had my first audio tank experience.

I listened to Between The Buried and Me - The Parallax II: Future Sequence. It was intense to say the least, yet also very euphoric. When a heavy part of the song would play my mind would race and ideas and thoughts flew by. Unfortunately, only a few held fast once out of the tank but all directly sorted and complete. I could respond by having my heart beat sync with the rapid tempo, and 'feel' the vibrations from the speakers flowing into my back and out through my chest.

During the melodic parts of the album I was able to sink deep into the void. Every time the piano kicked in I immediately saw a massive expanse of white and lightly hued stars with my eyes wide open and wide awake, and as I scanned from side to side, it was a feeling similar to when you hold and scroll within Stellarium. Flashing colorful systems and shooting stars began to shift following the flow of the music and then more concrete patterns started to emerge. I couldn't help but laugh.

One particular image set that stands out was a blooming white rose edged in bright blue. It then stared to shift into an albino Ankole-Watusi bull. This then raised its head upwards and slowly dissipated as the song again shifted. This occurred during the song Bloom.

All I can say is that I now have a new found reverence for the power of the mind and deeper appreciation for the album.

Nude Beach Thoughts

Check out the following for some details about the 1000 True Fan Theory.

REST's Applications Within Cognitive Science

When the first humans began to explore the dark crevices of the world, they were the first to experience a situation where they could deprive their senses of their harsh daily lives. Deep within those caverns, animal cults and secret societies emerged, as more complex and abstract ideas were experienced through ecstatic visions (Hayden, 2003). However, our ancestors did not realize that those visions came from within themselves, the brains that were shaped by cells shaped by molecules shaped by atoms shaped by subatomic atoms shaped by quantum probabilities. We do know these things and because of this we have developed a scientific method in order measure and analyze the world around, and inside us, as objectively as possible.

The sensory deprivation conditions that our early ancestors experienced in those caves was able to evoke in individuals a religious mania and visions, which has been termed a Sacred Ecstatic Experience (SEE)[see Hayden (2003) for detailed discussion]. The modern human has processed those dark caves, scientifically and ritualistically, to become one of many well-formulated induction techniques of Altered States of Consciousness (ASC) through the use of contemporary floatation tanks. Restricted Environmental Simulation Therapy (REST) utilizes these tanks in order to help people heal. I hope to show that REST provides a new avenue for psychophysiological statistical measures to be used in the examination of the theoretical cognitive and neurological models of ASC and SEEs.

Consciousness studies involve the idea that our minds are a collection of neural networks that function as information processing systems working together to keep us alive, interact with our environment, and think about our interactions with that environment. Just as the physical universe is viewed at varying degrees along a spectrum, so too can our examination of consciousness occur, from the transmission of a single nerve impulse to the overall electric activity across the scalp. So it comes to pass that an issue arises when deciding what level of analysis to use in an attempt to properly define consciousness.

Many researchers and theorists talk about finding the neural correlate of consciousness (NCC) bypassing the idea that neural correlates will be found regardless if consciousness is or is not physical (Molyneux, 2010). Researchers examining the NCC need to separate the various associated neurological and cognitive states apart to determine which ones are the essential mechanisms for consciousness to emerge from. Unfortunately, this leads to a catch-22 of disrupting the very features that are used to detect consciousness (Molyneux, 2010). ASC provide a good example of this problem.

ASC studies often have to redefine their terms in order to quantify their data. Since ASC is a subjective experience there have been many detailed accounts of the perceptual and culturally biased reports within the literature (Aghajanian & Marek, 1999; Dobkin de Rios, 1984; Móró, 2010; Schier, 2009). Introspection of ASC has also been held to have methodological objections within the cognitive sciences, but outside of the biological disciplines of psychology introspection has been shown to provide statistical data with experimental validity (Mathison & Tosey, 2009; Moore & Malinowski, 2010; Pekala et al., 1991).

By incorporating introspection into the models of the phenomenological experience of consciousness, we can now start to recognize that we cannot simply go about changing the methodologies, because such changes result in changes in the phenomena being studied. Schier (2009) explains that this 'measurement problem' leads us back again to the problem of finding the NCC and that regardless of the source type for data collection, once the variables and baselines are properly in place for the phenomena of ASC and SEEs they can be compared for analysis (Móró, 2010). The following proposal of utilizing REST within cognitive research may not solve any of the hard problems of consciousness but instead can allow for a reexamination of the functional neural correlates of the cognitive mechanisms involved in ASC and SEEs models. Does it really need to be reexamined? Well of course it does. A clear example of this can be seen in the widely used definitions stating what ASC exactly are (Aghajanian & Marek, 1999; Dobkin de Rios, 1984; Dobkin de Rios & Munkur, 1977; Meyer & Quenzer, 2005; Móró, 2010; Randolph-Seng, 2009; Schmid et., 2010; Winkelman, 1991). I feel that Móró's (2010) working definition collects together the most important features through the use of self-mapping procedure which concludes; "A hallucinatory altered state of consciousness is a transiently stable mode of operation of supervenient levels in the mind-brain complex, where objectively detectable characteristic changes in the internal information processing mechanisms of neurocognitive subsystems may be subjectively experienced as changes in phenomenal content and overall psychological functioning, as compared with prior and posterior baseline states of the individual."

Due to a wide range of ASC techniques, such diversity can be studied using the aforementioned definition and incorporate comparative analysis of different ASC induction agents and psychobiological procedures upon the neurocognitive subsystems of interest. Winkleman (1991:17) compiled a comprehensive techniques list that includes: hallucinogens, opiates, and other drugs; extensive running or other motor behavior; hunger, thirst, and sleep loss; auditory stimulation and other forms of intense sensory stimulation such as physical torture or temperature extremes; sensory deprivation, sleep states and meditation; and a variety of psychophysiological imbalances or sensitivities resulting from hereditarily transmitted nervous system liabilities, epileptic-like states resulting from injury, disease, or other trauma to the central nervous system like extreme temperatures, or other sensitive conditions of the temporal lobe and the associated structures of the parasympathetic system. These techniques share in common the implication that ASC affect the workings of the content processing mechanisms of our minds go through a temporary instability and destabilization process during the induction of an ASC (Móró, 2010). Following this, all alteration processes are defined as states only once they have ended. It is the stabilization of the neurocognitive systems that is most often collected as the NCC. Even the field of anesthesiology refers to the emergence from anesthesia as a "cognitive rebinding" (Lee et al., 2009). Alterations of ASC have been a feature of ritualistic shamanism for generations, and over these generations the induction techniques have found that during transitions between one state to another, a sort of inertia can occur. This inertia overlaps the past mental states with the current one and even the future mental states reverberate back depending on the induction method used. Through training, individuals create automatic physical, cognitive, and behavioral reflexes, reactions, and associations in order to gain mastery over their internal mental states during ASCs and SEEs and return to their present perspective (Hayden, 2003; Winkelman, 1991; Krippner 1991). 

Neurologically this has been shown that during hallucinogen induced ASCs there is an increase of coherence in metacognitive processes and the modified oscillatory rate improves the connection of thoughts and feelings primarily to a greater degree of balance and integration of the left and right hemispheres leading to insight and a trance-like or possessive state (Winkleman, 1991). Winkleman (1991) here brings up an example of how the search for the NCC can be aided by ASC research when the proper statistical notions are used.

The ability of ASC to provoke transpersonal experience has been well documented (Aghajanian & Marek, 1999; Dobkin de Rios, 1984; Hayden, 2003; James, 1982; Meyer & Quenzer, 2005; Moore & Malinowski, 2010; Móró, 2010; Randolph-Seng, 2009; Rock et al., 2008; Winkelman, 1991). It is these transpersonal experiences that are the foundation for an individual to develop both cognitively and emotionally from the personal transitions experienced during SEEs, which Hayden (2003:63) defines as: sacred ecstatic states seem to be particularly strong experiences that can occur when a person enters into an altered state of consciousness with cultural values that predispose the person toward sacred ecstatic experiences, when individuals are motivated to have such experiences and have made appropriate ritual, mental, and physical preparations for them.

The ritual and cultural preparations of SEEs have a systematic correspondence with the phenomenal experiences during contemporary pharmacologically induced ASCs research (Móró, 2010; Suefeld & Bow, 1999). Pharmacological induction techniques work in action with the manipulation of ASC by utilizing the concepts of set and setting. Set involves the individual characteristics and expectations while setting contributes through the physical and social context of the practice (Winkleman, 1991; Dobkin de Rios, 1984; Móró, 2010). Research into set and setting has often involved converging evidence from biochemical, eletrophysiological, and behavioral studies that psychedelic and pharmacological substances, the indoleamines and the phenethylamines, enhance the role of set and setting upon phenomenal experience and sensory information.

The neurocognitive effects that are elicited during ASC techniques are: a replacement of an externally orientated perspective of sympathetic dominance of cognitive processes and desynchronized activity of the frontal cortex; cessation of external behavior and focus on internally generated perspectives during high doses or severe conditions; increased tendency toward exploratory behavior and arousal response reconditioning; destabilization of habitual experiences and a reduction in egocentric fixation; dealing with a variety of stress related perspectives such as fears, phobias, and stress and tension management; as well as personal integration, self-control and a range of physical changes (Winkelman, 1992).

Hood and Morris (1981) provide a clear picture of how when the research goals are stated, one should strive to produce the set conditions to maximize the elicitation of the desired phenomena. They achieved this through the application of REST in their examination of intrinsic/extrinsic reports of religious imagery (Hood and Morris, 1981). There are two methods of REST, chamber REST and floatation REST. The procedure of chamber REST involves that a subject lies down in a bed for about 24 hours in a dark, sound-reduced room. Instructions are given to reduce movements but no physical restraints are used. The normal biological amenities are provided (food, water and toilets) within the room and an intercom is used so that subjects can talk to the research assistants at anytime. Across studies fewer than 10% of subjects leave the chamber prematurely (Suefeld & Bow, 1999).

The second method used in REST is tank flotation. Floatation REST involves a quiet room that holds an insulated tank (of varying sizes) that contains 20-30 cm of a medium that is a skin-temperature solution (35.5 Celsius) of water and Epsom salts. This mediums density has a specific gravity of 1.15 relative to distilled water that allows for no effort to be made to float and major effort needed to attempt to turn over, because of these features subjects can relax with no concern for their safety. Similar to chamber REST, an intercom is present and communication with a research assistant is available. Tank floatation has an experimental cost benefit in that sessions on average only last 45-60 minutes compared to chamber REST sessions lasting up to 24 hours (Suefeld et al., 1983).

The psychological effects of REST on consciousness have been documented to reduce the rigidity of behavioral and cognitive patterns with evidence from measures of reactions to counter attitudinal information, attitudinal self-consistency, and problem solving (Pei-cheng & Ying, 2004; Schulz & Kaspar, 1994; Suefeld & Bow, 1999; Suefeld et al. 1983). Improvements of memory also have been seen in ECT patients who have demonstrated lowered rates of subjective memory loss (Suefeld & Bow, 1999). As well as, reduction of distracters, elimination of behavioral trigger cues, and disruption habit patterns through the removal of external demands.

REST has also been examined a fear- and arousal-reducing procedure, similar to pharmacological studies. Barabasz (via Suefeld & Borrie, 1999) showed by using four aircraft pilots using REST therapy had reduced anxiety and improved flying performance. Also, seen in a case study by Walker, Freeman and Christensen (via Suefeld & Borrie, 1999) where a patient with debilitating OCD went through multiple sessions of floatation REST while audio recordings of his own obsessive thoughts were played. The lack of his ability to act on these recorded thoughts as a result of his deeply relaxed state reduced the negative OCD symptoms. Accumulation and habituation though, do not occur with weekly floatation REST sessions, for at least 6 months according to another study reviewed by Suefeld & Bow (1999).

Suefeld & Bow (1999) also examined about 20 REST-related smoking interventions and found that when REST was used alongside other treatments it allowed a patient's post-treatment gains to be enhanced over the long-term with lower relapse rates. These findings have subsequently been applied to alcoholics and heavy drug abusers because these therapeutic situations work on the information content processing mechanisms and the subjective experience of set and setting in order to have a measureable impact upon the physical and mental functioning of patients (Móró 2010, Schmid et al. 2010; Zeidan et al., 2010). Such positive mood enhancements as these that occur are one of the main reasons that recreational REST experiences are becoming more commonly available in spas, resorts, and as stand-alone businesses. This is because they provide a drug-free and safe environment and setting for people to personally experience an ASC outside their daily life. It is these features of REST that I have proposed should be incorporated into the examination of the theoretical cognitive and neurological models of ASC and SEEs. One model that has briefly been examined using REST is that of implicit and explicit learning models of procedural memory (Norlander et al., 1999). The researchers applied REST to inspect how REST can be applied to reinforce the primary process orientation to enhance the quality of coaching and training methods that occur in individualized sports, such as competitive archery (Norlander et al., 1999).

Another level of analysis that calls for further investigation is the noteworthy neural-level ASC model based on the cortico-striato-thalamocortical (CSTC) loop hypothesis, which explains hallucinogen-induced consciousness alterations by disinhibitory mechanisms in serotonergic pathways between different brain areas (Aghajanian & Marek, 1999; Móró, 2010; Winkelman, 1991). The CSTC neural model is supported by an association with the phenomenal experience during pharmacologically induced ASCs and their common site of action as partial agonists at 5-HT2A and other 5-HT2 receptors in the central nervous system (Aghajanian & Marek, 1999). The noradrenergic locus coeruleus and the cerebral cortex have been shown as examples of the regions where hallucinogens have prominent effects through their actions upon 5-HT2A receptors. (Aghajanian & Marek, 1999; Móró, 2010).

The Locus Coeruleus projections have been proposed to be one possible mechanism involved in the experience that indole hallucinogens induce and that can be experienced both during Near-Death-Experiences (NDEs), Lucid dreaming, and sensory deprivation. Amphetamine releases NE from the Locus Coeruleus (LC) axon endings by displacing it from storage vesicles (Meyer & Quenzer, 2005). Electrical stimulation of the LC elicits strong startle responses and hyper-responsiveness to the environment (like an amphetamine effect) invoking the “fight-or-flight" response.

The limbic system is the main neural structure that is our decider of what is real and what is important, and when it is under high activity our experiences appear to become “hyper-real”. Another factor being that the limbic mechanisms also plays a role in the information coming out of our memory (Meyer & Quenzer, 2005). So when ‘hyper-real space and sensations’ are being attended to the ASC, the raw material from our memories is not inhibited as strongly and fuses together with the physical senses and produces a hallucinatory experience.

The neural control of sleep and dreaming involves a subtle balance among: serotonin, norepinephrine, acetylcholine, adenosine, and histamine in a widely distributed system throughout the brain. Interactions between the serotonergic and adrenergic systems in the brain are important in controlling the switch from Non-REM to REM sleep and generally regulates that dream-like mental contents remain out of waking consciousness. The effects of all kinds of psychedelic substances may be to de-repress this system (Aghajanian & Marek, 1999). 5-HT2A receptors seem to be responsible for the bulk of the hallucinogenic effects and are due to changes in activity in; the locus coeruleus, glutamatergic neurons in the cortex, especially those that connect with the thalamus limbic system activation. Such experience have been documented to occur during extended REST sessions and I propose that it can be made use as another drug-free route in further examining the role of the limbic system in ASC (Fine & Turner, 1982; Flynn, 1962; Forgays & Forgays, 1992; Hoods & Morris, 1981).

The reasons for this discussion on hallucinogens and their mechanisms is that these systems may be what Suefeld & Bow’s (1999) work on REST and sensory deprivation were getting at with the idea that while the body is deprived of sensory experiences there becomes an increased sensitivity to any information that is available, both externally and internally, and that the mechanisms involved in producing the psychological effects seen in the use of REST can be hypothesized to be similar to the mechanisms used in sleep, ASC, and SEEs. Using Móró’s (2010) definition of ASC and incorporating it with the introspective measurements mentioned earlier, REST can be focused experimentally on correlating the subjective and phenomenal experience of an ASC with the psychophysiological and neurocognitive data.

On a final note in relation to cognitive science and REST, it has been found that the presence of or absence of light during REST does not interfere with the overall experience and psychological effects of the REST environment (Turner et al., 1989). These findings hold the implication that it is also possible to provide a novel method of experiment duplication within the disciplines of visual perception, memory consolidation, attention systems, and information processing. The capacity to replicate such experiments using a digital/touch screens within the REST environments creates an opportunity to contribute extensive data and further analysis of the established theories of cognitive psychology.

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