Hi guys,I don't mean this in any way sarcastic but could anyone explain the point he wanted to make by this experiment because although I've heard him talking about it im not sure I understand what he means. This is the Tony Wright who was a speaker at the WSFF right?ciao!
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However will try and clear up some of the questions The 11 day sleepless event was primarily a publicity stunt, had been working on a theory for years and made little progress with straightforward communication, the basic idea was just too extreme for most (species wide neural dysfunction) Initially planned for London with sponsorship and constant medical monitoring etc, sponsors backed out as they were afraid I might die or go mad (as if). I intentionally went after Randy Gardner's record as he was 17 at the time and struggled with constant intense tiredness from day two. I wanted to demonstrate a simple engineering principle, by changing the construction materials and fuel out neural system would behave differently. Specifically I proposed that I would stay awake with 'relative' ease with long periods of lucidity. It was in part based on a lot of experiments in the mid nineties where I combined a number of shamanic techniques or 'treatments' for the condition alluded to in virtually all spiritual/religious traditions. I did persuade a University to monitor and test me during a 5 day run in 1998 with some intriguing results. Briefly the idea is one side of our neo-cortex is much less functional that the other (with weaker batteries) paradoxically it has come to dominate our perception. By staying awake, an ancient technique the batteries run down much more quickly, this does initially result in the usual symptoms, irritability, clumsiness slurred speech etc. However it can lead to the normally dominant rational mind losing its capacity to inhibit the real cool self that is normally locked away. Combine that with long term raw and what can be accessed is in much better shape, the Manchester study is the only neural study where a human neural system was partially built to original specs.
The event did work kind of, global media including a follow up on Nightline and a BBC documentary, unfortunately they cut all the stuff on why I did it. During the event my Aspergers tendencies meant I found the real time attention a bit too much and lack of resources meant it was poorly managed.
A lot of the 'weird' stuff reported by many when staying awake is due to accessing a basically dormant (though still impressive) system usually built from shit and fuelled on shit. Like trying to get a coherent picture on a TV after you drop it down a flight of stairs and pour some beer into it. Might flicker a bit but aint gonna work properly.
As for insane, well maybe but who is to judge, I did do more than 100 runs of between 3 and 8 days in the mid to late nineties, can still hold my own with the sharpest academics (not sure if that is a good measure though)
Re crazy stuff versus none crazy, not really sure I differentiate, think all the 'techniques' are of interest, strip away the dogma and they provide a diagnosis, any 'technique' implies something isn't working as it should. If the diagnosis is meditation or yoga deficiency then great, if it condition is much more serious than we could realise it maybe that some of the 'easier' techniques wont cut it. That's not to say they don't have an effect, they certainly do but who is to say how much more remains locked away. Even lifelong mediators rarely glimpse relatively deeply altered states and then only fleetingly, I would suggest we are collectively way past the point where meditation on the scale required is either of interest to those who most need it or effective enough to make a significant impact.
The sexual reference was in part to intrigue and in part based on very ancient practice. Putting these things together can result in a much more profound experience, there are simple mechanisms to explain why this would be. Bit like fuelling your car and changing the oils and topping up the water and replacing the worn tyres etc etc, cumulative benefits rather that being too attached to any one 'fix'
Drugs/chemicals of course, well it seems odd to discuss drugs out of context on a forum like this, our neural system is a drug machine, it requires an unimaginably complex cocktail of drug reactions just for you to read this thread and fruit is loaded with drugs. If you are referring to the arbitrary definition of drugs well I would say common sense should be enough to differentiate between a helpful drug and an unhelpful drugs. The idea that our neural system is supposed to run on its own drug regime when our origins were symbiotic, a chemically entangled relationship with the most chemically complex species ever is a non starter. Of course I do distinguish between judicious use and misuse.
That our current state is balanced or even remotely functional is a presumption, every tradition alludes to the onset and progression of a serious condition, limited perception and delusion are common themes and we are collectively on the last page of the story.
Anyway getting carried away, if the human condition is mild and easily treated then great, if it is much more serious than we have been subjectively able to recognise (due to the condition itself) then it will require more than sticking plasters. The evidence looks pretty compelling, the Arcadian traditions, modern neurology/psychology, the pharmacology/molecular biology of a symbiotic association with plant developmental environments (fruit) and our collective behaviour suggests very very serious to me and increasingly to others.
Hope this helps, please trawl the links for more info.
Off to snort some Goji berries (only joking, gonna have sex with a Durian instead)
StyleStacker > Tony WrightJanuary 31, 2012 at 10:41am
What happened Tony what happened? Did you go out of body at any point? Anything mystical? Did it change you forever? How big of an impact did it have?
Tony Wright > StyleStackerFebruary 10, 2012 at 6:57am
Some classic but mild experiences during the event, years of practice meant I could keep the lid on the unusual stuff as my objective was simply to stay awake with relative ease. In previous experiments classic mystical experiences including experience of self as someone/thing very different to 'normal' . Course its all back to front really our current state is the heavily chemically altered state due to chronic and severe chemical deficiency and the structural retardation that has caused in the development of our brain/lens of perception. Any idea that we would experience our selves as we do now having lost 95% plus of the most unique chemical cocktail in biological history is a non starter.
I just want to say I feel like I know exactly where he is coming from. He deeply believes (and I do too) that humans are FAR more capable and advanced than most people think we are and he probably DESPERATELY wants to experience it himself, and this is a good example of how desperate he is.
I've felt this way before, like I would do something crazy and dangerous in order to obtain a higher level of being with more possibilities.
Ever since I was a kid I felt like a slave and not free and I've often imagined having advanced abilities that would allow me TRUE freedom. If I could teleport, no one would have control over my movement, and I wouldn't be like I am now, waiting on a passport and working all day to afford to get a ticket to go somewhere. If I had telekinesis... telepathy.... etc. then people wouldn't be able to limit me and my potential would be far greater. It would be bliss.
So I get the feeling Tony feels the same way and thats why he is willing to do things like this, because he thinks there's a chance it might actually work. Personally I feel like the way he is trying to do it is more like an unnatural universe hack, which could work, but will have a cost.
I'd rather research ancient wisdom and explore different esoteric meditations, I don't like being tired. I do hope he gets something out of this though!
I've got to hand to him for actually doing that to himself willingly...very committed I guess. Still I wouldn't give up one night willingly! Nobody in my family would want me to either (can you say wacko witch).
I've actually been doing the opposite of this guy over the last few weeks. I've been sleeping way more than I ever have done and my sleep is way deeper and more relaxed.
The funny thing is that I've gotten really sick, I have a very high temperature and my skin has broken out. I'm 80% sure it's due to the decrease in stress I have been having giving me space to clear out some toxins.
What really baffles me is this so called 'dominance of the left brain.' Surely the human body in it's natural form would be balanced and obviously sleep is a reorganiser and healer. However if you deprive yourself of sleep you start to even out your brain balance. I guess your not actually balancing your brain but your exhausting one side to the point that they become equally weak...
So the question is, how instead of weaking the left side can you strengthen the right side? Perhaps the reason why the right side is weak is because of the lack sleep. I can imagine the brain triages the difficult tasks to the most well rested areas to try to save energy for the exhausted areas - Once the brain becomes exhausted through lack of sleep then the more dominant become tired and then the mind becomes more balanced. However perhaps you could achieve the same kind of thing through resting the brain more to allow your mind to heal and balance.
I like him too, though I haven't met him - only exchanged some e-mails. I appreciate his work and understand where he's coming from, as a father. I definitely think his line of research is potentially important. I wish him all the luck and may even support him financially. I do hope he abandons the idea of drugs as a potential brain booster and I won't forget where the current hard evidence is, no matter how intriguing his ideas.
He came real short with this Kickstarter project though, not even close to his goal when the deadline came.
Tony is interested in the hidden abilities of our brain. He believes that sleep deprivation (and drugs...) can "shut off" our dominant and damaged left brain and give access to our "better" right brain. He states in Left in the Dark that the current stigma against drug use is unfortunate (or something to that effect, don't have my copy left). Basically, that we should be able to explore our brain by using certain drugs.
I don't agree. There is a simpler and better explanation to what happens when you are sleep-deprived and/or on drugs.
I find that very interesting. I've done the same but I've only managed to last 3 nights or so, it's very hard. I can't even fathom what 11 days would be like...
The native indians would do this as part of their spirit quests, they'd chant, fast and meditate and go out into nature and not sleep for days until they get a vision or an answer to what they are looking for.
Replies
Hi and thanks for the comments, haven't been on this site for a while, still catching up on my sleep (not really)
Most of the points raised are answered on either of my sites directly or via links etc
http://leftinthedark.org.uk/
http://beyond-belief.org.uk/
However will try and clear up some of the questions
The 11 day sleepless event was primarily a publicity stunt, had been working on a theory for years and made little progress with straightforward communication, the basic idea was just too extreme for most (species wide neural dysfunction)
Initially planned for London with sponsorship and constant medical monitoring etc, sponsors backed out as they were afraid I might die or go mad (as if).
I intentionally went after Randy Gardner's record as he was 17 at the time and struggled with constant intense tiredness from day two. I wanted to demonstrate a simple engineering principle, by changing the construction materials and fuel out neural system would behave differently. Specifically I proposed that I would stay awake with 'relative' ease with long periods of lucidity.
It was in part based on a lot of experiments in the mid nineties where I combined a number of shamanic techniques or 'treatments' for the condition alluded to in virtually all spiritual/religious traditions.
I did persuade a University to monitor and test me during a 5 day run in 1998 with some intriguing results.
Briefly the idea is one side of our neo-cortex is much less functional that the other (with weaker batteries) paradoxically it has come to dominate our perception. By staying awake, an ancient technique the batteries run down much more quickly, this does initially result in the usual symptoms, irritability, clumsiness slurred speech etc. However it can lead to the normally dominant rational mind losing its capacity to inhibit the real cool self that is normally locked away. Combine that with long term raw and what can be accessed is in much better shape, the Manchester study is the only neural study where a human neural system was partially built to original specs.
The event did work kind of, global media including a follow up on Nightline and a BBC documentary, unfortunately they cut all the stuff on why I did it. During the event my Aspergers tendencies meant I found the real time attention a bit too much and lack of resources meant it was poorly managed.
A lot of the 'weird' stuff reported by many when staying awake is due to accessing a basically dormant (though still impressive) system usually built from shit and fuelled on shit. Like trying to get a coherent picture on a TV after you drop it down a flight of stairs and pour some beer into it. Might flicker a bit but aint gonna work properly.
As for insane, well maybe but who is to judge, I did do more than 100 runs of between 3 and 8 days in the mid to late nineties, can still hold my own with the sharpest academics (not sure if that is a good measure though)
Re crazy stuff versus none crazy, not really sure I differentiate, think all the 'techniques' are of interest, strip away the dogma and they provide a diagnosis, any 'technique' implies something isn't working as it should. If the diagnosis is meditation or yoga deficiency then great, if it condition is much more serious than we could realise it maybe that some of the 'easier' techniques wont cut it. That's not to say they don't have an effect, they certainly do but who is to say how much more remains locked away. Even lifelong mediators rarely glimpse relatively deeply altered states and then only fleetingly, I would suggest we are collectively way past the point where meditation on the scale required is either of interest to those who most need it or effective enough to make a significant impact.
The sexual reference was in part to intrigue and in part based on very ancient practice. Putting these things together can result in a much more profound experience, there are simple mechanisms to explain why this would be. Bit like fuelling your car and changing the oils and topping up the water and replacing the worn tyres etc etc, cumulative benefits rather that being too attached to any one 'fix'
Drugs/chemicals of course, well it seems odd to discuss drugs out of context on a forum like this, our neural system is a drug machine, it requires an unimaginably complex cocktail of drug reactions just for you to read this thread and fruit is loaded with drugs. If you are referring to the arbitrary definition of drugs well I would say common sense should be enough to differentiate between a helpful drug and an unhelpful drugs. The idea that our neural system is supposed to run on its own drug regime when our origins were symbiotic, a chemically entangled relationship with the most chemically complex species ever is a non starter. Of course I do distinguish between judicious use and misuse.
That our current state is balanced or even remotely functional is a presumption, every tradition alludes to the onset and progression of a serious condition, limited perception and delusion are common themes and we are collectively on the last page of the story.
Anyway getting carried away, if the human condition is mild and easily treated then great, if it is much more serious than we have been subjectively able to recognise (due to the condition itself) then it will require more than sticking plasters. The evidence looks pretty compelling, the Arcadian traditions, modern neurology/psychology, the pharmacology/molecular biology of a symbiotic association with plant developmental environments (fruit) and our collective behaviour suggests very very serious to me and increasingly to others.
Hope this helps, please trawl the links for more info.
Off to snort some Goji berries (only joking, gonna have sex with a Durian instead)
What happened Tony what happened? Did you go out of body at any point? Anything mystical? Did it change you forever? How big of an impact did it have?
Some classic but mild experiences during the event, years of practice meant I could keep the lid on the unusual stuff as my objective was simply to stay awake with relative ease.
In previous experiments classic mystical experiences including experience of self as someone/thing very different to 'normal' . Course its all back to front really our current state is the heavily chemically altered state due to chronic and severe chemical deficiency and the structural retardation that has caused in the development of our brain/lens of perception. Any idea that we would experience our selves as we do now having lost 95% plus of the most unique chemical cocktail in biological history is a non starter.
I just want to say I feel like I know exactly where he is coming from. He deeply believes (and I do too) that humans are FAR more capable and advanced than most people think we are and he probably DESPERATELY wants to experience it himself, and this is a good example of how desperate he is.
I've felt this way before, like I would do something crazy and dangerous in order to obtain a higher level of being with more possibilities.
Ever since I was a kid I felt like a slave and not free and I've often imagined having advanced abilities that would allow me TRUE freedom. If I could teleport, no one would have control over my movement, and I wouldn't be like I am now, waiting on a passport and working all day to afford to get a ticket to go somewhere. If I had telekinesis... telepathy.... etc. then people wouldn't be able to limit me and my potential would be far greater. It would be bliss.
So I get the feeling Tony feels the same way and thats why he is willing to do things like this, because he thinks there's a chance it might actually work. Personally I feel like the way he is trying to do it is more like an unnatural universe hack, which could work, but will have a cost.
I'd rather research ancient wisdom and explore different esoteric meditations, I don't like being tired. I do hope he gets something out of this though!
would anyone ever think of making this experiment on themselves here? how much is the world record?
see ya! (going to bed)
I've got to hand to him for actually doing that to himself willingly...very committed I guess. Still I wouldn't give up one night willingly! Nobody in my family would want me to either (can you say wacko witch).
The funny thing is that I've gotten really sick, I have a very high temperature and my skin has broken out. I'm 80% sure it's due to the decrease in stress I have been having giving me space to clear out some toxins.
What really baffles me is this so called 'dominance of the left brain.' Surely the human body in it's natural form would be balanced and obviously sleep is a reorganiser and healer. However if you deprive yourself of sleep you start to even out your brain balance. I guess your not actually balancing your brain but your exhausting one side to the point that they become equally weak...
So the question is, how instead of weaking the left side can you strengthen the right side? Perhaps the reason why the right side is weak is because of the lack sleep. I can imagine the brain triages the difficult tasks to the most well rested areas to try to save energy for the exhausted areas - Once the brain becomes exhausted through lack of sleep then the more dominant become tired and then the mind becomes more balanced. However perhaps you could achieve the same kind of thing through resting the brain more to allow your mind to heal and balance.
I like him too, though I haven't met him - only exchanged some e-mails. I appreciate his work and understand where he's coming from, as a father. I definitely think his line of research is potentially important. I wish him all the luck and may even support him financially. I do hope he abandons the idea of drugs as a potential brain booster and I won't forget where the current hard evidence is, no matter how intriguing his ideas.
He came real short with this Kickstarter project though, not even close to his goal when the deadline came.
Tony is interested in the hidden abilities of our brain. He believes that sleep deprivation (and drugs...) can "shut off" our dominant and damaged left brain and give access to our "better" right brain. He states in Left in the Dark that the current stigma against drug use is unfortunate (or something to that effect, don't have my copy left). Basically, that we should be able to explore our brain by using certain drugs.
I don't agree. There is a simpler and better explanation to what happens when you are sleep-deprived and/or on drugs.
The native indians would do this as part of their spirit quests, they'd chant, fast and meditate and go out into nature and not sleep for days until they get a vision or an answer to what they are looking for.
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