A graduate sculpture student at Ohio University got his latest idea for a project after pondering what it would be like to experience the mind without the body.
In a literally soul-searching quest to experience this age-old phenomenon, Joe Meiser is constructing a 2,500-pound sensory depravation chamber.
Joe chooses to work with a combination of content and form
said John Roth, woodshop technician and instructor at OU. In this case the content has to do with his interest in Buddhism. The sensory depravation chamber is about losing the body to get lost in his thoughts. You don't think about your senses so you just concentrate on your thoughts.
The metal chamber will contain a saline solution kept at 93 degrees, the same temperature as the skin, in order to block out feeling, Meiser said. Lights and sounds will be eliminated, except for speakers that will produce white noise.
The project's budget has already reached $1,000, which Meiser is paying mostly with student loans, he said.
Meiser worked on the chamber all last quarter, and hopes to complete it this quarter, he said. After painting it white, since black would resemble a coffin, he will then somehow transport it to his studio at the Ridges.
His piece is layered. It's a compelling visual Roth said. But then when you think of his aim
his content
his theme
it provokes further thought.
Meiser's interest in spirituality is often an inspiration for his work. He formerly was commissioned to make sculptures of Jesus, while meanwhile he questioned Christianity.
I don't disagree with Christianity but I have trouble ruling out other religions
Meiser said. Part of what I'm doing with my work is proving that the soul exists. Meiser said.
Sculpting professor Yoshitomo Saito said Meiser's work reminds him of a mother's womb. Being suspended in a small chamber may inspire memories of this experience.
Joe Meiser is a practicing boxer besides being a sculptor
Saito said. He has a genuine interest in how far the body can go and how much of the mind and spiritual aspect is important in the context or any context. I appreciate that angle of his work.
A lot of artists use sensory depravation chambers to assist in the creative process, said Lee Perry, president of Samadhi Tank Company, the first company to manufacture sensory depravation chambers in 1972.
The company mainly manufactures for massage therapy centers and spas, but also for individuals who use the chambers at home for relaxation purposes.
You are being held in a solution that is so dense that it allows every muscle to relax
Perry said. A 170-gallon solution including 800 pounds of Epsom salts make the person buoyant. Tanks are usually about 14 by 8 feet.
Perry uses the chamber almost every morning to meditate and to stretch.
You have a chance to be with yourself and not have any annoyances
she said.
The first sensory depravation chambers were manufactured in 1954 at the National Institute of Mental Health in the Virgin Islands, Perry said. Thousands of chambers currently exist in the U.S.
The tanks are generally safe, Perry said.
In order to ensure safety in the chamber, Meiser enlisted the help of others at OU. Ron Hedrick, manager of electric, life safety and preventive maintenance shops, plans to help him with the wiring.
Jay North, manager of environmental services, checked for oxygen depletion in the tank. The normal oxygen level is 20.9, and after 15 minutes in the chamber the level dropped to 20.3. This was without the blower that will force fresh air inside the chamber, North said.
Saito fears that people claustrophobic such as himself may have psychological problems inside the chamber, he said.
North recommended an oxygen depletion chamber inside the chamber, and possibly other monitors on the person to detect functions such as heart rate.
I wouldn't want some one in there unattended
North said. Overall, it is fairly safe, North said.
