In 1960, a young Harvard lecturer named Timothy Leary started a research project called the Harvard Psilocybin Project with the goal of analyzing the effect of the compound psilocybin on human beings. For those of you who don’t know, psilocybin is the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms, and its mind-altering effects are similar to those of LSD. At the time, these psychedelic compounds were still legal in the United States. Leary’s psychology experiments with psilocybin continued until 1962, but he was eventually fired from Harvard due, in part, to his advocacy of the use of mind-expanding drugs.
Leary became associated with the counterculture movement of the 1960s, and is known for inspiring students and others to “turn on, tune in, drop out.” That phrase, coined in 1967, became a revolutionary call for millions of disaffected youth, and led President Nixon to name Leary “the most dangerous man in America.” Leary was arrested multiple times on drug charges, finally ending up in solitary confinement in a California prison until his 1976 release by Governor Jerry Brown.
Towards the end of his life, Leary became fascinated by the Internet and virtual reality and urged folks to “turn on, boot up, jack in.” He declared the personal computer was the LSD of the 1990s with its ability to expand knowledge and the mind. In 1996, at the age of 75, Leary died of prostate cancer. At his request, his dying words were recorded, and his last word was “beautiful.”
In the last months of Leary’s battle with cancer, inventor John Lilly sent one of his visionary creations–an isolation, or flotation tank—to Leary to “ease his end of life suffering.” Today’s remarkable listing is that very same tank, the John C. Lilly Timothy Leary Floatation Tank, Sensory Deprivation Tank:
The listing describes the concept of a flotation tank in detail:
“The float tank is a little larger than a twin sized bed and chest high (4′ x 8′). It is filled with 10″ of water with epsom salts to create ideal floatation conditions. The user is pushed to the surface and floats like a cork, weightless as an astronaut in space. There is a lightweight door that you can leave open or close if you want to minimize outside noise and distraction. The tank is clean, in excellent working condition and contains an inside fan and stereo speakers.”
The tank is used by people for meditation and relaxation, and is said to have restorative properties.
Aside from the flotation tank, the winner receives two framed portraits of Leary and Lilly, signed by visionary artist, Dean Chamberlain:
In keeping with the spirit of Timothy Leary’s life work, 100 percent of the proceeds benefit the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). MAPS is a non-profit pharmaceutical company working with the FDA and international regulatory agencies to develop medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful use of psychedelics and marijuana.
The tank and the pictures are amazing, yet there is something vaguely sinister about the whole thing and we can’t figure out why. Is it because the floatation tank looks uninviting, like an above-ground grave? We can’t decide whether this is the coolest or creepiest item to come up on eBay in a long time. What do you make of it?
A deprivation tank with stereo speakers……..right.
Think for yourself. Question authority
Watch the Movie ALTERED STATES with William Hurt (1981??) and THEN tell me if it’s cool or creepy!!
(PS If i only had the money…..)
Offer it to Fringe devision !
Tony, take it a step further. Question EVERYTHING.
“he was eventually fired from Harvard due, in part, to his advocacy of the use of mind-expanding drugs.”
The key here is the “mind expanding” drugs , which is opposite of the so-called zombie TV brainwashing concept. The government wants to keep you dumb, not mind-expanded.
Anything that allows expansion of the mind is like looking into the future. The best and newest equipment and devises will be derived from this type of technology experimentation. I would be pleased and very much honored to be associated with this type of research as only good can come from it.
To appreciate this you have to be accustomed to thinking outside of the box and coming up with impossible solutions to seemingly insurmountible problems.
This is not for everyone, if it was, everyone would be doing it. You can quote me, look into the future as their you will find the solutions for tomorrow. R.C. Faith
Let us not forget Wilhelm Reich’s isolation tank in the early fifties. Mind altering drugs were not part of the experiment but his Orogan box was used for similar purposes but never went anywhere. I’m sure Leary went a step further with floatation and mind altering chemistry. Yes ” Altered States ” was Hollywood’s way to fabricate a story on these attempts to foster mind relaxation and inner thoughts. Good luck and bon voyage to the highest bidder. We need put our minds back to the times when Love and thoughts of others overshadowed selfishness, greed and the material world of today that has caused us harm.
At that price I would take 10, no really…. *snicker*
Isolation tank plus hallucinogenic chemicals equals a rough day in the dark and quiet box. Take it from someone who tried it once, back in the early 80s.
It would be extremely cool to have, though.
It honestly looks like a cooler where bags of ice are kept! Brrr!
It´s great. There´s an important part of transpersonal psycology history. They tried to discover another dimension deep inside of mind with psychoative compounds. Unfortunally I can´t take it because I live in South America and I don´t have a good space to hold it. I think that a University is the better place or some museum.
Find the others.
far out, man.
This should be in a museum along with blotter acid art. It is really an iconic piece. It is awesome. xoxo jypsye
Find the others? Explain please. I’ve had the same sense of exploration while on nitrous.
Maybe a popular culture historian or archeologist will be interested. Seems like such an artifact. As for my interest level, I say “Move On!”
ummmm…looks like a coffin….not for the claustrophobic people