Last month we spoke about Temple Grandin and her toaster-like mattress contraption, and how pressure on the skin calms the body. I kept thinking about it and realized, more than ever, that almost the entire experience of life is about degree. The degree to which something is present. That mattress machine constricts, but also soothes. Swimming in the sea is a freeing thing to do—until you go too far from the shore. Boredom is dull but brings forth ideas. A week of rest easily turns into apathy. Experiences, then, have a tipping point.
Is that true? There once was a king (a real one – this actually happened) who feared being poisoned. He took his feelings seriously and trained his body to become immune to all kinds of poison. Each day, he took a sip. The dose increased. It’s going well! I can handle it! Then, one day, circumstances called for him to die—immediately and honorably. What could he do? He turned to his flask and drank it dry. Alas. He took a few steps. And a few more. Sat on a bench. Got up. Walked to his tent.
Nothing.
Playing with the tipping point between slight unrest and heart warming feelings of comfort, Johannes Bellinkx and Schweigman& created something beautiful. In Inside Out, the heaviness of the body leads to lightness of the mind. You can experience the shift from heavy to light from July 28 to 31 at La Strada festival in Graz.