I, totally out of my comfort zone again, went to see a TED Talk from an economist called Alex McDonald from NASA. I am a TED Fellow and am getting more used to meeting people that are changing the world. On that conference, he explained that we went to space because three people told stories about leaving Earth, and it was these stories that set the wheels in motion and seeded the idea and momentum to start doing research. After meeting Alex, I followed up with some crazy absurd experiments, which led to the creation of the Future Day Spa, a guided experience that replicates the feeling of being hugged. Audiences temporarily hand their bodies over to a part-human, part-machine process that induces the body into a state of relaxation.
Guided by a therapist, participants enter a clean room and lay down underneath a pressurised sheet, as a controlled vacuum is applied to the entire body. Biometric technologies are integrated into each treatment capturing physiological changes of the body. Clients review the depth of their relaxation and how are they compared to previous visitors. The emotional changes brought on by restricted movement places this work in the ‘market of pleasure’. But could new kinds of isolation be developed to treat spectrums of autism? Whether it’s ridding hangovers or treating social isolation, transcending people has great value.