On the outside :: Thom

Going into the experiment I was aware that I was going to have to leave early due to outside commitments for the Fringe. The other subjects were unaware of this until the moment that I left, and I felt a sense of guilt that I was leaving earlier and leaving them behind. The time slippage inside had confused me, I wasn’t sure what day or time it was and knowing I had to leave made it more confusing and disempowering that the control of when I was released was in someone else’s hands. I had to pack up my gear really quickly and seeing the faces of the other subjects looking shattered that I was leaving because they were delirious from the experience was hard. When I stepped outside I thought my eyes would take a while to adjust but they adjusted straight away. Going from the extreme of a confined space with limited people to another extreme of a large space with thousands of people was a confronting experience, littered with anxiety, relief, and excitement. The whole experience took me out of my comfort zone. The other weird thing about getting out was meeting other sleep scientists that I hadn’t been in contact with inside but who were very aware of me.

Thom Buchanan