JOHN C. LILLY ( A CHRONOLOGY )

• Born

1918

• At age 3 is replaced at his mother's breast by his newborn brother Dave. He cut himself off from feeling, his first successful experience of programming himself and his becoming a scientific observer.

1922

• First vision during removal of tonsil's under ether.
• First religious vision in catholic church.
• Discovery of movies as simulations, a metaphor in his experience of life

1925

• Age 10. First near-death experience during fever and six months confinement.
  

• Age 12. His father, a banker in St. Paul, leads an undercover investigation with FBI into the city's high corruption. The family's mail box is bombed. His father published wire taps in the city newspaper and the corrupt officials are cleared out of office. John learns that sometimes people had to take chances to uphold good and defeat the forces of evil and that the news media can be a potent tool.
• First orgasm with a simultaneous religious vision. Both parents and a priest tell him masturbation is bad. John rejects religion feeling that sex is divine ecstasy, close and akin to God.
• He discovers that conflict with experience must be abandoned.
• After a horse riding accident, his elder brother dies at the hands of an incompetent doctor. John vows to become a doctor and save lives.

1928

• In prep school he is known as "Einstein Jr."
• Science, he learns at school, is a greater than philosophy because it is subject to testing.
• At 16, John writes an essay, "Reality", dealing with "brain" vs. "mind", "objective" vs. "subjective", and leads to the question "how can the mind study itself?"
• Formulates his first major concept: " a universal network of mind ", that subjective ideas may not be an individual's alone, but may contained is some greater mind, perhaps the "Mind of God".
• If it exists, then scientific discovery is actually a process of revelation in which the larger mind transfers some of its knowledge into an individual mind. John Lilly does not put this in writing, being so controversial, until 30 years later in MAN AND DOLPHIN(1961).
• At St. Paul Academy, he makes a film about social problems at campus (hazing). It is almost censored, but is eventually played and helps to reform.

1933

• Enters Cal Tech.
• Meets eminent scientists Cuthbert Bazett and Britton Chance.
• He learns that " my body is my laboratory "

1936

• Marries mary Crouch

1937

• Son, John Jr., is born

1938

• Watches brain surgery on his own mother. The tumor that was causing apparitions is removed. He realizes how brain, not the outside world, is the immediate source of human reality.

• Age 27. He designs instruments for military high-altitude research at University of Pennsylvania on jet pilots after testing on himself first. Learns: "my body is a crash test dummy"

1943

• Son Charles R. is born.

1945

• Begins brain research on electrical activity in the cerebral cortex with 25 electrode sensors on the surface of live monkeys and cats, displayed on crt screen.

1949

• Begins psychoanalysis with Dr. Robert Waelder.

1953

• Experiments with inserting electrodes into a cerebral cortex. Maps pleasure and pain centers in monkey brain cortex.
• At the National institute of Mental Health, designs the painless sleeve-guide electrode technique.
• Formulates the idea of recording electrical activity in his brain and then playing the signal back.
• Dreams of experimenting on himself with brain electrodes.
• Formulates the concept of multiple realities (outer, inner,...)
• Contemplates that he is bent on crucifying himself. Sees the stereotaxic frame as the cross, and the probe as the lance .
• Confronts idea that the brain has autorhythmic processes and may not be reliant on external stimuli to exist.
• Builds first isolation tank to study the mind and the mind of the scientific observer.
• develops concept of internal reality, and that "hallucinations" could be voluntary and controlled, and that beliefs determine experiences. He learns that, by determining acceptable experiences which a scientist might allow himself to have, philosophy could reach beyond science.
• Realizes that, in psychoanalysis, an analyst's interpretations are voluntary beliefs acceptable to society, and not open-ended, exploratory, truth-seeking theories of sicence tested by experimental confrontation with reality.
• Ends psychoanalysis.
• He is approached by the CIA and other intelligence agencies of the US government and feels a conflict with his ideals of scientific discovery, human progress, and the free exchange of ideas.
• Gives open briefings to the Department of Defense on the use of brain electrodes.
• Sandia Corporation's use of his work of brain electrodes in controlling the behaviour of animals by remote control to deliver small and compact nuclear weapons.
• Lobbies other scientists to halt the use of electrode research and lobotomies in animals and human patients.

1955

• Begins dolphins research. Notices a high degree of social interdependence and communication among the species.
  

• Leaves the NIMH. Goes to the Virgin Islands.

1959

• Opens a dolphin research facility in St. Thomas, Communication Research Institute Inc. (CRII), based on the pleasure-contact method of learning and interaction.
• Divorce from Mary
• Builds Dolphin Point as base of study for CRII
• Experiences psychic communication with his father at the night of his death.
• Marries Elisabeth Bjerg.

1960

• Daughter, cynthia Olivia Roslyn, born.
• Flies two female dolphins, Lizzie and Baby, from Florida to St. Thomas . Lizzie gets infected and stops eating, soon dies. Baby also dies. Two new dolphins, Elvar and Tolva, survive.
• Mainland branch of CRII in coconut Grove, Miami established.
• Experiences psychic and physical pain of wife liz during her entopic pregnancy.
• Aldous and Julian Huxley visit CRII.
• Anthropologist Gregory Bateson becomes Director of CRII.
• Meeting with author Herman Wouk.
• Writes MAN AND DOLPHIN.

1961

• Publication of MAN AND DOLPHIN causes controversy.
• Margaret Howe enters CRII, begins training dolphins.
• Notes dolphins imitating human speech, and their use of speech to obtain rewards or express inner needs. John sees this as a basis for the formation of society and language.

1964

• The experiments with dolphin Peter and Margaret to teach Peter English.
• Peter's sexual advances to margaret. Peter's subsequent gentleness towards her.
• Maps atlas of dolphin brain: the associational ("silent") areas of the dolphin's cerebral cortex is shown to be larger than humans. ( These areas are receiving none. The revelation of massive misappopriation among some administrators).
• Moves to Esalen to begin workshops.
• Meets Alan Wats and poses a riddle.
• Conducts gestalt therapy workshop with Fritz Perls.
• Six week meeting with Baba Ram Dass (Richard Alpert).

1970

• Goes to Arica, Chile to join Oscar Ichazo training group for 8 months. Experiences the Arica form of Gnosticism. The concept of Essence is seen by John as a vital link between Western Psychology and Eastern Mysticism.
• Formulate his scale of states of consciousness: a map of conscious exploration based an a plus/minus scale corresponding to the positive/negative consciousness states.
• Skepticism about the students obsession with Arica methodology as a belief system and not as an operational tool to reach new states of being.

1971

• Returns to California.
• Falls into " Alternaty ", during earthquakes, when all possibilities-potential realities-stand open to the self.
• Meets Antoinette Lena Ficarotta and forms a dyad with her.
• Meets Glenn and Lee Perry of Samadhi Tank Co.

1973

• Establishes tank center at Malibu
• Publishes THE CENTER OF THE CYCLONE.
• Burgess Meredith's dream of beached dolphin becomes realized the next day with John and Toni.
• John introduced to Ketamine which cures his migraine.
• Discovery of Ketamine as a powerful facilitator of mental programming.
• The film DAY OF THE DOLPHIN is released. John sues the producers.
• Discovers "automatism" while under Ketamine : that the body can perform any actions uncontrolled bay its owner. Realizes the need for a " safety man " at all times while under Ketamine.
• Falls into the "repeated-use trap". Falls into hot tub and simultaneous call from New York by a friend. This "Coincidence" save his life. John sees himself as being guarded by higher powers in extraterrestial reality.

1974

• Publishes PROGRAMMING AND METAPROGRAMMING IN THE HUMAN BIOCOMPUTER.
• Experiences ECCO ( Earth Coincidence Control Office) : the network of extraterrestrial realities, a network of entities operating through the control of coincidence on a global scale.
• Contacts SSI (Solid State Intelligence) : composed of computer-like, solid state lifeforms throughout the universe operating at cross-purposes with ECCO and bent on conquering and dominating all organic water-based life--starting with the cetaceans.
• Sees Comet Kahoutek on airplane and hears SSI declare that they will shut down LAX. LAX is subsequently shut down due to an electrical power failure caused by a plane crashing into electronic lines.
• ECCO confronts John with his greatest fear.
• Near death experience after bicycle accident. Met two guides again .
• Publishes THE DYADIC CYCLONE with Toni.
• Begins a 14 year discussion with Richard Feynman over "hallucinations" as unscientic generalization that confuses a multitude of significant processes and specific experiences involving internal reality.
• Admission to New Hampshire Hospital after passing out in airport. Failure to contact White House to warn of SSI. Admission into psychiatric hospital, and release shortly thereafter no reason to hold him there was found.

1976

• Publishes SIMULATIONS OF GOD : THE SCIENCE OF BELIEF .
• Meets E. G. GOLD.

1977

• THE DEEP SELF published.
• LILLY ON DOLPHINS collection published.
• Meets Dr. Albert Hofmann.

1978

• Published THE SCIENTIST and COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MAN AND DOLPHIN.
• Revises Lilly's law to add: "However, the body introduces defenite limits".
• Introduction to non-local quantum physics, of the brain as a "quantum computer". Develops theory of "quantum-jumping consciousness" and coins POV (point of view) and COV (center of Universe).
• Terms "states of Beings" (SOBs) as Eigenstates, a mathematical model for island of relative stability in the midst of a sea of chaos. Terms Quantum Observer as a quantum of consciousness.
• Meeting with Burgess Meredith with Joe Levine (producer of The Day of the Dolphin) and wife Rosie. Their donation to John's dolphin research project.

1979

• Capture of two dolphins from the sea, Joe and Rosie. Establishes JANUS, dolphin communication research project, in Redwood City. Makes a vow to return them to the sea after they help humans to communicate.

1980

• Film ALTERED STATES released.
• Attempt by a cadre of navy-funded dolphin scientists to overturn the Marine Mammal Protection Act by discrediting Dr.Lilly and his work.
• Builds isolation tank next to JANUS with loudspeakers connected to receivers in the dolphin pool. Speaking back to John, the dolphins emit sounds that produces a three-dimesional holosonic space for him as if he were in the pool with them--also telepathically.

• Project JANUS closed

1986

• Toni dies.

• Release of Joe and Rosie to Ocean. Joe and Rosie had learned 50 humans words and their syntax.
• Speaks of science as just as mysterious as mysticism and should not be thought of as separate from the spiritual (e.g. radio waves in the 1970s is as ESP is today).
• Adopts Lisa Lyon.
• Addresses Yoga conference in Philadelphia. Sees Yoga Sutras as cookbook of consciousness.
• Formulates "insanity", "outsanity", and "unsanity".
• States that the brain is so massive, one can only see some aspects of it -- it is programming the self.
• Holds consciousness exploration seminar with Claudio Naranjo.
• Near death experience during automobile accident. Experiences a new entity entering him.

1988

• Meets Soviet underwater birthing expert Igor Charkovsky in USSR.
• Addresses First International Conference on Whales and Dolphins in Australia.
• Adopts Barbara Clarke.

1989

• Addresses United Nations on the Environment.

1990

• Current concerns: "inplorations", creating a working computer model of human biocomputer, establishing dolphin phones underwater, seeking "a few good questions".