Altered States story
A psychopathologist investigates the possibility that our other states of consciousness are as real as our waking states. It is based on the novel of the same name by playwright and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky. The film was adapted from Chayefsky's only novel and is his final screenplay. Both the novel and the film are based in part on John C. Lilly's sensory deprivation research conducted in isolation tanks under the influence of psychoactive drugs like mescaline, ketamine, and LSD.
10 total · 7 major · 3 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| devolution | major | Dr. Jessup devolved into an ape-like human ancestor. |
| husband and wife | major | Dr. Jessup and Emily Jessup. |
| psychedelic experience | major | The films was about Dr. Jessup using psychedelics in an effort to find God. |
| romantic love | major | Dr. Jessup and Emily Jessup. |
| shapeshifting | major | Dr. Jessup unlocked the power of his mind to transform himself into an ape-like human ancestor. |
| the thirst for knowledge | major | Dr. Jessup was on a personal quest to probe the true limits of the human mind by using psychedelic drugs in combination with sensory deprivation. |
| what if I underwent a physical metamorphosis | major | Dr. Jessup transformed into an ape-like human ancestor while inside a sensory deprivation chamber under influence of a psychedelic drug. |
| Christianity | minor | Christian imagery was prevalent in Dr. Jessup's psychedelic drug trips. |
| schizophrenia | minor | Dr. Jessup was entertained the theory that schizophrenia was actually some kind of heightened state of consciousness. |
| telekinetic ability | minor | Dr. Jessup appeared to bend and warp the water pies in the room he was contained in by using the power of his own mind at the end of the film. |