♛ IC CONTACT

[herrin]

Hello. You've reached the mobile of Irene Adler.
I'm not here right now, or I'm with a client; please leave a message
and I'll try and get back to you as quickly as possible.
text ♛ video ♛ audio ♛ misc

Comments

privatetext

[combatdoc]

Look, I just need some advice, that's all. For a patient.

And you're the expert at this sort of thing, so...

perma-private

[herrin]

'This sort of thing'? This ought to be good.

Please, just say it. Whatever it is.

perma-private

[combatdoc]

What do you know about sensory deprivation?

[herrin]

Enough to know that it's not for an amateur.

Why do you ask?

[combatdoc]

I asked for what you know, not an interrogation.

I'm not talking anything extreme here. It would be for therapeutic purposes.

[herrin]

You do realize it's not strictly in the services I offer? You're lucky I had an interest in it once, or I couldn't tell you anything at all.

For therapeutic purposes, you would have to decide which sort. There are two predominant kinds: floating and using a bed as an apparatus.

[combatdoc]

It wouldn't need to be total sensory deprivation. Just enough to switch someone's focus from cataloging absolutely everything around them to something...harmless.

A way to "switch off" for a bit, you know? I had ex-army mates who used to swear by it.

[herrin]

The tank may not be difficult to build, though it's hard to say in this environment.

You would need some sort of chemical agent - like epsom salts - to help whoever it is float. It's part of the experience, the ability to lay there without worrying about drowning.

[combatdoc]

I don't need a tank. Nothing complicated.

Like I said, it doesn't need to be total deprivation. Just a shift in focus.

[herrin]

Is this for Mr. Holmes?

[combatdoc]

That's not your business.

[herrin]

He needs a case.

[combatdoc]

He has a case. It's not exactly helping and even if it were, I'm not going to be able to produce one at any given moment for the rest of eternity for him.

He needs distractions.

[herrin]

One could argue that it's not your job to provide distractions for him either.

The key behind sensory deprivation is an absence of distractions.

[combatdoc]

He's never going to have an absence of distractions. He never shuts it off, can't. I think trying for total deprivation is pointless.

He just needs something to focus on that isn't every-bloody-thing at once.

[herrin]

Have you considered meditation? Some people find it to be a period of extreme focus.

[combatdoc]

You think someone able to visualize an entire mind palace hasn't already tried meditation? If it worked, I'm sure he'd do that already.

1/2

[herrin]

If you know all the answers, why ask for my help?

2/2

[herrin]

He may not know that is what he needs. People seldom do.

[combatdoc]

Well what does he need in your expert opinion, then?

Because he'll bloody well laugh in my face if I tell him to do some yoga so he'll stop flinging himself off buildings.

1/2

[herrin]

Ah.

So that's what this is about.

2/2

[herrin]

Is it just his talent for flinging himself off buildings that concerns you?

[combatdoc]

That's not enough to be getting on with?

[He's not telling you about the drugs, you've already got more information about Sherlock than he's comfortable with.]

[herrin]

( he's being intentionally hostile about a subject that's sensitive. perhaps john was more like sherlock than he thought. )

Have you considered speaking to him? Counter-intuitive, I know.

[combatdoc]

I have spoken to him. It doesn't change anything. He knows my opinion on the subject.