Name: JOHN LILLY & THE EARTH COINCIDENCE CONTROL OFFICE (2025) Screening!
Start: 2025-11-30T19:00:00-08:00
End: 2025-11-30T21:30:00-08:00
Location: Philosophical Research Society

JOHN LILLY & THE EARTH COINCIDENCE CONTROL OFFICE (2025) Screening!

The Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles is a nonprofit cultural and educational organization which presents concerts, film screenings, lectures, performance art and theatre events, gallery exhibits and more on the intersection between the creative arts and mythology, mysticism and metaphysics.

The Philosophical Research Society

Michael Almereyda & Courtney Stephens' fascinating experimental doc about the psychonautic scientist who tried to communicate with dolphins

Philosophical Research Society

<h3>JOHN LILLY AND THE EARTH COINCIDENCE CONTROL OFFICE (2025) presented by 7th House, Bibliomancers, and Los Angeles Filmforum with Courtney Stephens in person and musical performance by Twig Harper!</h3> 7th House, Bibliomancers, and Los Angeles Filmforum are proud to present JOHN LILLY AND THE EARTH COINCIDENCE CONTROL OFFICE (2025), Courtney Stephens and Michael Almereyda's fascinating documentary about the infamous psychonautic scientist whose experiments with LSD, sensory deprivation, and dolphin communication define an era of boundary pushing, experimental research of consciousness. In celebration of the curatorial small press Bibliomancers' newest book New Age Grave, we will welcome co-writer/director Courtney Stephens in person for a sure-to-be captivating Q&amp;A, along with a performance by avant-electronic sound artist Twig Harper. Copies of Bibliomancers' New Age Grave and John Lilly t-shirts by Twig Harper will be available for sale, too! From the deep end of the psychedelic age, replete with isolation tanks, LSD research, and interspecies communication — JOHN LILLY AND THE EARTH COINCIDENCE CONTROL OFFICE tells the mind-bending story of John C. Lilly, the man who tried to map consciousness itself. John Cunningham Lilly, M.D. (1915–2001) forged a singular and often perilous career through some of the most adventurous scientific experiments of the 20th century. His work unfolded across the shifting landscapes of Cold War research, the LSD-charged counterculture, and the ecological awakenings of the 1970s. Lilly sought, as one historian put it, “to get his hands on the steering wheel of consciousness” — a pursuit that grew ever more entangled with psychedelics and mysticism, and which ultimately carried him beyond the bounds of conventional science. A neuroscientist turned cosmic explorer, Lilly invented the sensory deprivation tank (his boundary-pushing work with LSD and sensory isolation inspired Ken Russell’s Altered States) and became one of the first to seriously investigate communication with dolphins, establishing his own laboratories in Miami and on the island of St. Thomas. In one now-notorious experiment, he paired a young female researcher with a male dolphin in a partially flooded house — a study that would ripple through popular culture and inspire The Day of the Dolphin. Once hailed as a visionary, later dismissed as a heretic, Lilly became a cult figure whose theories of reality would echo through countercultural circles and beyond. Narrated by Chloë Sevigny and featuring reflections from figures such as Alejandro Jodorowsky, John Lilly and the Earth Coincidence Control Office dives deep into the enigma of Lilly’s life and legacy. Directors Michael Almereyda (Nadja, William Eggleston in the Real World) and Courtney Stephens (Invention, The American Sector) weave together rare archival footage, recorded experiments, and fragments of cultural ephemera to illuminate a mind forever pushing at the edge between science and revelation. Part portrait, part séance for a lost era, the film traces Lilly’s transformation from respected researcher to countercultural oracle to maligned “crackpot”, capturing the sweep of his ideas and the mythic arc of his public persona. Revisiting a time when the frontiers of consciousness, technology, and human potential still felt infinite, it poses the same question that haunted Lilly himself: how far can we go — and what might we find — when we peer beyond the boundaries of the mind? Dirs. Michael Almereyda and Courtney Stephens, 2025, 89 mins, United States, English, Unrated, Digital. <h3>Tickets: $12 (All Screenings Are In Person Only)</h3>Please email events@prs.org or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.

ABOUT BIBLIOMANCERSBibliomancers is a small press created and owned by the Los Angeles based occult collage artist Astraleyes. Working with his longtime friend &amp; partner in crime, curator, designer &amp; concept artist Eric Nordhauser they have created a series of esoteric themed books documenting their obsessions.Bibliomancy is the practice of divination through books by allowing a seemingly randomly chosen passage the seeker can apply its wisdom or symbolic meaning to provide guidance. Astraleyes has been collecting books using bibliomancy for almost 30 years.Follow Astraleyes on <a href="https://instagram.com/astraleyez" title="https://instagram.com/astraleyez" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Instagram</a>Follow Bibliomancers on <a href="http://instagram.com/bibliomancers" title="http://instagram.com/bibliomancers" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Instagram</a>

ABOUT LOS ANGELES FILMFORUMLos Angeles Filmforum is the city’s longest-running organization dedicated to weekly screenings of experimental film, documentaries, video art, and experimental animation. 2025 is our 50th year. <a href="http://www.lafilmforum.org/" title="http://www.lafilmforum.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">www.lafilmforum.org</a>

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERSMichael Almereyda’s films range from narrative features and shorts to documentary portraits and diary films. Skinningrove (2013), centered on photographer Chris Killip, was awarded Best Non-Fiction Short Film at the Sundance Film Festival and Best Film at the Ann Arbor Film Festival. William Eggleston in the Real World (2005) and Paradise (2009) were nominated for Best Documentary Films at the IFP Gotham Awards. Almereyda’s work has premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, the Venice International Film Festival, NYFF, TIFF, Rotterdam, Berlin, Locarno, and Rome. He has received grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and Creative Capital, and his essays have appeared in The New York Times, Artforum, Bookforum, Film Comment, The Believer, and booklets for the Criterion Collection. Courtney Stephens is a writer/director. Her non-fiction feature, Terra Femme, composed of amateur travel footage shot by women in the early 20th century, was a New York Times critic’s pick and has toured widely as a live performance. The American Sector (co-directed with Pacho Velez) explores the legacy of the Cold War on American self-understanding, following dozens of fragments of the Berlin Wall installed around the US. Invention, a hybrid fiction feature, premiered at Locarno in 2024, where it received a Pardo for Best Performance. Her films have been exhibited at MoMA, The National Gallery of Art, The Barbican, Istanbul Modern, Walker Art Center, Thailand Biennale, and film festivals including the Berlinale, Viennale, Thessaloniki, IDFA, SXSW, Hong Kong, and NYFF. She is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fulbright Scholarship, and grants from California Humanities, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Foundation for Contemporary Art.In addition to co-curating the miniature cinema Veggie Cloud since 2014, she has organized film screenings for The Getty, Flaherty NYC, Human Resources, and Museum of the Moving Image. Her writing has appeared in BOMB, Film Comment, Cabinet, Filmmaker, and The New Inquiry.

ABOUT TWIG HARPERTwig Harper is a sound artist and performer whose work emerged from the Midwest noise underground in the ’90s with projects like Nautical Almanac. Co-founder/operator of Baltimore’s legendary Tarantula Hill collective for 2 decades and currently lives in Los Angeles. Harper spends his time pushing the limits of analog electronics, broken circuits, tape manipulation, and psychoacoustic trickery.Twigharper.com

ADVISORY DISCLAIMERWith some exception, The Philosophical Research Society’s 7th House Screenings does not typically provide advisory warnings about potentially upsetting content or subject matter, as sensitivities are particular to each viewer. Please be sure to read event listings, research on the web, or visit <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/" title="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Common Sense Media</a>, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/" title="https://www.imdb.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">IMDb</a>, and <a href="http://doesthedogdie.com/" title="http://doesthedogdie.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">DoesTheDogDie.com</a> for thorough info on content and age-appropriateness. If you have any specific content advisory questions, please email events@prs.org. CONTENT DISCLAIMERThe views, opinions, and thoughts expressed within exhibited works are solely those of their creators and may not represent those of the Philosophical Research Society (PRS), its affiliates, or any individuals associated with PRS. Screenings are intended for educational and entertainment purposes. ACCESSIBILITYPRS wants all guests to be able to enjoy our events safely and comfortably. If you require any accessibility accommodation, please reach out to events@prs.org before showtime and we will be happy to assist you. REFUND POLICIESAll sales are final. There are no refunds for PRS events , except in the event of a medical emergency, including but not limited to a positive COVID-19 test. Ticket exchanges may be granted on a case by case basis, pending circumstances.In the event that PRS is forced to cancel an event entirely, tickets will be refunded or vouchers offered for a rescheduled event. PARKINGLimited parking is available onsite at PRS in both the front lot (entry from Los Feliz Blvd. when heading east) and back lot (entry from first alley way, off Griffith Park Blvd. from intersection with Los Feliz Blvd.), as well as street parking on Griffith Park Blvd. and (after 7 PM) on Los Feliz Blvd. We encourage attendees to consider carpooling, walking or biking to events if possible, and please be considerate of our Los Feliz neighbors when parking. PRS EVENT POLICIES<ul><li>We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.</li><li>Events are subject to change without notice, including guest speakers and/or performers.</li><li>We encourage you to arrive at least 30 min. before the scheduled event start time to find parking, enjoy the Bookstore and take your seats.</li><li>Please turn off all mobile devices before the show. Talking and texting are not allowed during the events.</li><li>No filming, audio recording or mobile phone recording of events, screenings, concerts or other programs by audience members is allowed without permission.</li><li>There is no smoking permitted on PRS grounds.</li><li>We strongly encourage guests to wear masks to PRS events to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.</li><li>PRS allows Service Animals into the facility under ADA and state guidelines. For further details please visit www.ADA.gov. No animals permitted whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support, under ADA guidelines and CA Health Code.</li><li>Please do not bring outside food or drink into PRS events.</li><li>Weapons are strictly prohibited at PRS events.</li></ul>

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JOHN LILLY & THE EARTH COINCIDENCE CONTROL OFFICE (2025) Screening!

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