Altered States (1980) & Upstream Color (2013): Primordial Goo & Psychic Pigs | EP20

This week, we dive into the deep end of consciousness with two films that push the limits of science, identity, and human connection — Altered States (1980) and Upstream Color (2013). From Ken Russell’s psychedelic body horror to Shane Carruth’s hypnotic biological loop, these movies explore what happens when scientific obsession collides with transcendence. Expect talk of isolation tanks, sensory overloads, parasitic pigs, love as symbiosis, and whether enlightenment is just another experiment gone wrong.

“Science meets soul, and both come apart at the seams.”

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Discussion Points from the Episode

In this episode of Journey Through Sci-Fi, we explore:

• how Altered States visualizes the search for consciousness through psychedelic science

• the real-world inspiration behind sensory-deprivation experiments

• how Upstream Color uses biological cycles to explore identity and trauma

• why arthouse science fiction often focuses on philosophical ideas rather than spectacle

  
  

Altered States (1980)

Director: Ken Russell

Writer: Paddy Chayefsky

Producer: Howard Gottfried

Studio: Warner Bros.

Starring: William Hurt, Blair Brown

Release Year: 1980

Altered States follows Dr. Eddie Jessup, a Harvard scientist researching altered states of consciousness through sensory deprivation and hallucinogenic drugs.

Jessup conducts experiments using an isolation tank combined with psychedelic substances, believing the experience might unlock genetic memories buried deep within the human brain.

As the experiments intensify, Jessup begins experiencing increasingly vivid hallucinations — visions that suggest humanity’s consciousness may be linked to primordial evolutionary states. Eventually the experiments cause terrifying physical transformations, suggesting that Jessup’s mind may be regressing to earlier forms of life.

The film blends psychological drama with surreal visual effects, turning Jessup’s internal journey into a psychedelic exploration of the origins of life itself.

Upstream Color (2013)

Director: Shane Carruth

Writer: Shane Carruth

Producer: Shane Carruth

Starring: Amy Seimetz, Shane Carruth, Andrew Sensenig

Release Year: 2013

Upstream Color is an experimental science-fiction film that explores identity through a mysterious biological process involving parasites, humans and animals.

The story begins when a woman named Kris is infected with a parasitic organism that allows a thief to manipulate her behaviour and steal her money. The parasite is later removed and transferred into a pig by a strange figure known as the Sampler, creating a mysterious link between human and animal consciousness.

As Kris attempts to rebuild her life, she meets another victim of the same parasite. Together they struggle to understand the bizarre biological cycle connecting worms, pigs and orchids — a system that appears to link multiple living beings in an interconnected ecological loop.

The film unfolds in a fragmented, dreamlike style that leaves much of its story open to interpretation.

Science, Evolution and the Self

Despite their very different styles, both films explore similar questions about the relationship between science and human identity.

• Altered States imagines that scientific experimentation could reveal ancient evolutionary memories hidden within the human mind.

• Upstream Color suggests that human identity may be part of a larger biological system linking different species.

In both stories, science becomes a gateway to deeper questions about consciousness, evolution and the fragile boundaries of the self.

Listen to the Episode

Listen to Altered States (1980) & Upstream Color (2013) wherever you get your podcasts.

🎧 Apple Podcasts🎧 Spotify🎧 Amazon Music

Or explore the full Journey Through Sci-Fi archive to discover more episodes exploring the history of science-fiction cinema.