“ALONE” VIDEO

Sensory Deprivation and Its Effect on the Brain

What would the world be like if we couldn’t see, hear, smell, taste, or touch? Well, that is what happens in a form of torture known as sensory deprivation, in which the brain is deprived of stimulation. In the 1950s, sensory deprivation was used in the Korean War to brainwash and torture soldiers.

Nowadays, psychologists are studying the effects of sensory deprivation. Six people volunteered to conduct an experiment concerning sensory deprivation. For 48 hours, they were isolated to examine the effects on their brains. All of them were tested before the experiment. They thought it would be an easy thing to do, but they were wrong.

The psychologists covered the subjects’ eyes, ears, and hands. Additionally, the volunteers were locked in individual dark rooms. They had no one to talk to and they were recorded throughout their isolation.

After 24 hours, the subjects had unsettling reactions. They paced endlessly back and forth, talked alone, and one of them even saw a snake.

This same behavior was shown by a man called Paris during his solitary confinement in jail. He walked 22 hours a day, and after 18 years, he was freed and found innocent. Paris lost his ability to follow simple directions and nowadays, he can’t drive in busy streets. 

After 48 hours, the subjects had finally finished their time in seclusion. The volunteers were petrified after hearing a voice from the speaker telling them that the time was over - they had gotten used to the silence.

The subjects were given a mental test after the experiment. Indeed, the tests prior to their isolation were better than the tests taken after the 48-hour period. The volunteers' ability to complete the simplest tasks had deteriorated. The lack of stimulus had negatively affected their brains.

Sensory deprivation is definitely a mental torture. People exposed to it can be traumatized and can suffer from anxiety and hallucinations. Brain connections are lost and one can surely end up crazy. Sensory deprivation is inhumane; it is worse than any kind of torture because it leaves you with psychological problems. I myself wouldn’t stand being alone. 

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Photos:

http://scienceblogs.com/neurophilosophy/total_isolation_sensory_deprivation.bmp

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