It is widely believed in the world that if a person is placed in complete silence and darkness, then he can go crazy. At first glance, this seems logical, especially if you hold a person for a long time, but the opinions of professionals differ. Someone argues that such conditions are really crazy, others are sure that things do not go beyond hallucinations. Let's try to figure out what happens in reality with a person who is in conditions of sensory hunger.
In one of the stories about the famous pilot Pirks, Stanislav Lem described a classic sensory deprivation disorder. In the conditions of absolute silence and darkness, the astronaut candidate was placed under water (naturally in the life support system), which they began to add salt. The water was salted to increase its density and create a feeling of complete weightlessness for the subject.
Girl in the sensory deprivation tank. Image source: frame from the movie "Stranger Things".
After some time, the future pilot completely lost his orientation in space, then his thoughts began to get confused, hallucinations appeared. The test period was determined by the experimenters themselves. So in the novel they tested the strength of the psyche of the future conqueror of space.
Well, that was fantastic. What happens in reality?
In reality, NASA envisions something similar for astronauts. Starfighters are immersed in a pool for a while in silence and darkness.
Sensory deprivation bath.
Time is really limited. And experts are watching the reaction of the "guinea pig", determine the strength of his psyche.
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What's wrong with the described experiments?
In the previous variants of experiments (literary and real) there is one significant flaw - the cameras where the experiment was carried out do not have complete soundproofing. Modern man thinks little about what silence is. There is always the noise of the street - the rustle of tires on the asphalt, the noise of tree leaves, the sounds of animals. There are certain sounds in the dwelling itself, echoes from the walls, the noise of footsteps, sometimes the water in the water pipe makes a noise or the neighbors turn the key in the keyhole. Such noises are familiar to a person and the consciousness simply does not usually notice them. But with the subconscious, it's different. It captures such noises and makes it clear to the person that everything is fine. With such sounds, a person falls asleep calmly.
For specific studies of human behavior in conditions of complete sound insulation (as well as for many other purposes), special anechoic chambers are created. The record in this regard belongs to the Orfield laboratory, located in Minnesota, USA.
Orfield anechoic chamber.
This chamber is constructed of 30 cm thick concrete, 1 meter fiberglass acoustic platforms, and double-walled soundproof steel. The outer wall is covered with a special compound that blocks electromagnetic radiation. The inner lining of the camera is made in the form of triangles made of rubberized foam and is capable of dampening the sound of an echo or rustle of steps. The tweaks adopted have brought the sound absorption level in the chamber closer to 99.9%.
This camera has become a sensation in the scientific world not only due to its unique soundproofing, but also due to rumors that no one is supposedly able to stand alone inside for more than 45 minutes. The most important test was the creator of the room, Stephen Orfield, who then spoke about his own impressions and shared the opinions of other people.
Stephen Orfield in an anechoic chamber.
As the specialist pointed out, under normal conditions, when walking, a person is guided by the rustle of his steps and small changes in illumination (light in small ones penetrates into the house even through thick curtains on a moonless night). But the noise of movement is absorbed by the floor covering, and the design of the camera does not allow any radiation from outside to penetrate. After a while, a person begins to hear the beating of his own heart (which is extremely rare in normal conditions), blood flow in the body, sometimes rumbling in the stomach and other sounds. A certain semblance of white noise is created that can cause the so-called "Ganzfeld Effect".
Orfield anechoic chamber.
Since the brain does not receive information from sight and hearing when walking, coordination in space begins to be lost. It is not completely lost, since gravity acts on a person, but the orientation deteriorates quite considerably. Stephen Orfield encourages test subjects to sit on a chair in his cell. Other visitors indicated that chills and nausea appeared rather quickly.
Over time, vague images began to appear in the brains of some subjects, which were transformed into hallucinations. Silence can become ringing over time, aided by the noise of blood in the ears. Some visitors began psychic attacks, after which the subjects tried to quickly leave the soundproofed room.
The result of the visits was a real fact - no experience of being inside lasted more than 45 minutes. But still, some of the subjects did not experience any discomfort and even enjoyed the rest.
Miners find themselves close to a similar situation in a buried roadway. But there are significant differences - the miners are afraid that they will not be rescued, and there are no such fears in Orfield's cell. But despite the darkness of the mine, there is no sound insulation in it - a person hears his own voice and the sound of footsteps, the noise of flowing water and other sounds. Here the situation is again closer to the "Gunzfeld Effect".
Another question arises - why the deaf do not go crazy. But even here there is no question of complete sound insulation, since deaf people perceive sound waves as vibrations transmitted through the tissues of the body.
So, although complete darkness and silence can cause a person trouble, and even cause hallucinations, it is still impossible to speak with certainty about possible madness. And the very statement about going crazy fits more in the category of fables or urban legends.
