Sensory deprivation is the intentional removal of stimuli affecting the five senses, used for relaxation and meditation but also as a form of torture. The isolation tank, invented in 1954, deprives the senses of sight, sound, and smell. Long periods can lead to negative effects, including depression and anxiety.
Sensory deprivation is the intentional removal of stimuli that affect one or all five human senses. Frequently used in alternative medicine as a form of relaxation and meditation, this practice has also been used as a form of interrogation and torture. Sensory deprivation and its effects have been studied and debated by numerous scientists, but no scientific or medical benefits have yet been confirmed. In its simplest form, it can be simply tying a blindfold over someone’s eyes, rendering their sense of sight useless. However, as a form of relaxation, meditation, or even prayer, sensory deprivation typically occurs in an isolation tank.
The isolation tank, or restricted environmental stimulus therapy (REST) tank, was invented by John Lilly in 1954 as a way to test the effects of sensory deprivation. Inside an isolation tank, a person floats in salty water at the same temperature as their skin to deprive them of the sensation of heat or cold. The tank is usually without light, which reduces the sense of sight, and is often soundproof as well. Sense of smell often reduces tank isolation by eliminating the use of odor-causing chemicals, such as chlorine, to treat water.
Rooms of a similar type are also used in sensory deprivation for meditation and alternative healing. Such a room can eliminate sight, sound and smell. The time spent in a tank or room like this can last up to an hour in a typical session.
Many scientists debate whether sensory deprivation can relax a person to the point of achieving the same results as hypnosis. However, it is believed that long periods can lead to depression, hallucinations, and severe anxiety. These effects are what constitute sensory deprivation as a form of torture, even though it is not tolerated by any civilized government.
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