Sensory deprivation - Wikipedia

Sensory deprivation or perceptual isolation is the deliberate reduction or removal of stimuli from one or more of the senses. Sensorydeprivation FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia Jumptonavigation Jumptosearch Deliberatereductionorremovalofstimuli Sensorydeprivationorperceptualisolation[1]isthedeliberatereductionorremovalofstimulifromoneormoreofthesenses.Simpledevicessuchasblindfoldsorhoodsandearmuffscancutoffsightandhearing,whilemorecomplexdevicescanalsocutoffthesenseofsmell,touch,taste,thermoception(heat-sense),andtheabilitytoknowwhichwayisdown.Sensorydeprivationhasbeenusedinvariousalternativemedicinesandinpsychologicalexperiments(e.g.withanisolationtank). Short-termsessionsofsensorydeprivationaredescribedasrelaxingandconducivetomeditation;however,extendedorforcedsensorydeprivationcanresultinextremeanxiety,hallucinations,[2]bizarrethoughts,temporarysenselessness,anddepression[3] Arelatedphenomenonisperceptualdeprivation,alsocalledtheGanzfeldeffect.Inthiscaseaconstantuniformstimulusisusedinsteadofattemptingtoremovethestimuli;thisleadstoeffectswhichhavesimilaritiestosensorydeprivation.[4] SensorydeprivationtechniquesweredevelopedbysomeofthearmedforceswithinNATO,asameansofinterrogatingprisonerswithininternationaltreatyobligations.[5]TheEuropeanCourtofHumanRightsruledthattheuseofthefivetechniquesbyBritishsecurityforcesinNorthernIrelandamountedtoapracticeofinhumananddegradingtreatment. ItwasalsousedinprisonssuchasGuantanamo.[6] Contents 1Restrictedenvironmentalstimulationtherapy(REST) 1.1ChamberREST 1.2FlotationREST 1.3ChamberversusflotationREST 2Otheruses 2.1Psychedeliceffects 2.2Interrogation 3Seealso 4Citations 5Generalandcitedreferences 6Furtherreading 7Externallinks Restrictedenvironmentalstimulationtherapy(REST)[edit] Therearemanydifferentnumbersofbasicmethodsofrestrictedenvironmentalstimulation,includingtherapy(REST),chamberREST,andflotationREST. ChamberREST[edit] InchamberREST,thesubjectliesonabedinacompletelydarkandsound-reducing(onaverage,80 dB)roomforupto24hours.Theirmovementisrestrictedbytheexperimentalinstructions,butnotbyanymechanicalrestraints.Food,drink,andtoiletfacilitiesareprovidedintheroomandareatthediscretionofthetester,whocancommunicatewiththeparticipantsusinganopenintercom.Subjectsareallowedtoleavetheroombeforethe24hoursarecomplete;however,fewerthan10%actuallydobecausetheyfindthechambersorelaxing.[7] ChamberRESTaffectspsychologicalfunctioning(thinking,perception,memory,motivation,andmood)andpsychophysiologicalprocesses. FlotationREST[edit] Mainarticle:Isolationtank Flotationtankwithfliptoplidopened InflotationREST,theroomcontainsatankorpool.Theflotationmediumconsistsofaskin-temperaturesolutionofwaterandEpsomsaltsataspecificgravitythatallowsforthepatienttofloatsupinewithouttheworryofsafety.Infact,toturnoverwhileinthesolutionrequires"majordeliberateeffort."Fewerthan5%ofthesubjectstestedleavebeforethesessiondurationends,whichisusuallyaroundanhourforflotationREST.[7] Forthefirst40minutes,itisreportedlypossibletoexperienceitchinginvariouspartsofthebody(aphenomenonalsoreportedtobecommonduringtheearlystagesofmeditation).Thelast20minutesoftenendwithatransitionfrombetaoralphabrainwavestotheta,whichtypicallyoccursbrieflybeforesleepandagainatwaking.Inafloattank,thethetastatecanlastforseveralminuteswithoutthesubjectlosingconsciousness.Someusetheextendedthetastateasatoolforenhancedcreativityandproblem-solving.Spassometimesprovidecommercialfloattanksforuseinrelaxation.FlotationtherapyhasbeenacademicallystudiedintheUSandinSwedenwithpublishedresultsshowingreductionsofbothpainandstress.[8]Therelaxedstatealsoinvolvesloweredbloodpressure,loweredlevelsofcortisol,andmaximalbloodflow.Besidesphysiologicaleffects,RESTseemstohavepositiveeffectsonwell-beingandperformance.[9] ChamberversusflotationREST[edit] SeveraldifferencesexistbetweenflotationandchamberREST.Forexample,withthepresenceofamediuminflotationREST,thesubjecthasreducedtactilestimulationwhileexperiencingweightlessness.TheadditionofEpsomsaltstoattainthedesiredspecificgravitymayhaveatherapeuticeffectonhypertonicmuscles.SinceoneofthemainresultsofchamberRESTisastateofrelaxation,theeffectsofchamberRESTonarousalarelessclear-cut,whichcanbeattributedtothenatureofthesolution.[10] Also,duetotheinherentimmobilizationthatisexperiencedinflotationREST(bynotbeingabletorollover),whichcanbecomeuncomfortableafterseveralhours,thesubjectisunabletoexperiencethesessiondurationsofchamberREST.ThismaynotallowthesubjecttoexperiencethechangesinattitudesandthinkingthatareassociatedwithchamberREST.[11] Additionally,theresearchquestionsaskedbetweeneachtechniquearedifferent.ChamberRESTquestionsstemmedfromresearchthatbeganinthe1950sandexploredavarietyofquestionsabouttheneedforstimulation,thenatureofarousal,anditsrelationshipwithexternalstimulation.Practitionersinthisareahaveexploreditsutilityinthetreatmentofmajorpsychiatricdysfunctionssuchassubstanceabuse.Onthecontrary,flotationRESTwasseenasmoreofarecreationaltoolasitwastestedmoreforitsusewithstress-relateddisorders,painreduction,andinsomnia.[7] Numerousstudieshavedebatedwhichmethodisamoreeffectivetreatmentprocess,however,onlyonehasexploredthisstatistically.Nineteensubjects,allofwhomusedchamberorflotationRESTtoinducerelaxationortreatsmoking,obesity,alcoholintakeorchronicpainwereanalyzed.Thestatisticofinterest,d,isameasureofthesizeofthetreatmenteffect.Forreference,d=0.5isconsideredamoderateeffectandd=0.8alargeeffect.The19subjectswhounderwentchamberRESThadd=0.53andsixflotationRESTsubjectsshowedd=0.33.Additionally,whenexaminingsubjectsundergoingRESTtreatmentandRESTinconjunctionwithanothertreatmentmethod,therewaslittledifference.[12] However,FlotationRESThastheadvantageofalowerdurationrequired(45minutesasopposedto24hours). Otheruses[edit] TheuseofRESThasbeenexploredinaidinginthecessationofsmoking.Instudiesrangingbetween12monthsandfiveyears,25%ofRESTpatientsachievedlong-termabstinence.REST,whencombinedwithothereffectivesmokingcessationmethods(forexample:behaviormodification)resultedinlong-termabstinenceof50%.Also,whencombinedwithweeklysupportgroups,RESTresultedin80%ofpatientsachievinglong-termabstinence.Comparatively,theuseofanicotinepatchalonehasasuccessrateof5%.[13] AlcoholismhasalsobeenthetargetofresearchassociatedwithREST.Inconjunctionwithanti-alcoholeducationalmessages,patientswhounderwenttwohoursofRESTtreatmentreducedalcoholconsumptionby56%inthefirsttwoweeksaftertreatment.Thereductioninconsumptionwasmaintainedduringfollow-upsconductedthreeandsixmonthsafterthefirsttreatment.Itis,however,possiblethatthisiscausedbytheplaceboeffect. Inaddition,RESThasbeentestedtodetermineitseffectonusersofotherdrugs.AUniversityofArizonastudyusedchamberRESTasacomplementtotraditionaloutpatientsubstanceabusetreatmentandfoundthatfouryearslater,43%ofthepatientswerestillsoberanddrug-free.Eightmonthslater,nooneinthecontrolgroupremainedclean.[14] Psychedeliceffects[edit] Studieshavebeenconductedtotesttheeffectofsensorydeprivationonthebrain.Onestudytook19volunteers,allofwhomtestedinthelowerandupper20thpercentilesonaquestionnairethatmeasuresthetendencyofhealthypeopletoseethingsnotreallythere,andplacedtheminapitch-black,soundproofboothfor15minutes,afterwhichtheycompletedanothertestthatmeasurespsychosis-likeexperiences,originallyusedtostudyrecreationaldrugusers.Fivesubjectsreportedseeinghallucinationsoffaces;sixreportedseeingshapes/facesnotactuallythere;fournotedaheightenedsenseofsmell,andtworeportedsensinga"presenceofevil"intheroom.Peoplewhoscoredloweronthefirsttestexperiencedfewerperceptualdistortions;however,theystillreportedseeingavarietyofhallucinations. Manystudieshavebeenconductedtounderstandthemaincausesofthehallucinations,andconsiderableevidencehasbeenaccumulatedindicatingthatlongperiodsofisolationaren'tdirectlyrelatedtothelevelofexperiencedhallucinations.[15] SchizophrenicsappeartotendtoexperiencefewerhallucinationswhileinRESTascomparedtonon-psychoticindividuals.Apossibleexplanationforthiscouldbethatnon-psychoticindividualsarenormallyexposedtoagreaterdegreeofsensorystimulationineverydaylife,andinREST,thebrainattemptstore-createasimilarlevelofstimulation,producingthehallucinatoryevents.[16] Accordingtoa2009studypublishedintheJournalofNervousandMentalDisease,thehallucinationsarecausedbythebrainmisidentifyingthesourceofwhatitiscurrentlyexperiencing,aphenomenoncalledfaultysourcemonitoring.[17] AstudyconductedonindividualswhounderwentRESTwhileundertheeffectsofPhencyclidine(PCP)showedalowerincidenceofhallucinationincomparisontoparticipantswhodidnottakePCP.TheeffectsofPCPalsoappearedtobereducedwhileundergoingREST.TheeffectsPCPhasonreducingoccurrencesofhallucinatoryeventsprovideapotentialinsightintothemechanismsbehindtheseevents.[16] Interrogation[edit] Mainarticle:Fivetechniques Sensorydeprivationhasbeenusedtodisorientatesubjectsduringinterrogation,brainwashing,andtorture.Inparticular,thefivetechniquesofwall-standing;hooding;subjectiontonoise;deprivationofsleep;deprivationoffoodanddrinkwereusedbythesecurityforcesinNorthernIrelandintheearly1970s.AftertheParkerReportof1972,thesetechniqueswereformallyabandonedbytheUnitedKingdomasaidstotheinterrogationofparamilitarysuspects. TheIrishgovernmentonbehalfofthemenwhohadbeensubjecttothefivemethodstookacasetotheEuropeanCommissionofHumanRights(Irelandv.UnitedKingdom,1976Y.B.Eur.Conv.onHum.Rts.512,748,788-94(EuropeanCommissionofHumanRights)).TheCommissionstatedthatit"consideredthecombineduseofthefivemethodstoamounttotorture."[18][19]Thisconsiderationwasoverturnedonappeal,whenin1978theEuropeanCourtofHumanRights(ECtHR)examinedtheUnitedNations'definitionoftorture.Thecourtsubsequentlyruledthatthefivetechniques"didnotoccasionsufferingoftheparticularintensityandcrueltyimpliedbythewordtorture,"howevertheydidamount"toapracticeofinhumananddegradingtreatment,"whichisabreachoftheEuropeanConventiononHumanRights,Article3.[20] Intheirjudgment[21]thecourtstatesthat: Thesemethods,sometimestermed"disorientation"or"sensorydeprivation"techniques,werenotusedinanycasesotherthanthefourteensoindicatedabove.ItemergesfromtheCommission'sestablishmentofthefactsthatthetechniquesconsistedof: wall-standing:forcingthedetaineestoremainforperiodsofsomehoursinastressposition,describedbythosewhounderwentitasbeing"spreadeagledagainstthewall,withtheirfingersputhighabovetheheadagainstthewall,thelegsspreadapartandthefeetback,causingthemtostandontheirtoeswiththeweightofthebodymainlyonthefingers"; hooding:puttingablackornavycoloredbagoverthedetainees'headsand,atleastinitially,keepingitthereallthetimeexceptduringinterrogation; subjectiontonoise:pendingtheirinterrogations,holdingthedetaineesinaroomwheretherewasacontinuousloudandhissingnoise; deprivationofsleep:pendingtheirinterrogations,deprivingthedetaineesofsleep deprivationoffoodanddrink:subjectingthedetaineestoareduceddietduringtheirstayatthecenterandpendinginterrogation Seealso[edit] AlteredStates(film) Apophenia Darkretreat Enhancedinterrogationtechniques Fringe(TVseries) HumanexperimentationintheUnitedStates Isolationtofacilitateabuse JohnnyGotHisGun JohnC.Lilly Prisoner'scinema Sensoryoverload THX1138 Citations[edit] ^DonaldOldingHebb,EssayonMind,PsychologicalPress,1980 ^Sireteanu,R;Oertel,V;Mohr,H;Linden,D;Singer,W(2008)."Graphicalillustrationandfunctionalneuroimagingofvisualhallucinationsduringprolongedblindfolding:Acomparisontovisualimagery".Perception.37(12):1805–1821.doi:10.1068/p6034.PMID 19227374.S2CID 12013790. ^HaroldI.Schwartz,DeathRowSyndromeandDemoralization:PsychiatricMeanstoSocialPolicyEndsArchive.JAmAcadPsychiatryLaw33:2:153-155(2005)KarenFranklinSegregationPsychosisArchived2010-10-05attheWaybackMachineHaneyMentalHealthIssuesinLong-TermSolitaryand"Supermax"Confinement,CrimeDelinquency.2003;49:124-156Matthews,Daryl(September2009)."Physicians'ObligationtoSpeakOutforPrisoners'Health".EthicsJournaloftheAmericanMedicalAssociation.6:1–viaAMA.StuartGrassianPsychiatriceffectsofsolitaryconfinement(PDF)Thisarticleisaredacted,non-institution-andnon-inmate-specificversionofadeclarationsubmittedinSeptember1993inMadridv.Gomez,889F.Supp.1146. ^Wackermann,J;PützP;AllefeldC(Jun2008)."Ganzfeld-inducedhallucinatoryexperience,itsphenomenologyandcerebralelectrophysiology".Cortex.44(10):1364–78.doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2007.05.003.PMID 18621366.S2CID 18683890. ^Jeffery,Keith(1985),TheDividedprovince:thetroublesinNorthernIreland,1969-1985(illustrated ed.),Orbis,p. 58,ISBN 0-85613-799-5 ^Apuzzo,Matt;Fink,Sheri;Risen,James(2016-10-08)."HowU.S.TortureLeftaLegacyofDamagedMinds".TheNewYorkTimes.ISSN 0362-4331.Retrieved2022-06-15. ^abcSuedfeld,Peter(1999)."Healthandtherapeuticapplicationsofchamberandflotationrestrictedenvironmentalstimulationtherapy(REST)".TheInternationalJournaloftheAddictions.14:861–888. ^Kjellgren,A;Sundequist,U;et al.(2001)."Effectsofflotation-RESTonmuscletensionpain".PainResearchandManagement.6(4):181–9.doi:10.1155/2001/768501.PMID 11854763. ^DirkvanDierendonck&JanteNijenhuis-Flotationrestrictedenvironmentalstimulationtherapy(REST)asastress-managementtool:Ameta-analysis ^Ballard,Eric(1986)."Flowofconsciousnessinrestrictedenvironmentalstimulation".Imagination,CognitionandPersonality.5(3):219–230.doi:10.2190/V7AR-88FT-MUTL-CJP5.S2CID 145501620. ^Wallbaum,Andrew;Rzewnicki,R;Steele,H;Suedfeld,P(1991)."ProgressivemusclerelaxationandRestrictedEnvironmentalStimulationTherapyforchronictensionheadache:Apilotstudy".InternationalJournalofPsychosomatics.38(1–4):33–39.PMID 1778683. ^Suedfeld,Peter;Coren,Stanley(1989)."Perceptualisolation,sensorydeprivation,andREST:Movingintroductorypsychologytextsoutof1950s".CanadianPsychology.30(1):17–29.doi:10.1037/h0079795.. ^Baker-Brown,G;Baker-Brown,G(1987)."Restrictedenvironmentalstimulationtherapyofsmoking:Aparametricstudy".AddictiveBehaviors.12(3):263–267.doi:10.1016/0306-4603(87)90037-2.PMID 3310529. ^Coren,Susan;Coren,Stanley(1989)."Perceptualisolation,sensorydeprivation,andREST:Movingintroductorypsychologytextsoutof1950s".CanadianPsychology.30(1):17–29.doi:10.1037/h0079795. ^MarvinZuckerman&NathanCohen(1964).SourcesofReportsofVisualAuditorySensationsinperceptual-isolationexperiments. ^abFromdrugstodeprivation:aBayesianframeworkforunderstandingmodelsofpsychosis ^Mason,O;Brady,F(2009)."Thepsychotomimeticeffectsofshort-termsensorydeprivation".JournalofNervousandMentalDisease.197(10):783–785.doi:10.1097/NMD.0b013e3181b9760b.PMID 19829208.S2CID 23079468. ^SecurityDetainees/EnemyCombatants:U.S.LawProhibitsTortureandotherCruel,InhumanorDegradingTreatmentorPunishmentFootnote16 ^DavidWeissbrodtmaterialsontortureandotherill-treatment:3.EuropeanCourtofHumanRights(doc)html:Irelandv.UnitedKingdom,1976Y.B.EuropeanConventiononHumanRights.512,748,788-94(EuropeanCommissionofHumanRights) ^Irelandv.theUnitedKingdom(1978),paragraph167 ^Irelandv.theUnitedKingdom(1978),paragraph96 Generalandcitedreferences[edit] P.Solomonetal.(eds.)(1961).Sensorydeprivation.HarvardUniversityPress. MarvinZuckerman,NathanCohen(1964)."SourcesofReportsofVisualAuditorySensationsinperceptual-isolationexperiments".PsychologicalBulletin,July1964,62,pp. 1–20. L.Goldberger(1966)."Experimentalisolation:Anoverview".AmericanJournalofPsychiatry122,774–782. J.Zubek(ed.)(1969).Sensorydeprivation:Fifteenyearsofresearch.AppletonCenturyCrofts. EuropeanCourtofHumanRights(1978).Irelandv.theUnitedKingdom–January18,1978. DirkvanDierendonck&JanteNijenhuis(2005)."Flotationrestrictedenvironmentalstimulationtherapy(REST)asastress-managementtool:Ameta-analysis".PsychologyandHealth,June2005,20(3),pp. 405–412. P.R.Corlett,C.D.Frith,P.C.Fletcher(2009)."Fromdrugstodeprivation:aBayesianframeworkforunderstandingmodelsofpsychosis".Psychopharmacology,November2009,206(4),pp. 515–530. Furtherreading[edit] Heron,W.(1957)."Thepathologyofboredom".ScientificAmerican.196(1):52–56.Bibcode:1957SciAm.196a..52H.doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0157-52. Lilly,JohnC.;Shurley,JayT.(1961b)."Experimentsinsolitude,inmaximumachievablephysicalisolationwithwatersuspension,ofintacthealthypersons".InFlaherty,BernardE.(ed.).PsychophysiologicalAspectsofSpaceFlight.NewYork:ColumbiaUniversityPress.OCLC 609293243. Lilly,JohnC.(1977).TheDeepSelf:ProfoundRelaxationandtheTankIsolationTechnique(1st ed.).SimonandSchuster.ISBN 978-0-671-22552-0.[Reprinted1981,WarnerBooks,ISBN 978-0-446-33023-7;2006,GatewaysBooks&Tapes,ISBN 978-0-89556-116-9]. Suedfeld,P.(1980).Restrictedenvironmentalstimulation:Researchandclinicalapplications.WileyInterscience. Zuckerman,M.;et al.(1968)."Experimentalandsubjectfactorsdeterminingresponsestoperceptualandsocialisolation".J.Abnorm.Psychol.73(3):183–194.doi:10.1037/h0025748.PMID 5658514. Externallinks[edit] Hallucinationsinanechoicchambers:thesciencebehindtheclaim Authoritycontrol:Nationallibraries Germany Japan Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sensory_deprivation&oldid=1095016780" Categories:BDSMterminologyExperimentalpsychologyHallucinationsInterrogationtechniquesMindcontrolPerceptionPhysicaltorturetechniquesPsychologicaltorturetechniquesSensorysystemsSilenceHiddencategories:WebarchivetemplatewaybacklinksArticleswithshortdescriptionShortdescriptionisdifferentfromWikidataArticleswithGNDidentifiersArticleswithNDLidentifiers Navigationmenu Personaltools NotloggedinTalkContributionsCreateaccountLogin Namespaces ArticleTalk English Views ReadEditViewhistory More Search Navigation MainpageContentsCurrenteventsRandomarticleAboutWikipediaContactusDonate Contribute HelpLearntoeditCommunityportalRecentchangesUploadfile Tools WhatlinkshereRelatedchangesUploadfileSpecialpagesPermanentlinkPageinformationCitethispageWikidataitem Print/export DownloadasPDFPrintableversion Languages العربيةCatalàDeutschEestiEspañolFrançaisGalegoՀայերենItalianoעבריתMagyar日本語NorskbokmålPolskiPortuguêsРусскийSimpleEnglishSuomiУкраїнська中文 Editlinks