I Survived Sensory Deprivation

Ryan Trahan

18 Mar 202208:14

Summary

TLDRIn this video, the protagonist takes on a challenge to experience sensory deprivation in the world's largest floatation pool. With a bet on the line, they endure three hours of isolation, initially struggling with the lack of stimuli but eventually delving into a profound mental journey. The experience leads to a realization of the importance of being present and the impact of constant screen time on personal well-being. The video concludes with a humorous twist, highlighting the contrast between the serene floatation and the chaotic return to reality.

Takeaways

😨 The experience of sensory deprivation is described as scary and challenging, especially for someone accustomed to constant screen time.
🤝 A bet with the father led to the challenge of enduring sensory deprivation, with the loser having to paint themselves green and stand in public.
🏠 The setting for the challenge is a mysterious building, adding to the eerie atmosphere of the experience.
👤 The guide, Tom (the master of senses), introduces the participant to the world's largest sensory deprivation pool.
🛁 The pool is filled with a high concentration of salt, allowing individuals to float effortlessly, even those who cannot swim.
⏱ The participant undergoes a three-hour challenge, divided into segments with varying levels of sensory deprivation.
😱 The initial phase of the experience is described as the 'mind dump', where thoughts race before the mind starts to quiet down.
🕯️ Turning off the lights intensifies the experience, causing a loss of all concepts of time and a heightened sense of isolation.
🧘‍♂️ The experience leads to a realization about the habitual need for constant stimulation and the rarity of being fully present.
🎭 As the deprivation continues, the participant approaches a state of hallucination and confusion, with the mind creating its own content.
📵 Post-experience, the participant is immediately drawn back to their phone and the missed notifications, highlighting the pull of technology and connectivity.

Q & A

What is sensory deprivation?
-Sensory deprivation is a state in which the senses are deprived of external stimuli, often experienced in a controlled environment like a floatation tank, which can lead to a range of psychological and physiological effects.
Why did the protagonist bet his father?
-The protagonist bet his father that he could last a few hours in a sensory deprivation tank, driven by a sense of insecurity and a challenge from his father.
What was the condition of the bet?
-The condition of the bet was that whoever loses has to paint themselves green and stay in front of everyone.
Who is Tom, as mentioned in the script?
-Tom, legally known as the master of senses, is the person who greeted the protagonist and guided him to the sensory deprivation pool.
What are the three elements that define the maximum sensory deprivation experience described in the script?
-The three elements are no gravity, no light, and no sound, which together create a complete sensory deprivation experience.
Why did the protagonist check the water depth before entering the pool?
-The protagonist checked the water depth because he mentioned he can barely swim, indicating a concern for his safety in the pool.
How does the high salt content in the pool affect the experience?
-The high salt content in the pool, about 2,500 pounds, allows the person to float easily due to the increased buoyancy, which is essential for the sensory deprivation experience.
What was the protagonist's initial reaction to floating in the pool?
-The protagonist felt like a single-celled organism and was surprised by how easily he was able to float, which was a new experience for him.
What did the protagonist experience around 60 to 90 minutes into the sensory deprivation?
-Around 60 to 90 minutes, the protagonist found the experience enjoyable, relaxing, and refreshing, which is a common phase before deeper psychological effects set in.
What happened at around two hours and four minutes into the protagonist's sensory deprivation experience?
-At around two hours and four minutes, the protagonist felt like his mind was the only thing working, and he experienced a memory from his childhood, indicating a deep level of introspection and mental exploration.
What was the protagonist's experience like during the third hour in the sensory deprivation tank?
-During the third hour, the protagonist described the experience as hitting different levels of relaxation and mental activity, eventually leading to a spiritual experience where he felt disconnected from his senses and identity.
What did the protagonist do immediately after the sensory deprivation session ended?
-The protagonist immediately started checking his notifications, indicating a return to his usual habits and the contrast between the isolation of the tank and the connectedness of the digital world.

Outlines

00:00

😱 Sensory Deprivation Challenge

The speaker recounts a bet with their father to endure sensory deprivation in a pool for three hours. They describe the initial fear and the surreal experience of entering the pool, which is likened to a portal. The guide, Tom, introduces them to the concept of sensory deprivation and its effects. The speaker humorously notes their inability to float due to being 'negatively buoyant' but is reassured by the pool's high salt content. As they begin to float, they set a timer for three hours, anticipating the psychological journey ahead.

05:00

🕒 Three Hours of Sensory Deprivation

The speaker details the progression of their experience in the sensory deprivation tank. Initially, they find the floating sensation strange but calming. As time passes, they describe the mental journey, which includes a 'mind dump' phase, a period of surrender to the experience, and eventual sleep. They note the disorientation of losing track of time and the unexpected drama of turning off the lights. The speaker reflects on the constant need for stimulation in modern life and the strangeness of being still and silent. Towards the end of the three hours, they experience a profound mental state, feeling as if their mind is creating content in the absence of external stimuli. The session concludes with a spiritual realization and a humorous return to reality, checking missed notifications.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Sensory Deprivation

Sensory deprivation refers to the deliberate reduction or removal of external stimuli, such as sight, sound, and touch, to study the effects on the brain and behavior. In the video, the narrator experiences sensory deprivation in a pool designed to isolate the senses, aiming to explore the psychological and physiological impacts of such an environment. The script describes the narrator's journey through the experience, highlighting the initial discomfort and eventual relaxation that can occur when the brain is deprived of external input.

💡Floating Pool

A floating pool, as mentioned in the script, is a high-salt-content pool that allows individuals to float effortlessly on the surface due to the increased buoyancy. The narrator discusses entering such a pool as part of their sensory deprivation challenge. The pool's high salt concentration, which can be up to 2,500 pounds, is crucial for enabling the floating experience, which is a central aspect of the sensory deprivation process depicted in the video.

💡Master of Senses

The 'Master of Senses' is a title given to the man who guides the narrator through the sensory deprivation experience. This title suggests a person who has expertise or control over the manipulation of sensory experiences. In the context of the video, the 'Master of Senses' likely oversees the sensory deprivation facility and helps participants navigate the unique environment, adding a layer of authority and guidance to the sensory deprivation process.

💡Hallucination

Hallucination is the perception of something that is not present, often experienced during states of altered consciousness or sensory deprivation. The script mentions the narrator's fear of hallucinating, which is a known psychological effect of sensory deprivation. The video explores this concept by documenting the narrator's experiences, including a moment where they feel like they've infiltrated a long-forgotten memory, illustrating the power of the mind to create vivid experiences in the absence of external stimuli.

💡Echoey

The term 'echoey' is used by the narrator to describe the auditory perception within the sensory deprivation pool when the lights are turned off. It suggests a sense of space and reverberation that can occur in an environment with minimal external noise. This description helps to convey the isolation and the heightened sense of one's own presence that can be experienced during sensory deprivation, emphasizing the video's theme of exploring the inner mind.

💡Fully Present

Being 'fully present' refers to the state of complete awareness and engagement in the current moment without distraction. The script discusses how being glued to screens can detract from this state, and the sensory deprivation experience is posited as a way to achieve full presence. The video uses this concept to contrast the narrator's usual media-saturated lifestyle with the profound sense of presence they experience during the sensory deprivation session.

💡Confusion

Confusion is a state of uncertainty or lack of clear understanding, which can arise during sensory deprivation as the brain struggles to make sense of the absence of external stimuli. The script mentions that the narrator reaches a point of confusion during the sensory deprivation experience, indicating a loss of the usual cognitive anchors provided by sensory input. This confusion is part of the video's exploration of the effects of sensory deprivation on mental state.

💡Threshold of Hallucinations

The 'threshold of hallucinations' is a point during sensory deprivation where the mind, deprived of external stimuli, begins to create its own sensory experiences. The script describes the narrator approaching this threshold, suggesting a critical phase in the sensory deprivation process where the line between reality and imagination becomes blurred. This concept is central to the video's narrative, as it delves into the extreme effects of sensory deprivation on perception.

💡Spiritual Experience

A 'spiritual experience' often refers to a profound sense of connection to something greater than oneself, which can be induced by various means, including sensory deprivation. The narrator describes the last part of their sensory deprivation session as a spiritual experience, indicating a deep, transformative internal journey. This term is used in the video to highlight the potential for personal growth and introspection that can occur in the absence of external distractions.

💡Notifications

Notifications are alerts or messages received on electronic devices, often indicating new information or updates. The script ends with the narrator checking their notifications after the sensory deprivation experience, suggesting a return to the connected, media-saturated world they temporarily left behind. This action serves as a contrast to the isolation and introspection of the sensory deprivation experience, emphasizing the video's theme of exploring the balance between internal and external stimuli.

Highlights

Sensory deprivation is described as a scary experience, especially for someone with high screen time.

The challenge is to last a few hours in a sensory deprivation tank as a bet with the father.

The participant arrives at a building that looks like it could be from a Goosebumps book.

A man named Tom, legally known as the Master of Senses, greets the participant.

The world's largest sensory deprivation pool is introduced, with the participant planning to do the maximum legal time of three hours.

The participant checks the water depth due to inability to swim, which amuses Tom.

The pool contains 2,500 pounds of salt, allowing people to float even if they can't naturally.

The participant experiences difficulty in floating but eventually succeeds.

The participant sets a timer for three hours to complete the challenge.

The experience of floating in the pool is described as feeling like a single-celled organism.

The participant falls asleep unexpectedly after 18 minutes, awakened by a duck.

Turning off the lights adds a dramatic new element to the experience.

The participant reflects on the habit of constantly being connected to a screen or listening to something.

At around two hours and four minutes, the participant feels like they infiltrated a long-forgotten memory.

The participant describes the experience as reducing the workload for the brain and central nervous system.

In the third hour, the participant feels a deep relaxation and the mind asserts itself.

The participant reaches a point where their mind starts creating content due to the absence of all senses.

The last 20 minutes of the experience are described as spiritual, and the participant misses their timer going off.

After the experience, the participant immediately checks their notifications, highlighting the contrast between the sensory deprivation and the connected world.