Perceptual Phenomena and Personality in Sensory Deprivation

Abstract

From time to time, normal human beings not suffering from any mental illness have reported experiences either akin to or identical with hallucinations (Byrd, 1938; Slocum, 1948; Ritter, 1954; Bombard, 1955). The common features in these reports have been the social isolation of the people involved and the physical hardships of their living conditions. They have usually been solitary mariners or polar explorers. Scientific interest was not aroused in these phenomena until directed to them by the experiences of prisoners of war in Korea who had undergone “brain-washing” techniques. At this time, Hebb and his colleagues began a series of experiments which opened up an era of widespread research into the field of Sensory Deprivation.