Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

How extreme isolation warps the mind

bbc.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 143 posts

Re: How extreme isolation warps the mind

#81

Post by FLUX-YOU »

prawks wrote: post #35
septerr wrote: post #33

"Since then, researchers have found that in darkness most people eventually adjust to a 48-hour cycle: 36 hours of activity followed by 12 hours of sleep. The reasons are still unclear" This statement was interesting to me. I wonder if it resonates with anyone else on HN. My BF who works from home a lot can spend days/hours at home splitting his time between working (programming) and playing video games. He has said…

One alternative take on it is that being continually engrossed with what you're doing can often stave off biological needs like food and sleep. When I was younger and would indulge in quite a lot of video games, there were nights where it would approach sunrise without feeling tired or hungry all night. Once I stopped to walk around I would feel myself get incredibly tired/hungry, but in the moment of being engrossed…

I very quickly lose track of time when engrossed in something, especially if it's a game. Nice how that's a consistent opposite with time slowing with sensory deprivation.

Re: How extreme isolation warps the mind

#82

Post by sumeno »

anigbrowl wrote: post #60
moe wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

and the courts have upheld this treatment as legal Well, given his track record, what alternative is there?

One could certainly try graduated adjustments. Fast facts: Silverstein was imprisoned for bank robbery. While in prison he was convicted for murder of another inmate, albeit on questionable evidence. Silverstein kiled and was convicted of murder for killing another inmate who was seeking revenge for the first killing he was convicted of. He led the Aryan Nation prison gang for a time. In 1983, he was convicted for a…

Even just allowing visitors without allowing physical interaction would have to be a vast improvement from total isolation. They've already got a visitor room set up but don't allow it to be used.

Although at this point who is going to visit?

Re: How extreme isolation warps the mind

#83

Post by mcphilip »

3rd3 wrote: post #69
delluminatus wrote: post #5

A psychological gem was dropped in the middle of the article: People in her circumstances have their world suddenly inverted, and there is nothing in the manner of their taking – no narrative of sacrifice, or enduring for a greater good – to help them derive meaning from it. They must somehow find meaning in their predicament – or mentally detach themselves from their day-to-day reality, which is a monumental task wh…

I cannot understand why people still decide to base their motivations on slippery concepts like the meaning of life or on some romantized, conjectured intrinsic values of our species. It seems to me that there are much better mental models of our existence that can help us to organize our thoughts and lifes, most notably things that are derived from the theory of evolution, neuroscience and from behavioral biology.

I choose to use nonrational (not irrational or rational, necessarily, but indeterminate) thoughts like "My life has purpose" as sources of motivation since it shortcuts the process of extracting meaning from theories that take a great deal of time to research and internalize.

I am not a rigorous accountant of truth in my worldview. I choose a worldview that works for me since I don't have the time or energy to truly consider all options.

Re: How extreme isolation warps the mind

#84

Post by [deleted] »

kafkaesque wrote: post #45
takinola wrote: post #42

Most people will live their entire lives never having ever been truly alone. Even when you are in your house or apartment alone, you still know there are people in the neighborhood or walking down the street and we don't really appreciate how much of a comforting effect this has on us. I have only felt truly alone twice in my life. The first time was on a platform installation in the North Sea. Imagine being surround…

I go hiking alone. Most people think I'm crazy (for some reason I don't understand). There have been times when there was absolutely nobody. Actually, I enjoy going hiking really early (say, around 6am), because there is nobody. But I find pleasure in it. As the article says, the environment and landscape help me transcend my feeling of loneliness. On a side note, I may be a slightly different case, because I suffere…

[deleted]

Re: How extreme isolation warps the mind

#85

Post by StefanKarpinski »

3rd3 wrote: post #69
delluminatus wrote: post #5

A psychological gem was dropped in the middle of the article: People in her circumstances have their world suddenly inverted, and there is nothing in the manner of their taking – no narrative of sacrifice, or enduring for a greater good – to help them derive meaning from it. They must somehow find meaning in their predicament – or mentally detach themselves from their day-to-day reality, which is a monumental task wh…

I cannot understand why people still decide to base their motivations on slippery concepts like the meaning of life or on some romantized, conjectured intrinsic values of our species. It seems to me that there are much better mental models of our existence that can help us to organize our thoughts and lifes, most notably things that are derived from the theory of evolution, neuroscience and from behavioral biology.

"The very meaninglessness of life forces man to create his own meaning."

"The most terrifying fact about the universe is not that it is hostile but that it is indifferent; but if we can come to terms with this indifference and accept the challenges of life within the boundaries of death — however mutable man may be able to make them — our existence as a species can have genuine meaning and fulfillment. However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light."

– Stanley Kubrick, http://genius.cat-v.org/stanley-kubrick/interviews/playboy-1...

Re: How extreme isolation warps the mind

#86

Post by [deleted] »

biot wrote: post #77
jqm wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's been interesting to watch the votes on the original comment over the past couple of hours. It has received no less than 10 votes with a fairly even split and a slight favor towards the positive. Some people apparently feel exactly what I'm talking about. Some don't. I think maybe we are seeing breakdown of people who have put in serious alone time with an editor VS those who have not. I could be wrong about this…

No consternation felt here; my intent is to encourage higher quality comments. Your follow-up comment was quality as it contained relevant details your initial comment lacked.

[deleted]

Re: How extreme isolation warps the mind

#87

Post by jqm »

biot wrote: post #77
jqm wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's been interesting to watch the votes on the original comment over the past couple of hours. It has received no less than 10 votes with a fairly even split and a slight favor towards the positive. Some people apparently feel exactly what I'm talking about. Some don't. I think maybe we are seeing breakdown of people who have put in serious alone time with an editor VS those who have not. I could be wrong about this…

No consternation felt here; my intent is to encourage higher quality comments. Your follow-up comment was quality as it contained relevant details your initial comment lacked.

I respect your opinion and am sorry you didn't understand my initial comment.

Best.

Re: How extreme isolation warps the mind

#88

Post by [deleted] »

biot wrote: post #77
jqm wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's been interesting to watch the votes on the original comment over the past couple of hours. It has received no less than 10 votes with a fairly even split and a slight favor towards the positive. Some people apparently feel exactly what I'm talking about. Some don't. I think maybe we are seeing breakdown of people who have put in serious alone time with an editor VS those who have not. I could be wrong about this…

No consternation felt here; my intent is to encourage higher quality comments. Your follow-up comment was quality as it contained relevant details your initial comment lacked.

[deleted]

Re: How extreme isolation warps the mind

#89

Post by rdl »

I've spent >6 months with my only human contact being over the Internet (yay, Sealand), and weeks-up-to-6 in similar settings (boats, hiding out in a villa in a foreign country, etc.). IRC-as-primary-social-contact was...interesting. But I don't think it was actually that unhealthy.

Re: How extreme isolation warps the mind

#90

Post by itsameta4 »

kafkaesque wrote: post #45
takinola wrote: post #42

Most people will live their entire lives never having ever been truly alone. Even when you are in your house or apartment alone, you still know there are people in the neighborhood or walking down the street and we don't really appreciate how much of a comforting effect this has on us. I have only felt truly alone twice in my life. The first time was on a platform installation in the North Sea. Imagine being surround…

I go hiking alone. Most people think I'm crazy (for some reason I don't understand). There have been times when there was absolutely nobody. Actually, I enjoy going hiking really early (say, around 6am), because there is nobody. But I find pleasure in it. As the article says, the environment and landscape help me transcend my feeling of loneliness. On a side note, I may be a slightly different case, because I suffere…

>for some reason I don't understand

If anything goes wrong, there's a very high chance of you being found dead. Happened to my friend's brother.

Post reply on HN