What would be the outcome physically if a healthy adult (given sufficient food and water to maintain life) was imprisoned in TOTAL DARKNESS for any length of time sufficient to cause any lasting permanent harm?
Would their healthy eyes atrophy from non-use?
Would their skin pigment fade?
Would they become insane?
I would imagine that the effects would be the same as someone who goes blind. The eyes would not atrophy, but if it was a significant amount of time, the brain areas responsible for interpreting vision would be reassigned to other functions. Provided sensory input would come into the brain by other senses, the person would adapt, as do blind people. The person would certainly become quite pasty and need things like vitamin D supplements. So better give her fortified milk.
If a person was imprisoned in a sensory deprivation tank for any considerable length of time, I do imagine that the person would go insane. Without any sensation, I can imagine that one would start to floridly hallucinate sensations until one could not tell what is real and what is not.
I can’t provide any cites, but know from experience that relying on your internal clock for too long without knowing the actual time of day can be maddening.
Without light, the prisoner would be unable to produce vitamin D.
I hope to God that this is a purely hypothetical question
What’s that thumping coming from rippingtons_fan’s basement?
There was a very early experiment with this in US prisons.
See also State Penitentiary for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Records 1819-1892
Makes me think of this case. 
Alcatraz has some completely dark solitary confinement cells which you can see on the tour and stay in for a minute. I don’t know how long the typical occupant stayed in one of them.
My 2nd floor apartment comes without a basement, but I think I can use the tool shed!
God has answered your prayers, Yes it’s only hypothetical!!!
No, no… Several things to correct here! I worked as a tour guide as Eastern State (which is now open as a museum) in 2001-2003. It in on something once known as Cherry Hill in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia.
The prison was, beyond an experiment, the model for a radical new form of incarceration that was meant to be a humane alternative to the old non-structured, everyone in one big cell/room non-system and the brutal New York/Auburn system as typified by Sing Sing. The prison itself and the system, which became known as the Pennsylvania system, quickly became world famous.
The system is usually referenced as Quaker-inspired, although in honesty a number of civic leaders from a number of faiths launched ESP. One big difference was prisoners weren’t supposed to be beaten at ESP.
Cellblocks 1-7 (by the time the prison closed in 1971 there were 15) and the original outer wall and castle-like facade are the ‘only’ parts that Haviland built. He went on to construct a number of the nice big churches in Philadelphia & throughout the Mid-Atlantic States, as well as a number of cool Philadelphia buildings (Dorrance Hall and what’s now the Atwater Kent museum come to mind).The Pennsylvania system began in 1829 when the prison opened, but quickly detiorated from the original design for a variety of complex reasons none of us have time for here (my tour was 1 hour+) and was officially abandoned in about 1912. Suffice it to say cost, space and mental health considerations killed the system.
Prisoners were NEVER held in darkened cells in the PA system. The idea was total solitary confinement, but with light and fresh air. Each cell in the original design of the initial 7 cellblocks (excepting the 2nd floor of blocks 4-7, which were not the original design) had their own outdoor excercise yards, seperated by high, thick stone walls. Each cell also had a skylight, called the “Eye of God,” to admit light, air and hopefully give the prisoner a line to the Higher Power. Each cell had a Bible, the only book allowed, and it hoped you’d read it. Another reason to have light. Guards fed you through a doggie-sized door, which kept you from seeing each other’s faces 95% of the time. You got 1 hour/day in your own yard in good weather, but not at the same time as the prisoners housed next dor to you.
Silence was maintained by the guards, who walked the halls of a radial system designed by Havilland probably based in old monastery designs. Hundreds of prisons on every inhabited continent except Africa adopted the design and the system, and although none of those still use the system, the design and even original prison buildings from the 19th century based upon ESP are still in use all over the world.
That hood was only worn as the prisoner was being processed and led to their cell. It was to confuse the prisoner as to where they were in the layout in the unlikely event of an escape attempt and protect the prisoner’s identity. It was assumed that this system would fully rehabilitate the prisoner and between being in solitary and using a number for prisoners (another ESP innovation?) the guards couldn’t gossip about the former jailbirds later and they’d get a new start in life. The avg sentence in the 19th century was 2-2.5 yrs. Prisoners were well-fed and given work they could do alone in their cells, and were even paid for it upon exit.
Cellblock 14, which was built in a modern style in the 1920s, by which time the PA system was abandoned in favor of a modern congregational system and the prison was becoming maximum security for more violent offenders, had 4 underground solitary cells of the sort described here. They were similar to ones in use throughout the world, and were highly unconstitutional, used as punishment cells known as ‘the hole.’ Just like the movies, and very common in the 20th century everywhere. At ESP it was also called ‘Klondike,’ and as a punsihment was meted out for no longer than 30 days at a time. (Block 15, protective custody and death row, was built in 1956 and had yet a different form of solitary… still no darkness though.)
Thus ESP was much more humane in 1829 in some ways than prisons now. No darkness! This is all gross oversimplification… I suggest coming to Philadelphia, spending as much tourist money as possible 
, and visiting the Pen to learn oh so much more; it is open April-November (it’s a ruin thus too cold/icy in winter).
Unfortunately you won’t see me as managment replaced us human tour guides with digital listening ‘wands’. :eek: :smack: :rolleyes:
When I was about a decade younger, I distinctly remember reading an article about an experiment where an Italian college student volunteered to live in a cave for one month, with no external indication of time (no clocks or sunlight). Towards the end of the experiment, it was noted that her ‘day’ would consist of sleeping for 18-20 hours, while being awake for 40+. Additionally, her period didn’t return for 3 months. She had her own coursework to do during the time, but it never mentioned anything about her going mad. . .
Dang, I wish I had that article around here. Unfortunately, it’s in a book 3,500 miles away. :smack:
Tripler
This is why I hoard books and such.
The one I heard of was a male and he eventually settled on a 25 hour day. The important difference being that they had light and things to do. I’m sure there are many people all over the world who routinely do not see sunshine for many days at a time.
I believe you are speaking of this case.
I used to live in Missouri (The Cave State!) and went spelunking most weekends. Despite expert advice not to do it, I liked to go alone. One of the more interesting things to do was to make a cup of hot tea, let the fuel-tablet go out, and then turn off the lights. It only took a few minutes before the noise of the creek would start sounding like voices just around the bend of the cave. Visual hallucinations were common, nothing like hallucinogens are supposed to do, just swatches of color across a black background.
I think the longest I ever did it was around 1 hour and by that point it was becoming unpleasant.
Regards
Testy.
When I used to work in a mine I could experience total darkness at any time I wanted. It was kind of a cool/erie feeling at first. The weirdest feeling I got from experiencing total darkness was that shortly after I shut my head lamp off my eyes experienced immediate pain. With this being said, would the pain cause any eruptions of the eye’s blood vessels (either upon entering darkness after being in the light or coming out of it for an extended period of time)? Thanks.
Port Arthur prison in Tasmania used the Pennsylvanian system, just as Crandolph described. Light was permitted, but prisoners were expected to be absolutely silent, and human contact was minimized as much as possible.
The tour guides at Port Arthur seemed convinced that this system was decidedly not humane. The Pennsylvanian system prison itself was a separate building from the main prison; and to be sent there was pretty universally dreaded (so they told us). It was used as further punishment for those “hardened” criminals who the establishment felt could not be corrected in the main prison, or for punishment for various prison crimes (much like solitary).
The tour guides at Port Arthur viewed the Pennsylvanian system prison on the grounds as the worst place to be, the worst punishment - this in a pretty hellish place already. More than one prisoner came out “not right in the head” and several committed suicide. Although the main prison could really not in any way be defined as humane, the tour guides viewed the Pennsylvanian prison as worse, which to me is telling.
Probably. Like Testy, I start to get a little wonky after about 15 minutes in the dark (for me, it’s developing photographic film by hand in a little closet. It’d be worse in a cave).
This is absolutely correct… however I don’t know if you’re aware of what the other prisons were like at the time. In Philadelphia you would have been sent to the Walnut Street Jail before ESP, which was one large room where everyone - male or female, 12 or 60, murderer awaiting execution or pickpocket awaiting sentencing - was thrown. No guarantee of not getting raped, guards could beat you, no opportunity to learn a trade or get paid for it. You didn’t even have a right to food or a blanket, nor a new change of clothes. For these you had to pay the jailers or bribe the guards… or just steal from those weaker than yourself. Add in disease… well, you get the idea.
There are no reliable numbers on how many went insane, but it was a distinct minority.
The competing Auburn system was “silent congregational,” the worst of both worlds. And prisoners were whipped in front of others as examples.
I never said the Pennsylvania system was great, it was a complex issue but in context not the most inhumane thing out there.
This is why my tours ran over an hour!