Why Researchers Are Terrified To Study Extreme Isolation

When we isolate ourselves for an extended period of time, deprived from all sorts of sensory stimulation, and means to track time, what would happen to us? Such conditions are crucial to understand if we plan to send people into the far reaches of the solar system. For instance, a trip to Mars could involve about seven months of travel, meaning a round trip with time spent on the planet might total around 18 months in a state of extreme isolation. Thanks to Michel Siffre, a French scientist who stayed in a cave for 205 days back in 1961, found that although he managed to adapt, he faced substantial challenges towards the end of the experiment mentally. Fast forward to 1988, the interest in further exploring human responses to such conditions resurfaced. This time, the focus shifted to examining how a female would adapt to similar conditions over a three-month period. Support my work: