Flow of Consciousness in Restricted Environmental Stimulation

Abstract

Fifteen subjects each spent twenty-four hours lying on a bed in a completely dark, sound-reduced chamber. Measures of imagery, thought content, and affective reactions were administered before, during, and after the session. Self-ratings indicated that subjects were relaxed but alert in the chamber. No dramatic changes in ideation occurred. Accuracy of recall for a word list improved after the session. Most of the thoughts reported in the chamber were concerned with real events occurring in the present and involving friends. There were few reports of fantasizing, stimulus-bound thoughts, reverie, etc. Useful activities in the chamber included sleeping, paying attention to events occurring in that environment, and thinking about the future. There was very little reference to negative reactions, either cognitive or affective. The findings are relevant to theoretical and applied issues concerning the influence of restricted environments on memory, problem-solving, creativity, and emotions.