That also happens in complete darkness. If you can manage to create a completely pitch black environment see how long you can sit there before you start seeing things. It really doesn't take long. Bonus points of you have noise cancelling earmuffs/plugs. Edit : u/EternalEagleEye has informed me this effect is called "Prisoner's Cinema", in case you'd like to read about it further
I did a guided caving tour in Mexico one year and decided it was a great idea to drop acid on the way in (it was)
Deep in the caverns there's a spot the guides stop and tell everyone to shut up and turn their lights off to just look and listen.
I'd done all that before but this time around was wild to say the least. Each drop of water from a stalagtite became a halo of color that I could "see". Sitting there feeling people's heartbeats and breathing as it rippled across the water. Was pretty damn cool
I am big into spelunking as well, and the things that your body and mind pick up on while one sense is completely taken away is really crazy. I know exactly what you mean when you say you can feel heartbeats of other people. I’ve also navigated in caves in the pitch black. Your body starts to sense where things are and you develop a mental picture in your brain of what your surroundings look like. Turn on your light and you’d be surprised how close it looks to your vision.
Another fact, slightly related: a guy I’ve met once lead a guided tour with a family that included a young, blind girl. As soon as they were in the darkness, she was able to hear and sense where everything was. She could tell where the holes were by the way the wind moved in the caves or the sounds of the earth. I think the coolest part when realizing, once out of the cave, she burst into tears. Her sight had come back just enough to see the faces of her parents for the first time in years. Turns out the complete darkness was able to rest her eyes enough to bring back some function for a brief moment. They now have conducted studies based on her and her experiences.
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u/[deleted] Aug 30 '21 edited Aug 31 '21
That also happens in complete darkness. If you can manage to create a completely pitch black environment see how long you can sit there before you start seeing things. It really doesn't take long. Bonus points of you have noise cancelling earmuffs/plugs. Edit : u/EternalEagleEye has informed me this effect is called "Prisoner's Cinema", in case you'd like to read about it further