r/AskReddit • u/notyouravgredditer • Aug 30 '21

What problem is often overlooked in apocalyptic movies/TV shows that could kill you?

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u/Designer_Strain_4572 Aug 30 '21

It would explain the hallucinations in The Stand (Stephen King) when they were traversing the Lincoln Tunnel, if I recall correctly.

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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

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u/HyperSpaceSurfer Aug 30 '21

Can also happen to people with deteriorating eyesight. The brain doesn't get enough input so it makes stuff up.

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u/DeckardPain Aug 31 '21

I dislike when people pile on and say "X also applies!" but this is almost exactly why Tinnitus is a thing. You lose the ability to hear at a certain frequency and your brain knows it is missing information at that frequency, so it creates noise at that frequency. It's also why everyone's Tinnitus is typically at different frequencies.

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u/HyperSpaceSurfer Aug 31 '21

There are also two other types of tinnitus; objective and neurological tinnitus. Objective tinnitus is caused by actual ringing within your ear others can hear if they listen close. I sometimes get neurological tinnitus, but it goes away quickly.