Sensory deprivation

The physiological function of removing all sensory stimuli, it has various psychological effects as well. This is commonly achieved by floating in a covered unlit tank filled with water. Of course, this isn't complete deprivation as you will still feel water, but with proper planning, control and will, you can achieve very close to a complete sensory deprivation. A friend and I are working up the nerve (boy that sounds ironic), time, and plan to doing this ourselves in an effort to achieve self-awareness and possibly even induce natural hallucinations. This is also a considerably step above such experiments as sleep deprivation.

Successfully used by some major intelligence powers, mainly in the Soviet Union and the USA, as a torture and interrogation method. The subject is submerged in a sensory deprivation tank while unconscious, thus waking up sensory deprived. The effects of this are claustrophobia and delusions, since the subject believes he/she is buried alive. Usually, total nervous breakdown is achieved within 72 hours, making any attempts by the subject to resist interrogation futile and facilitating subsequent brain-washing. Side effects include cardiac complications and insanity.