The Prisoner's Cinema is a phenomenon reported by prisoners confined to dark cells and by others kept in darkness, voluntarily or not, for long periods of time. It has also been reported by truck drivers, pilots, and practitioners of intense meditation.
The "cinema" consists of a "light show" of various colors that appear out of the darkness. The light has a form, but those that have seen it find it difficult to describe. Sometimes, the cinema lights resolve into human or other figures.[1]
Scientists believe that the cinema is a result of phosphenes combined with the psychological effects of prolonged exposure to darkness. Oster[2] hypothesized that some reports of ghosts can be attributed to this phenomenon. Others have noted a connection between the form the lights take and neolithic cave paintings.[3][4]
See also
External links
- Why does watching Phosphenes make me fall asleep? Salvatore Cullari, Lebanon Valley College
References
- ^ Walker, J.. "The Amateur Scientist: About Phosphenes: patterns that appear when the eyes are closed". Scientific American 244: 142–152.
- ^ Oster, G. (1970). "Phosphenes". Scientific American 222(2): 83–87.
- ^ Murchie, Guy (1998). The Seven Mysteries of Life: An Exploration in Science and Philosophy. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 237. ISBN 0395957915.
- ^ Stone, Andrea J.. Images From the Underworld: Naj Tunich and the Tradition of Maya Cave Painting. University of Texas Press. p. 10–11. ISBN 029275552X.
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