The psychology of confinement

by Hans Meijer

Confinement is a powerful tool, but various other restraining methods and devices may also have a lot more impact than you would expect. In other words: handle with care and don't try to live out your fantasy immediately but take it one step at the time. Confinement is e very powerful psychological tool. Confining and restraining usually soon reach the "edge play" status - in other words, not everything is for everybody. If you do not understand - or do not know about - the psychological effects of especially confinement, you should not enter into it, before trying anything.

The psychological effects of solitary confinement are huge, mainly as a result of the sensory deprivation. Your senses are juggled around because they get too little input. The brain, in need for impulses and activity, will start a life of its own. When the room you are in is dark, this may quadruple this effect. These effects are strengthened by a certain amount of fear and anger, brought about by the fact that your personal freedom is limited, even though this is by freedom of choice. The difference between for example bondage and confinement is mainly in the fact that a bondage usually allows you no or hardly any room to move. Confinement - no matter how limited the space is - will always allow you more space to move, but that only underlines the limitations bestowed upon you.

Two scientific experiments may illustrate the psychological effects of confinement. Back in the 1960's for example several hundreds of students of Princeton University were - on a voluntary basis - involved in an experiment to try and establish the effects of sensory deprivation. The were locked individually in a very small, light and sound proof room for a maximum of 96 hours. The room was only three square meters wide. The only piece of furniture was a bed. There was a small - also light and soundproof - room with a toilet and a refrigerator with food and drinks. The students would only get paid if the made it the full 96 hours ... only ten percent did.

Almost half of the students did not make it though the first three hours. The ones that did appeared to be very vulnerable to brainwash techniques and manipulation - as a result of the fact that their brain and senses where in desperate need for activity and impulses, no matter what kind of activity. Almost all students suffered from nightmares for a longer period of time.

Similar results were reported during a Dutch experiment in 1992. In an effort to try and establish the psychological effects of police cells on arrested persons, the Dutch authorities had several hundreds of volunteers without a criminal record locked up in police cells for 24 hours. They were put through the standard routines. The cells, of course, were neither sound nor light proof and all had the standard contacts with guards. Still almost half of the group appeared unable to undergo the experiment for the full 24 hours. The inability to influence their own situation and taking their fate in their own hands appeared to be the biggest thing for the volunteers.