Solitary and Psychology

I didn't really experience anything too terribly fun and exciting today, so rather than talk about what I ate, or saw, or experienced, I decided to talk a bit about a show that I love called Solitary.

In this show, sadly cancelled after four seasons by Fox Reality, they take nine people and put them in these octagonal rooms called "pods", all by themselves and do all kinds of wacky experiments on them. I first came across this show while dog-sitting for my fiancé's parents. We were channel surfing late one night on their dish channels and happened upon a show where people were doing insane things, and for a fifty thousand dollar prize at the end if they were the last person standing.

What sets this show apart from other reality shows is that no one gets eliminated by a vote; they eliminate themselves by quitting treatments that they are put through. Not only are they isolated, but they are deprived food and sleep and sometimes forced to endure high and low temperatures. They have to eat things that are blended together or endure physical pain, or do mental games that, for you or I would be easy because we were well rested, but for these people seems like the hardest thing they have ever done in their lives.

I often wonder if I would be able to endure the types of tests they put these people through, and I think that first and foremost the hardest part would be the solitary aspect of it. I don;t do well when alone, and I don't like to be by myself a lot of the time. Also, I think some of the food challenges would be hard because sometimes the contestants are forced to eat until they vomit. Around my house it is a well-known fact that when I hit bottom, I have to stop eating or I will throw up. Sometimes that is while I am chewing a bite in my mouth... and then I am forced to spit it out. I think I would do well with the lack of sleep, or the deprivation of food end of it but I know that the continual eating and aloneness of it would kick my butt.

If you've never seen the show, I highly recommend watching. I know, I know, reality television has a stigma. Consider this more like watching a psychological experiment, because that is precisely what it is. All you need to do is go to Hulu.com and type "solitary" into the search bar. I promise you, you won't be disappointed... that is, unless you have a weak constitution.

Have a good tomorrow!