sensory deprivation

noun

, Psychiatry.

1. the experimental or natural reduction of environmental stimuli, as by physical isolation or loss of eyesight, often leading to cognitive, perceptual, or behavioral changes, as disorientation, delusions, or panic.

sensory deprivation

noun

1. psychol an experimental situation in which all stimulation is cut off from the sensory receptors

sensory deprivation

1. A natural or experimentally arranged situation in which stimulation of a subject's senses is greatly reduced. Experiments have included floating subjects in soundproof water chambers. Though short periods of sensory deprivation can be relaxing, extended deprivation can result in extreme anxiety , hallucinations , bizarre thoughts, depression, and antisocial behavior. Sensory deprivation experiments have demonstrated that humans need constant sensory contact with their environment in order to function.

Example Sentences

If you ate Secret Congee in the car alone on a rainy gray afternoon during the sensory deprivation that was the pandemic shutdown, you gained a new, nearly synesthetic understanding of comfort food.

From Seattle Times

At the same time, Misty’s little dip in the sensory deprivation tank gives her a newfound self confidence.

From New York Times

But, she points out, game fowl are separated from their parents and frequently kept in sensory deprivation and social isolation.

From New York Times

The Tunnel website external-link describes it as "a mind-bending test of extreme endurance and sensory deprivation".

From BBC

“After thirty years of sensory deprivation seclusions you have deprived that man of his sanity,” Hall wrote.

From Seattle Times