A loner is a person described as not seeking out, actively avoiding, or failing to maintain interpersonal relationships .
50-399: There are many potential causes for this solitude . Intentional causes include introversion , mysticism , spirituality, religion, or personal considerations. Unintentional causes involve high sensitivity or shyness . Multiple reported types of loners exist, and individuals meeting the criteria for being called loners often practice social interactions with other individuals while displaying
100-486: A global adjustment as those who balance their time of solitude with their time of socialization. Solitude does not necessarily entail feelings of loneliness, and it may in fact be one's sole source of genuine pleasure for those who choose it with deliberate intent. Some individuals seek solitude for discovering a more meaningful and vital existence. For example, in religious contexts, some saints preferred silence, finding immense pleasure in their uniformity with God. Solitude
150-438: A heightened sense of smell, and two reported sensing a "presence of evil" in the room. People who scored lower on the first test experienced fewer perceptual distortions; however, they still reported seeing a variety of hallucinations. Many studies have been conducted to understand the main causes of the hallucinations, and considerable evidence has been accumulated indicating that long periods of isolation aren't directly related to
200-403: A pleasurable setting in which to occupy oneself with solitary tasks. The Buddha attained enlightenment through uses of meditation, deprived of sensory input, bodily necessities, and external desires, including social interaction. The context of solitude is attainment of pleasure from within, but this does not necessitate complete detachment from the external world. This is well demonstrated in
250-595: A potential insight into the mechanisms behind these events. Sensory deprivation has been used to disorientate subjects during interrogation , brainwashing , and torture . In particular, the five techniques of wall-standing; hooding; subjection to noise; deprivation of sleep; deprivation of food and drink were used by the security forces in Northern Ireland in the early 1970s. After the Parker Report of 1972, these techniques were formally abandoned by
300-534: A tendency to seek solitude. Enforced loneliness ( solitary confinement ) has been a punishment method throughout history. It is often considered a form of torture. Emotional isolation is a state of isolation where one feels emotionally separated from others despite having a well-functioning social network . Researchers, including Robert J. Coplan and Julie C. Bowker, have rejected the notion that solitary practices and solitude are inherently dysfunctional and undesirable. In their 2013 book A Handbook of Solitude ,
350-475: A time when one may work, think, or rest without disturbance. It may be desired for the sake of privacy . Long-term solitude may stem from soured relationships, loss of loved ones, deliberate choice, infectious disease , mental disorders , neurological disorders such as circadian rhythm sleep disorder , or circumstances of employment or situation. A distinction has been made between solitude and loneliness . In this sense, these two words refer, respectively, to
400-430: A variable degree of introversion leading them to seek out periodic solitude. According to some sociologists and associations, the modern term loner can be used in the context of the belief that human beings are social creatures and that those who do not participate are deviants . However, the term is sometimes depicted culturally as positive, and indicative of a degree of independence and responsibility. Someone who
450-524: A variety of important sociological cues that allow the protagonist to navigate through society, even highly politicized societies. In the process, political prisoners in solitary confinement were examined to see how they concluded their views on society. Thus Fong, Coplan, and Bowker conclude that a person's experienced solitude generates immanent and personal content as well as collective and sociological content, depending on context. There are both positive and negative psychological effects of solitude. Much of
500-787: Is a recluse or romantically solitary can be referred to by the terms singleton and nonwedder . According to Elizabeth Follmer, the term is often used to describe a perceived hatred for other people , leading perceived loners to being viewed as outcast or misfit. There are different types of loners, including individuals who prefer solitude and limited social interaction. The first type includes individuals that are forced into isolation because they are, or feel as though they are, rejected by society, and may experience loneliness . A second type of individuals described as loners includes those who regularly practice social interaction, while also spending extended periods of time in solitude, without experiencing feelings of loneliness. . A third type of loner
550-636: Is a more effective treatment process; however, only one has explored this statistically. Nineteen subjects, all of whom used chamber or flotation REST to induce relaxation or treat smoking , obesity , alcohol intake or chronic pain were analyzed. The statistic of interest, d, is a measure of the size of the treatment effect. For reference, d=0.5 is considered a moderate effect and d=0.8 a large effect. The 19 subjects who underwent chamber REST had d=0.53 and six flotation REST subjects showed d=0.33. Additionally, when examining subjects undergoing REST treatment and REST in conjunction with another treatment method, there
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#1732801800758600-493: Is a state that can be positively modified utilizing it for prayer allowing to "be alone with ourselves and with God, to put ourselves in listening to His will, but also of what moves in our hearts, let purify our relationships; solitude and silence thus become spaces inhabited by God, and ability to recover ourselves and grow in humanity." In psychology, introverted persons may require spending time alone to recharge, whereas those who are simply socially apathetic might find it
650-417: Is considered a dualist argument in the philosophy of mind as it separates the mind from the body to affirm the existence of oneself. Dualism presupposes that the world is made up of physical (perceived through the senses), and immaterial (not perceived through the senses) substances. René Descartes was the philosopher who proposed Cartesian dualism , also called substance dualism, since it claims
700-445: Is considered to be one of the benefits of solitude; the constraints of others will not have any effect on a person who is spending time in solitude, therefore giving the person more latitude in their actions. With increased freedom, a person’s choices are less likely to be affected by exchanges with others. A person's creativity can be sparked when given freedom. Solitude can increase freedom and moreover, freedom from distractions has
750-415: Is described as not experiencing loneliness during long periods of solitude, or in a different way to how forcibly isolated individuals practicing social interaction would. However, individuals often experience all three types interchangeably . The term is often associated with introversion, due to perceived loners having innate personality traits and life experiences. In psychiatry , individuals being loners
800-500: Is largely because often, solitude at this age is not the child's choice. Solitude in elementary-age children may occur when they are unsure of how to interact socially, so they prefer to be alone, causing shyness or social rejection . While teenagers are more likely to feel lonely or unhappy when not around others, they are also more likely to have a more enjoyable experience with others if they have had time alone first. However, teenagers who frequently spend time alone do not have as good
850-451: Is often an unavoidable outcome, but instead in an attempt to gain an understanding of the natural world as entirely removed from the human perspective as possible, a state of mind much more readily attained in the complete absence of outside human presence. Isolation in the form of solitary confinement is a punishment or precaution used in many countries throughout the world for prisoners accused of serious crimes, those who may be at risk in
900-528: Is often seen as undesirable, causing loneliness or reclusion resulting from inability to establish relationships . Furthermore, it might lead to clinical depression , although some people do not react to it negatively. Buddhist monks regard long-term solitude as a means of enlightenment . Marooned people have been left in solitude for years without any report of psychological symptoms afterwards. Some psychological conditions (such as schizophrenia and schizoid personality disorder ) are strongly linked to
950-552: Is perceptual deprivation, also called the Ganzfeld effect . In this case a constant uniform stimulus is used instead of attempting to remove the stimuli; this leads to effects which have similarities to sensory deprivation. Sensory deprivation techniques were developed by some of the armed forces within NATO , as a means of interrogating prisoners within international treaty obligations . The European Court of Human Rights ruled that
1000-561: Is restricted by the experimental instructions, but not by any mechanical restraints. Food, drink, and toilet facilities are provided in the room and are at the discretion of the tester, who can communicate with the participants using an open intercom. Subjects are allowed to leave the room before the 24 hours are complete; however, fewer than 10% actually do because they find the chamber so relaxing. Chamber REST affects psychological functioning (thinking, perception, memory, motivation, and mood) and psychophysiological processes. In flotation REST,
1050-437: Is sometimes associated to different mental disorders . Some individuals described as loners have alexithymia , characterized by the inability to identify and describe emotions. Other disorders and illnesses associated with the term include social anxiety disorder , borderline personality disorder , avoidant personality disorder , depression , autism , and schizoid personality disorder . The characteristics associated with
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#17328018007581100-638: Is unable to see anything external; his arms and legs are separated from the rest of his body; they do not meet or touch. In other words, the man is experiencing extreme sensory deprivation in order to separate what physical body and any perception of stimuli that a person can experience from what consciousness might be in Ibn Sīnā's thought experiment . The man later reflects on his existence. He will not question that he exists, but he will not be able to affirm if his legs, arms, or internal organs exist. He guarantees that his essence exists, but he will not have awareness of
1150-544: The ability to know which way is down . Sensory deprivation has been used in various alternative medicines and in psychological experiments (e.g. with an isolation tank ). When deprived of sensation, the brain attempts to restore sensation in the form of hallucinations . Short-term sessions of sensory deprivation are described as relaxing and conducive to meditation ; however, extended or forced sensory deprivation can result in extreme anxiety , hallucinations , bizarre thoughts , and depression . A related phenomenon
1200-481: The 1950s and explored a variety of questions about the need for stimulation, the nature of arousal and its relationship with external stimulation. Practitioners in this area have explored its utility in the treatment of major psychiatric dysfunctions such as substance abuse. In contrast, flotation REST was seen more as a recreational tool and was tested primarily for use with stress-related disorders, pain reduction, and insomnia. Numerous studies have debated which method
1250-526: The US and in Sweden with published results showing reductions of both pain and stress. The relaxed state also involves lowered blood pressure, lowered levels of cortisol , and maximal blood flow . Besides physiological effects, REST seems to have positive effects on well-being and performance. Several differences exist between flotation and chamber REST. For example, with the presence of a medium in flotation REST,
1300-593: The United Kingdom as aids to the interrogation of paramilitary suspects. The Irish government on behalf of the men who had been subject to the five methods took a case to the European Commission of Human Rights ( Ireland v. United Kingdom , 1976 Y.B. Eur. Conv. on Hum. Rts. 512, 748, 788–94 (European Commission of Human Rights)). The Commission stated that it "considered the combined use of the five methods to amount to torture." This consideration
1350-465: The authors note how solitude can allow for enhancements in self-esteem, generates clarity, and can be highly therapeutic. In the edited work, Coplan and Bowker invite not only fellow psychology colleagues to chime in on this issue but also a variety of other faculty from different disciplines to address the issue. Fong's chapter offers an alternative view on how solitude is more than just a personal trajectory for one to take inventory on life; it also yields
1400-409: The complication of non-personal life, is often found to be highly charismatic during social gatherings with people outside of work or school—or vice versa. Solitude Solitude , also known as social withdrawal , is a state of seclusion or isolation, meaning lack of socialisation . Effects can be either positive or negative, depending on the situation. Short-term solitude is often valued as
1450-627: The control group remained clean. Studies have been conducted to test the effect of sensory deprivation on the brain. One study took 19 volunteers, all of whom tested in the lower and upper 20th percentiles on a questionnaire that measures the tendency of healthy people to see things not really there, and placed them in a pitch-black, soundproof booth for 15 minutes, after which they completed another test that measures psychosis -like experiences, originally used to study recreational drug users. Five subjects reported seeing hallucinations of faces; six reported seeing shapes/faces not actually there; four noted
1500-845: The existence of two kinds of “substances”: mental states and material stuff that takes up space. For Descartes, the mind is an entity, different from a physical entity since the mind, in Descartes' point of view, can exist independently, that is, without a physical body. For this reason, he concluded that the mind is a substance. The use of REST has been explored in aiding in the cessation of smoking. In studies ranging between 12 months and five years, 25% of REST patients achieved long-term abstinence. REST, when combined with other effective smoking cessation methods (for example: behavior modification ) resulted in long-term abstinence of 50%. Also, when combined with weekly support groups, REST resulted in 80% of patients achieving long-term abstinence. Comparatively,
1550-406: The first treatment. It is, however, possible that this is caused by the placebo effect . In addition, REST has been tested to determine its effect on users of other drugs. A University of Arizona study used chamber REST as a complement to traditional outpatient substance abuse treatment and found that four years later, 43% of the patients were still sober and drug-free. Eight months later, no one in
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1600-660: The hallucinatory events. According to a 2009 study published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease , the hallucinations are caused by the brain misidentifying the source of what it is currently experiencing, a phenomenon called faulty source monitoring . A study conducted on individuals who underwent REST while under the effects of Phencyclidine (PCP) showed a lower incidence of hallucination in comparison to participants who did not take PCP. The effects of PCP also appeared to be reduced while undergoing REST. The effects PCP has on reducing occurrences of hallucinatory events provide
1650-489: The inherent immobilization that is experienced in flotation REST (by not being able to roll over), which can become uncomfortable after several hours, the subject is unable to experience the session durations of chamber REST. This may not allow the subject to experience the changes in attitudes and thinking that are associated with chamber REST. Additionally, the research questions asked between each technique are different. Chamber REST questions stemmed from research that began in
1700-416: The joy and the pain of being alone. Symptoms from complete isolation, called sensory deprivation , may include anxiety , sensory illusions , or distortions of time and perception. However, this is the case when there is no stimulation of the sensory systems at all and not just lack of contact with people. Thus, this can be avoided by having other things to keep one's mind busy. Long-term solitude
1750-468: The length or depth of himself. Therefore, in the thought experiment, what the man can affirm to exist is the man's self and what he cannot affirm does not make part of his essence, like an arm or a toe. The argument concludes then that since the man can affirm his existence while being subjected to extreme sensory deprivation, his soul is something different from his physical body. His soul is then said to be an immaterial substance separate from his body. This
1800-456: The level of experienced hallucinations. Schizophrenics appear to tend to experience fewer hallucinations while in REST as compared to non-psychotic individuals. A possible explanation for this could be that non-psychotic individuals are normally exposed to a greater degree of sensory stimulation in everyday life, and in REST, the brain attempts to re-create a similar level of stimulation, producing
1850-463: The medieval period, investigated the existence of the self and explored the self's nature. Like many others, he proposed an argument to support his claim regarding the relationship between the mind and the body. He based his investigation on the Floating Man argument where, he proposes, a man floating in the air or a vacuum where he cannot perceive anything, not even the substance of air. This man
1900-427: The person in solitude knows that they have meaningful relations with others. Negative effects have been observed in prisoners. The behavior of prisoners who spend extensive time in solitude may worsen. Solitude can trigger physiological responses that increase health risks. Negative effects of solitude may also depend on age. Elementary age school children who experience frequent solitude may react negatively. This
1950-615: The potential to spark creativity. In 1994, psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi found that adolescents who cannot bear to be alone often stop enhancing creative talents. Another proven benefit to time given in solitude is the development of the self. When a person spends time in solitude from others, they may experience changes to their self-concept. This can also help a person to form or discover their identity without any outside distractions. Solitude also provides time for contemplation, growth in personal spirituality, and self-examination. In these situations, loneliness can be avoided as long as
2000-437: The prison population, those who may commit suicide, or those unable to participate in the prison population due to sickness or injury. Research has found that solitary confinement does not deter inmates from committing further violence in prison. Psychiatric institutions may institute full or partial isolation for certain patients, particularly the violent or subversive, in order to address their particular needs and to protect
2050-428: The rest of the recovering population from their influence. Sensory deprivation Sensory deprivation or perceptual isolation is the deliberate reduction or removal of stimuli from one or more of the senses. Simple devices such as blindfolds or hoods and earmuffs can cut off sight and hearing, while more complex devices can also cut off the sense of smell, touch , taste, thermoception (heat-sense), and
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2100-550: The room contains a tank or pool. The flotation medium consists of a skin-temperature solution of water and Epsom salts at a specific gravity that allows for the patient to float supine without the worry of safety. In fact, to turn over while in the solution requires "major deliberate effort." Fewer than 5% of the subjects tested leave before the session duration ends, which is usually around an hour for flotation REST. Spas sometimes provide commercial float tanks for use in relaxation. Flotation therapy has been academically studied in
2150-402: The subject has reduced tactile stimulation while experiencing weightlessness. The addition of Epsom salts to attain the desired specific gravity may have a therapeutic effect on hypertonic muscles. Since one of the main results of chamber REST is a state of relaxation, the effects of chamber REST on arousal are less clear-cut, which can be attributed to the nature of the solution. Also, due to
2200-403: The term are often attributed to non-human animals such as leopards , whose behaviour is usually defined by voluntary solitude. When expressing the desire to solitude, individuals described as loners may not reject human contact entirely. A person who avoids social interaction with colleagues beyond what is required for work or school responsibilities, mainly for practical reasons such as avoiding
2250-426: The time, these effects and the longevity is determined by the amount of time a person spends in isolation . The positive effects can range anywhere from more freedom to increased spirituality , while the negative effects are socially depriving and may trigger the onset of mental illness . While positive solitude is often desired, negative solitude is often involuntary or undesired at the time it occurs. Freedom
2300-416: The use of a nicotine patch alone has a success rate of 5%. Alcoholism has also been the target of research associated with REST. In conjunction with anti-alcohol educational messages, patients who underwent two hours of REST treatment reduced alcohol consumption by 56% in the first two weeks after treatment. The reduction in consumption was maintained during follow-ups conducted three and six months after
2350-497: The use of the five techniques by British security forces in Northern Ireland amounted to a practice of inhuman and degrading treatment . It was also used in prisons such as Guantanamo . There are many different numbers of basic methods of restricted environmental stimulation, including therapy (REST), chamber REST, and flotation REST. In chamber REST, the subject lies on a bed in a completely dark and sound-reducing (on average, 80 dB) room for up to 24 hours. Their movement
2400-415: The writings of Edward Abbey with particular regard to Desert Solitaire where solitude focused only on isolation from other people allows for a more complete connection to the external world, as in the absence of human interaction the natural world itself takes on the role of the companion. In this context, the individual seeking solitude does so not strictly for personal gain or introspection, though this
2450-424: Was little difference. However, Flotation REST has the advantage of a lower duration required (45 minutes as opposed to 24 hours). Sensory deprivation has been used to help support arguments by philosophers on how minds work. One example is the floating man argument proposed by Ibn Sīnā , whose primary objective is to affirm the existence of the human soul. Ibn Sīnā , one of the most important philosophers of
2500-659: Was overturned on appeal, when in 1978 the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) examined the United Nations ' definition of torture. The court subsequently ruled that the five techniques "did not occasion suffering of the particular intensity and cruelty implied by the word torture," however they did amount "to a practice of inhuman and degrading treatment," which is a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights , Article 3 . In their judgment
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