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As someone with ADHD... this sounds like literal torture.

aidenn0 4y ago
I have ADHD, and this sounds somewhat pleasant. I have an almost overwhelming amount of internal stimulus and being able to indulge it for 24 hours could be nice.
capableweb 4y ago
As another person with ADHD, doing something like this but on a way smaller scale, incrementally with longer period of times (I'm up to something like 20 minutes after years of doing this... Started with doing just 1 minute per time) helps me cope when I'm forced to do nothing, like waiting, which I absolutely hate doing. See it as an exercise, where you'll become stronger over time.
eddieroger 4y ago
I am neurotypical (or at least I think I am), and it sounds like literal torture. Like the author intentionally decided to cut off everything just ... because. I get letting the mind wander, but I am not built to be isolated for that long. I'm glad they learned something, but such rigid rules are the stuff of psychologists to test the boundaries of human ability, not a fun experiment.
glonq 4y ago
As someone without ADHD... this sounds like literal torture too.
- MH15 4y ago
  I agree. All signs point to me not having ADHD, but I've had jobs in the past where there was so much downtime I dreaded coming in to work every day. I'd much rather be doing work I dislike than nothing at all. I'm not sure where this comes from, but I've been this way as long as I can remember.
slothtrop 4y ago
Why is it contingent on ADHD? Had you lived 150-200 years ago you'd be exposed to a lot less artificial stimuli than you are now, and that in itself wouldn't have made your life torturous minute-to-minute.
- Ancapistani 4y ago
  AIUI, one of the hallmarks of ADHD is the constant need for mental stimulation. Anecdotally, it feels to me like my mind is always moving at the same relative speed, and my biggest struggle is maintaining an acceptable level of stimulation. Too much, and I become overstimulated and become ineffective: I either jump from focus to focus too quickly to accomplish anything, or I get stuck in "ADHD paralysis" where my mind basically locks up trying to sort through all the inbound data. Too little, and I get to the point where the feeling of boredom itself becomes overwhelming. That very quickly leads to depression, anxiety, or both.
  - P_I_Staker 4y ago
    It's interesting that you say that. I would definitely relate to needing stimulation, although it tends to be lowest common denominator stuff: scrolling, reading headlines, etc... even stuff like eating. There is a certain type of software development that will really stimulate me, sometimes even overly so, but it's not clear if it slows me down. I think because I'm happier, I'm less prone to noticing. I often feel paralyzed, and wouldn't say I hate boredom so much; mostly because you can't fail, and my mind wanders. I don't think it's good for me, and can probably lead to, and co-mingle with depression.
kemayo 4y ago
ADHD aside, there's a reason that (prolonged) solitary confinement is widely viewed as torture. (Obviously it makes a difference if you're voluntarily doing it to yourself and could stop at any moment.) https://news.un.org/en/story/2011/10/392012 https://news.un.org/en/story/2011/10/392012
P_I_Staker 4y ago
It's interesting. I haven't taken the time to read the article. My experience with ADHD is far different. I find myself often doing nothing, although I suppose I often stare at a screen or listen to music. Doing nothing always sounds great, because there's never work in doing nothing. Even watching TV requires active concentration, who is this, what's their motive, etc. If I start cooking, there will be tons of cleaning. Video games require active participation, plus the same problem as movies. That said, I can't say I'm too happy doing absolutely nothing. I don't find the time to think / reflect helpful, because I'm constantly doing so.

I have ADHD, and this sounds somewhat pleasant. I have an almost overwhelming amount of internal stimulus and being able to indulge it for 24 hours could be nice.

capableweb 4y ago

As another person with ADHD, doing something like this but on a way smaller scale, incrementally with longer period of times (I'm up to something like 20 minutes after years of doing this... Started with doing just 1 minute per time) helps me cope when I'm forced to do nothing, like waiting, which I absolutely hate doing. See it as an exercise, where you'll become stronger over time.

eddieroger 4y ago

I am neurotypical (or at least I think I am), and it sounds like literal torture. Like the author intentionally decided to cut off everything just ... because. I get letting the mind wander, but I am not built to be isolated for that long. I'm glad they learned something, but such rigid rules are the stuff of psychologists to test the boundaries of human ability, not a fun experiment.

glonq 4y ago

As someone without ADHD... this sounds like literal torture too.

MH15 4y ago
I agree. All signs point to me not having ADHD, but I've had jobs in the past where there was so much downtime I dreaded coming in to work every day. I'd much rather be doing work I dislike than nothing at all. I'm not sure where this comes from, but I've been this way as long as I can remember.

slothtrop 4y ago

Why is it contingent on ADHD? Had you lived 150-200 years ago you'd be exposed to a lot less artificial stimuli than you are now, and that in itself wouldn't have made your life torturous minute-to-minute.

Ancapistani 4y ago
AIUI, one of the hallmarks of ADHD is the constant need for mental stimulation. Anecdotally, it feels to me like my mind is always moving at the same relative speed, and my biggest struggle is maintaining an acceptable level of stimulation. Too much, and I become overstimulated and become ineffective: I either jump from focus to focus too quickly to accomplish anything, or I get stuck in "ADHD paralysis" where my mind basically locks up trying to sort through all the inbound data. Too little, and I get to the point where the feeling of boredom itself becomes overwhelming. That very quickly leads to depression, anxiety, or both.
- P_I_Staker 4y ago
  It's interesting that you say that. I would definitely relate to needing stimulation, although it tends to be lowest common denominator stuff: scrolling, reading headlines, etc... even stuff like eating. There is a certain type of software development that will really stimulate me, sometimes even overly so, but it's not clear if it slows me down. I think because I'm happier, I'm less prone to noticing. I often feel paralyzed, and wouldn't say I hate boredom so much; mostly because you can't fail, and my mind wanders. I don't think it's good for me, and can probably lead to, and co-mingle with depression.

kemayo 4y ago

ADHD aside, there's a reason that (prolonged) solitary confinement is widely viewed as torture. (Obviously it makes a difference if you're voluntarily doing it to yourself and could stop at any moment.) https://news.un.org/en/story/2011/10/392012 https://news.un.org/en/story/2011/10/392012

P_I_Staker 4y ago

It's interesting. I haven't taken the time to read the article. My experience with ADHD is far different. I find myself often doing nothing, although I suppose I often stare at a screen or listen to music. Doing nothing always sounds great, because there's never work in doing nothing. Even watching TV requires active concentration, who is this, what's their motive, etc. If I start cooking, there will be tons of cleaning. Video games require active participation, plus the same problem as movies. That said, I can't say I'm too happy doing absolutely nothing. I don't find the time to think / reflect helpful, because I'm constantly doing so.