The Russian Sleep Experiment: was this atrocity real?

Experiments have been used by humans for centuries to support, refute or validate hypotheses. Currently, research is rigorously regulated so that science is carried out following minimum ethical standards. Although wanting to increase the knowledge of the reality that surrounds us is a natural tendency of the human being, it is necessary to mark the limits that should never be crossed. In other words, it is not possible to do science at any price and therefore ethical controls are essential today.

However, this has not always been the case. Until just a few decades ago, this type of ethical control did not exist, so there have been many investigations carried out in the 20th century that today would not have come out ahead under any circumstances. Examples of this are the experiment of little Albert, that of obedience to authority carried out by Stanley Milgram or the one carried out by Harlow using baby macaques.

• We recommend you read: "The 3 most cruel (and disturbing) psychological experiments in history"

The World at War

The two World Wars were two of the most convulsive events experienced in the world, and it was precisely the political situation at that time that gave room to act in ways of dubious ethics. Once this great war conflict came to an end, no immediate peace was achieved at all. On the contrary, it started what was called the Cold War, a political, economic, social and between the Western bloc, led by the United States, and the Eastern bloc, led by the Union Soviet.

These moments of great political tension gave rise to each block carrying out actions to investigate the opposing block and find out everything possible about it. Although this has never been confirmed, there has been frequent talk of an alleged experiment carried out by Russia in the late 1940s, which allegedly used political prisoners convicted of betraying the Soviet side as subjects.

The purpose of this supposed experiment would have been to know if it is possible to eradicate the need for sleep in human beings., by using an experimental gas created for this purpose. The Internet was the driving force behind this alleged story, which has been dismissed as a legend by some and fervently believed by others.

Although it may seem surreal and it has never been confirmed whether these facts are true or not, we cannot ignore that in the past century there have been many atrocities similar to this experiment that have been real. In any case, and regardless of its veracity, in this article we are going to comment on what this alleged experiment lacking in morals consisted of.

What was the Russian sleep experiment?

As we have been commenting, legend has it that this experiment was carried out in the framework of the Cold War, when the US and the Soviet sides disputed control of the world. In this case, it was the Russian side that carried out this terrible experiment, which sought to assess whether an experimental gas was capable of eliminating the need for sleep in human beings. If this was effective, the Soviet side would achieve a productivity never reached before, since the proletariat would not need rest and Russia could thus defeat its American enemy.

However, like any substance capable of generating effects in human beings, it had to be previously tested and not applied directly to the working population. Let's not forget that a wrong step at that time could mean an absolute defeat and an irreparable loss of power. For this reason, in order to carry out the pertinent tests, it was decided to take hostages held for their betrayal of the Russian side.

These people were detained in the so-called gulags, concentration camps where opponents of the socialist regime were forced to perform forced labor. In other words, the enemies of the state were used as veritable guinea pigs. The prisoners were forced to stay in a secret base, where they were forced to live together while receiving doses of this mysterious gas in order to stay 30 days without sleeping. They were promised that if they managed to stay awake during that time they would be released.

The subjects were locked up in small rooms that allowed those responsible for the macabre experiment carry out a daily and rigorous control of the effects of the gas thanks to the installation of microphones. The participants had running water, food, a mattress to sleep on and some books. The first days of the experiment passed with relative normality, since the participants did not feel discomfort.

In fact, after overcoming a few days, they seemed to be more animated, since they felt that their long-awaited freedom was a little closer. Between the prisoners there were daily conversations without great importance. They chatted about their tastes, their opinions, what they would do when they left that strange place, etc. However, events began to take a turn around the fifth day of confinement without sleep. The conversations ceased to be casual and became more subdued and existential..

Instead of talking hopefully about their plans or dreams, prisoners began to report complaints that bordered on obsession and paranoia. The cordial treatment of the beginning that had been observed between them became much much more hostile. Progressively, the distrust they felt towards each other increased and this led to a cessation of communication. Although the prisoners began to show atypical behavior, the coordinators of the experiment they chose to continue, perhaps because they were ignorant of everything that could happen in the days later.

Around the tenth day without sleep, one of the prisoners started screaming. His screams lasted up to three hours and, finally and as a result of his desperation, the investigators verified how he tore out his own vocal cords. In case this is not terrifying enough, the most chilling thing was the apathy of the companions before such a scene. None reacted to what had just happened before their eyes except one, who also started screaming. After this bizarre scene, the inmates began ripping pages out of their books and defecating on them.

This phase of agitation was followed by another of silence between days ten and thirteen. None of those present emitted any verbalization. This disturbed the researchers in such a way that they were forced to interrupt the secrecy of the experiment and access the room where these people were.

Before entering the room, the researchers warned through the installation's microphones that they would open the room, although they would not hesitate to shoot anyone who tried to attack them. Instead, if they obeyed, one of them might be released. Against all odds, when they sent this message only one of them verbalized: “We no longer want to be freed”.

To physically access the room two weeks after the macabre experiment began, a specialized armed team was sent. The scene they found there was far from anything they had imagined before. The prisoners were screaming in despair, and one of them had lost his life. The food remained almost the same as the first days. Instead of feeding, the individuals had adopted cannibalistic behaviors that had led them to tear off and eat their own skin.

The prisoners no longer longed for their freedom. What they wanted most was to receive one more dose of that mysterious gas that made them stay awake. When their request was denied, they responded aggressively and were immediately pinned down by the armed team. When attempts were made to sedate their bodies with morphine, the doctors observed that this drug was harmless to them.

One of the prisoners required surgery, and as expected, the anesthesia had no effect on him. Somehow, all of them behaved like real addicts who just wanted to end their withdrawal. Their bodies had become accustomed to consuming the powerful psychoactive gas and without it they were out of themselves.

Faced with this complex situation, the research team decided to try administering a new dose of gas to the few participants who had survived. The consumption calmed them down immediately, like a powerful drug. However, one of them ended up falling exhausted on a bed and, after closing his eyes, he died instantly.

Was the Russian sleep experiment real?

There has been a lot of discussion about whether or not this terrifying experiment is true. The reality is that experiments far from ethics have been, unfortunately, a reality in the last century. For this part, it would not seem unreasonable that this had happened.

However, the truth is that as you can imagine, it's just an urban legend. This chilling story was conceived on the Internet in the early 2000s and has continued until today. Although some details have been modified, the central thread has remained very popular all this time. The Internet has served as the cradle of many chains and false information. This legend was born as a kind of challenge that invited Internet users to make the most terrifying story possible. The Russian sleep experiment has been the result.

Although the internet can be a source of real information and knowledge, it is true that it is important to discriminate when it comes to fictitious or false content. What is interesting in this case is knowing this curious legend based on the fact that similar episodes have happened in our history that have really happened. These legends can be a good excuse to learn more about our past.