
The Russian Sleep Experiment is a popular urban legend that recounts a 15-day experiment in which five prisoners were exposed to a sleep-inhibiting stimulant. The story, set in a covert Soviet test facility in 1947, describes the transformation of the subjects into violent, zombie-like creatures as a result of prolonged sleep deprivation. Despite its gruesome details, the Russian Sleep Experiment is a work of fiction, originating from a creepypasta forum and has since spawned various adaptations, including films and novels.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Date of the story setting | 1947 |
Number of test subjects | 5 |
Number of days without sleep | 15 |
Number of days the test subjects were exposed to the stimulant | 14 |
Number of test subjects that died | 1 |
What You'll Learn
The experiment took place over 15 days
On the 15th day, the stimulant gas was replaced by fresh air. The results were chaotic. One inmate was dead, and the survivors had mutilated themselves, ripping open their own abdomens and even eating their own flesh. They seemed to have developed an inhuman strength and a resistance to drugs and sedatives. When the researchers tried to remove them from the chamber, the inmates fought back with a powerful aggression.
When asked why they had mutilated themselves, each gave the same answer: "I must remain awake." Attempts to sedate them were either unsuccessful or led to their deaths the moment they lost consciousness.
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The subjects were 5 prisoners
The prisoners were sealed in a hermetically sealed chamber, and the gas was pumped in. Their conversations were electronically monitored, and their behaviour was observed through secret two-way mirrors. For the first few days, everything seemed fine. But after the fifth day, they slowly began to exhibit signs of stress and paranoia. They stopped talking to one another, whispering about each other into the microphones.
Nine days in, two of the sleepless prisoners started running around the chamber, screaming so hard their vocal cords nearly broke. Then, suddenly, the voices stopped, and the chamber became dead quiet. Fearing the worst, the researchers announced that they were opening the chamber. But a voice from inside answered: "We no longer want to be freed."
On the 15th day, the stimulant gas was replaced by fresh air. The results were chaotic. One inmate was dead. The surviving inmates had been severely mutilated, and seemed to have ripped open their own abdomens, and even eaten their own flesh. They refused to be removed by force, fighting back with a powerful aggression. When asked why they had mutilated themselves, each gave the same answer: "I must remain awake."
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They were exposed to a sleep-inhibiting gas
The Russian Sleep Experiment is a fictional story, or "creepypasta", that recounts an experiment set in 1947 at a covert Soviet test facility. In the story, five prisoners are exposed to a sleep-inhibiting gas. The experimenters promise to free the prisoners after 30 days if they can remain awake for that period.
The prisoners are locked in a hermetically sealed chamber and exposed to the gas. For the first few days, everything seems fine. However, after the fifth day, they begin to exhibit signs of stress and paranoia, and stop talking to one another. They start whispering into the microphones and exhibit the kind of paranoia and psychosis that is typical of sleep deprivation.
On the ninth day, two of the prisoners begin running around the chamber, screaming so hard that their vocal cords nearly break. The chamber then falls quiet, and the researchers announce that they are opening it. A voice from inside answers: "We no longer want to be freed."
On the 15th day, the stimulant gas is replaced by fresh air. One inmate is found dead, and the others have mutilated themselves and each other. They seem to have an inhuman strength and resistance to drugs and sedatives. When the researchers try to remove them from the chamber, they fight back with powerful aggression. When asked why they mutilated themselves, the surviving inmates all give the same answer: "I must remain awake."
The story of the Russian Sleep Experiment taps into residual political anxieties and reflects real-world concerns about unethical human experimentation and sleep deprivation as a form of torture. Despite its fictional nature, the story has gained immense popularity and is often shared as if it were true.
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The experiment took place in a sealed chamber
The Russian Sleep Experiment is a fictional story that originated on an online forum. The story is set in 1947 at a covert Soviet test facility where scientists exposed five political prisoners to an experimental sleep-inhibiting stimulant gas in a sealed chamber. The promise was that if they could stay awake for 30 days, they would be freed.
The chamber was hermetically sealed, and the scientists began pumping in the gas. The subjects' behaviour was observed through secret two-way mirrors, and their conversations were electronically monitored. For the first few days, everything seemed fine. However, after the fifth day, they slowly started to exhibit signs of stress and paranoia, and they stopped talking to each other, instead whispering about one another into the microphones.
On the ninth day, two of the prisoners began sprinting around the chamber, screaming so loudly that their vocal cords nearly broke. Suddenly, the voices stopped, and the chamber became eerily quiet. Fearing the worst, the researchers decided to open the chamber, but a voice from inside answered: "We no longer want to be freed."
On the 15th day, the stimulant gas was replaced with fresh air, and the chamber was unlocked. The scientists discovered that one of the men had died, and the four surviving subjects had suffered violent injuries, some of which were self-inflicted. Attempts to sedate them were unsuccessful, and when asked about their condition, one of the subjects replied that their sleeplessness had unleashed the potential for evil that exists in all human beings.
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The story was posted on Creepypasta Wiki in 2010
The Russian Sleep Experiment is a creepypasta story posted on the Creepypasta Wiki forum in 2010 by a user named OrangeSoda. It recounts an experiment in which five Soviet-era test subjects are exposed to an experimental sleep-inhibiting gas stimulant.
The story, set in 1947 at a covert Soviet test facility, involves scientists giving political prisoners a stimulant gas that would prevent sleep for 15 days. The test subjects were promised their freedom if they could stay awake for 30 days. However, as the experiment progresses, the lack of sleep transforms the subjects into violent, zombie-like creatures addicted to the gas.
In the story, the test subjects are sealed in an airtight chamber and monitored through microphones and two-way mirrors. Initially, the subjects exhibit signs of stress, paranoia, and psychosis, typical symptoms of sleep deprivation. As time passes, their behaviour becomes more erratic and violent. They begin mutilating themselves and eating their own flesh.
The story has gained immense popularity and is considered one of the greatest and most shared creepypasta stories. It has sparked debates about its veracity, with many believing it to be real rather than fiction. The popularity of the story has led to various adaptations, including novels, plays, and films.
The story reflects political anxieties by revealing a top-secret effort by Russian scientists during World War II. It taps into the universal fear of sleep deprivation and the unknown consequences of pushing the human body to its limits. The unknown author effectively crafted a chilling tale that continues to captivate and disturb readers, blurring the lines between reality and fiction.
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Frequently asked questions
The Russian Sleep Experiment lasted 15 days. On the 15th day, the stimulant gas was replaced by fresh air and the chamber was unlocked.
On the 15th day, one inmate was found dead. The surviving inmates had mutilated themselves and each other, and had torn flesh from their bodies and stuffed it into the floor drain. They also seemed to have eaten their own flesh.
The researchers tried to sedate and remove the surviving inmates from the chamber, but they fought back with powerful aggression. Eventually, the chief researcher shot and killed the two last surviving subjects, and set about covering up the experiment.