A man out of time: a man spent 2 months in a cave and made an amazing discovery (3 photos)

Michel Siffre opened new horizons in the study of time and the work of the human mind. His unique experiments continue to inspire scientists to this day.





One man's experiment on his own life amazed the scientific community so much that even NASA used its results. French scientist Michel Siffre, who died this year at the age of 85, conducted a unique study of time perception that forever changed the understanding of human biological rhythms.

In 1962, inspired by the space race, 23-year-old Siffre descended 130 meters underground in the Scarasson Mountains to conduct an experiment that would shock even the bravest scientists. He gave up watches, calendars, and sunlight, isolating himself in a cold, damp cave for two months.

Alone in complete darkness, Siffre slept, ate, and conducted research relying solely on his body's internal sensations. His goal was to understand how the absence of external signals affects human biological rhythms.

Franz discovered that the human body has its own internal "clock" that operates independently of the usual 24-hour cycle. Without external cues, people switch to a 48-hour rhythm. The "man out of time" also noticed that his perception of time slowed down significantly: five minutes of real time felt like two.



This discovery became the basis for a new scientific field - chronobiology. The results of his experiments were later used by NASA to improve the training of astronauts who encounter time disorientation in space.

Ten years later, Siffre repeated the experiment, but in more extreme conditions. He spent six months in a cave in Texas. This allowed him to deepen his research and confirm that isolation from time radically changes biological rhythms.

The publication notes that Siffre's work showed how complex and amazing the mechanisms of our body are. His discoveries opened up new horizons for science and gave us a better understanding of how time, even if it seems abstract, affects our existence.



Siffre emerges from cave after two months in 1962