In today’s world, social media is usually the culprit for circulating conspiracy theories and stories. The recent viral discussion online is the Russian sleep experiment, as some wonder if it was real, after a video claimed a film covering the incident is being made.
The story first surfaced on a Creepypasta forum. The post described to readers a Soviet-era experiment where scientist created a stimulant that allowed soldiers to go without sleep for 30 days.
As the story goes, in order to prove and showcase the effects of the stimulant, five prisoners were selected and promised freedom at the end of the test. The five men were then locked in the chamber and gas was pumped inside it.
However, the story reveals that the experiment did not go well as all the men began to experience symptoms of sleep deprivation. Halfway through the 30 day time period, the scientists conducting the experiment were forced to enter the chamber as there was no visibility due to the gas. When they opened the door one prisoner was dead and the other four had several horrific injuries that were presumed to be self-inflicted.
Despite some belief that the Russian sleep experiment is real, it is in fact a work of fiction, as is almost all stories posted to Creepypasta.
Stories are shared on the platform to scare readers, with the website initially reposting stories found on existing platforms such as 4chan and Reddit.
Over time, the site allowed people to post anonymously and share their own stories.
However, it is true that a movie has been based on the story.
On Apple TV+ you can stream The Sleep Experiment if you’re in the mood for a horrifying watch.
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