Mia Williams
Spending the longest amount of time in a quiet room might actually sound like bliss for a lot of people.
But when the side effects of being left in silence for hours on end start to kick in, you might change your mind.
That’s what happened to YouTuber Callux, who became the person to spend the longest amount of time in a completely sound-proof room - also in complete darkness.
South Bank University's 'Anechoic Chamber' is said to be the quietest place in the whole world; a room soundproofed to be so silent that sound is measured in negative decibels and visitors are advised to stay inside no longer than 45 minutes lest they start to lose their minds.
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"We challenge people to sit in the chamber in the dark," said the chamber's designer, Steven Orfield.
"When it's quiet, ears will adapt. The quieter the room, the more things you hear.
“You'll hear your heart beating, sometimes you can hear your lungs, hear your stomach gurgling loudly. In the anechoic chamber, you become the sound.”
But ever since the previous World Record for time spent inside the room was crushed by a UNILAD reporter in 2016, who spent over 67 minutes inside, there's been an increase in thrill-seekers and challengers looking to test their limits inside the infamous chamber.
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In a video showcasing the challenge, Callux provided a brief description of the room and outlined the rules he had to abide by in order for his attempt to count towards the official Guinness World Records, which were as follows:
1. The challenger must be alone in the chamber.
2. No sleeping/fainting is allowed.
3. The challenger must be monitored and remain under constant supervision at all times.
4. Sound must stay below 25DBa.
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5. The challenger is permitted to speak for up to one minute every five minutes.
6. The challenger is permitted to leave at any time.
7. Optional - the challenge must be completed in the dark.
After a brief tour of the facilities, courtesy of staff at SBU who outlined the risks involved, Callux was then sealed inside the chamber... and it didn't take long before things started getting weird.
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After just five minutes spent in isolation, he immediately reported feeling disoriented, following an intense burst of tinnitus in both ears.
At the 15-minute mark, he claimed to be seeing lights dancing around him in the room, and after 30 minutes inside he claimed to be able to hear the sound of his own bloodstream.
After closing in on an hour and getting within spitting distance of the World Record, Callux almost gave in as he reported becoming disturbed by hallucinations in the room, but not only did he persevere, he went on to smash the previous record, setting a new one of one hour and 26 minutes.
When asked to comment on how he found his time inside the room, Callux needed just one sentence to sum up the experience: "That was f***ing weird."