Torture

[The Catalyst]

I'm curious to know how people hold up when they are subjected to different forms of mental and physical tortures over a long period of time. At what point would you really know if you have broken the individual's will completely? What would be the signs?

I am curious how different personality types would perceive torture and which methods are most effective on each personality type.

I assume pain is perceived both as physically suffering and emotionally suffering. I perceive pain physically but not really emotionally. Probably because I'm used to pain. I accept it as an inevitability. I've even burned myself before, to see how it felt.

But emotional pain... I think that is far more dramatic than actual pain. Using the proper stimuli, designed specifically, for each personality type creates efficiency and reduces needless suffering. Water boarding is psychological and highly affective.

The emotional suffering is really the important part to me. If you can maximize the emotional pain and minimize the physical... ...technically that is being more humane.

 

[Marter]

I have a fairly high pain tolerance. I've learned to tolerate physical pain over the years.

Emotional pain is more difficult, but I've learned how to look back on past situations with apathy at worst. It takes time to process, but my brain has become adept at it.

 

[manaman]

So telling someone you sent an agent to kill their family is more humane then punching them in the face. Noted.

Both forms of torture would have the same end result, and it doesn't work besides. People under duress have been noted to start telling their tortures whatever they think they want to hear.

The only reason to torture is because you want to. Problem is there is a very fine line between using rough interrogation methods, and torture. Seems if you practice it long enough you start to slip into the other one anyway.

 

[ultrachicken]

I don't think there is much of a separation between physical and emotional pain. Sure, you can harm someone emotionally but not physically, but physical pain also causes emotional pain. Distress, fear, hatred, longing for safety, etc. come with intense physical pain.

 

[Free Thinker]

I take pain a little more than others. My nerves are a little more responsive than normal, so I'd break physically easier.

Emotionally, I can take an obscene amount of torture of that nature. I taught myself, and from past experiences, ruled out most emotions that I know would end up hurting me.

 

[The Catalyst]

Have you experienced any type of repercussion from this method of emotional defense?

 

[Snarky Username]

Emotional pain is worse than physical pain

The difference is that you can quite easily just stop caring. And then emotional abuse is not nearly as effective.

You can't make yourself not feel pain though.

To answer your question, though, I would say you know a person has cracked when they start babbling nonsense and talking to themselves. After that point, I'm pretty sure it's over. That's what happened to the gimp, at least.

 

[Free Thinker]

Have you experienced any type of repercussion from this method of emotional defense?

Well I don't do it all the time. That's insane! But it has really saved me some heartache. More benefit than repercussion.

 

[The Catalyst]

Have you experienced any type of repercussion from this method of emotional defense?

Well I don't do it all the time.

Oh. I thought you had gone Vulcan, just as I have.

 

[Worgen]

torture is an ineffective way of eliciting information because you could get anyone to admit to anything if you push them hard enough

 

[Davrel]

I think you're a bit misguided as to the humane nature of "emotional torture" - rape victims are frequently permanently scared by the emotional damage rather than the physical, just to give you an example of sorts. The thing that separates us from animals is our emotional and intellectual capacity - to abuse this is, if anything, less humane than just causing pain.

If the world were perfect, I would oppose torture, but it isn't and I understand that despite its drawbacks and morally dubious nature, it is often necessary. There is no point trying to act like a Utopian if everyone else is a staunch Realist.

 

[DocBalance]

It really depends on what I'm being tortured for. If it's military crap or state secrets, or something like that, screw it, I'm folding like a cheap suit, nobody is going to trust me with anything important anyway. But if it was to protect a friend or loved one? I wouldn't talk. Ever. Psychological torture wouldn't be terribly effective on me either way.

 

[The Catalyst]

Express your opinions and hypothetical reactions on these three motives for torture: Information, amusement, and experimentation(example: seeing how much you will endure to ensure the safety of a loved one).

 

[vento 231]

Physical pain only lasts so long, mental was the worst. I was in the hospital and I had some of the worst physical pain ever (look up catheter) but the worst of the pain was mental,the walls were white, the floor was white, the bed was white, the sheets were white, the pillows were white, the TV was white, this can't really be considered torture, but for the three weeks I was there, I associated the color with the pain and threw up when in the room to long, so my psyche was messed up pretty bad, but at least my family was there, I thought I wasn't gonna get out of there, and I almost didn't. Put severed limbs into the equation and the thought of never seeing your family again, I would bet you it doesn't take long to loose hope.

 

[capin Rob]

Pain is easy to over come, if you can last a few seconds you'll make it through, you'll get used to it after then.

 

[Vrex360]

I get the feeling that I would be a wuss when it comes to pain infliction though I would also strongly be repulsed by the emotional kind.
It depends on how intense the pain is and the emotional sting I guess. It's hard to really imagine being in those kind of situations.

 

[Erana]

Emotional pain is worse than physical pain

The difference is that you can quite easily just stop caring. And then emotional abuse is not nearly as effective.

If you can simply stop caring, then you aren't being very badly abused.

Still, I'll take emotional abuse over physical. Partly because physical abuse is psychological. The human body is highly efficient in that there are very few superfluious features that could be removed or damaged without, in some way, having a long term imparment on the body.
Even things like the outer ear, which we don't really need, when ireprably scarred, will have a future psychological impact. At best, with say a broken bone, your bone will be forever weaker, and the muscles associated with it made weaker by the latent time required to heal.
Being in a situation in which you were physically tortured would leave you emotionally scarred.

 

[child of lileth]

Physical torture, I'd be fine. I'm not in good health right now, so it wouldn't make much difference.

Emotional torture, I don't know. It depends on what they do. If they involve people I'm close to, I'd give in depending on who it is. If it's just to me, I'd get over it eventually. lol

 

[Offworlder_v1legacy]

I can't hanle much physical pain but I have a strong mind, I reckon I could put up with some bad mental shit.

 

[xdgt]

My policy would be to fabricate some realistic bullshit and "crack" after a short period of time.