A woman survived 500 days alone in a 70m deep cave

This is a scientific experiment intended to provide further understanding of the human mind's capacity and biological rhythms.

Beatriz Flamini, 50, is a veteran mountaineer. She began the challenge on November 20, 2021. After celebrating her birthday alone underground twice, she broke the world record and became the person who lived in a cave for the longest time. Television footage showed Flamini wearing sunglasses, smiling brightly and hugging the support team when they met.

Speaking after coming to the surface, Ms Flamini said she had an amazing experience. Sharing about her time living in the deep cave, she said: "I didn't talk to anyone but myself for a year and a half."

According to this female athlete, to improve her health and "kill time", she spent most of her time exercising, reading, painting and knitting woolen hats. During this time, she read 60 books and drank 1,000 liters of water. She brought 2 GoPro cameras to record this memorable time.

In footage provided by the Timecave project, during her time in the cave, Ms Flamini said: "The cave is quite safe, but not for humans because when you don't see the light of day, you don't know how time passes and therefore the brain is not stimulated." She said time seemed to stop underground.

While undertaking this challenging study, Ms Flamini was closely monitored and supported by psychologists, researchers and physical trainers, although they were not in contact. The data collected is now being analysed by scientists at the Universities of Granada and Almeria and a clinic based in Madrid.

They are studying the effects of extreme social isolation and temporary disorientation on people's perception of time, the possible neuropsychological and cognitive changes people experience underground, and the effects on circadian rhythms and sleep.

Previously, the Guinness Book of World Records confirmed that 33 miners in Chile had experienced the "longest survival time trapped underground" with 69 days at a depth of 688m after the San José mine collapse in 2010.

A Guinness spokesperson could not immediately confirm whether there was a separate record for voluntary time spent in a cave, or whether Ms Flamini had broken it.

VNA

Source