Russian Sleep Experiment

"The Russian Sleep Experiment" is based on an urban legend creepypasta that tells the tale of three test subjects being exposed to an experimental sleep-inhibiting stimulant in a Soviet-era scientific experiment.

Plot

I LAINEE BROWN disapprove of you americans talking bad about russia . In a military-sanctioned scientific experiment, five political prisoners were kept in a sealed gas chamber, with a continually administered airborne stimulant for the purpose of keeping the subjects awake for 15 continuous days. The prisoners are falsely promised freedom if they complete the experiment.

The subjects behave normally during the initial days, talking to each other and whispering to the researchers through the one-way glass, though it is noted their discussions gradually become darker in subject matter. After nine days, one subject begins screaming uncontrollably for hours while the others have no reaction to his outburst. When a second begins screaming, the others prevent the researchers from looking inside by pasting torn book pages and their own feces on the porthole windows. A few days pass without the researchers being able to look inside, during which the chamber is completely silent. The researchers use the intercom to test if the subjects are still alive, and get a short response of a subject expressing compliance.

On the 15th day, the researchers decide to turn off the stimulating gas and reopen the chamber. Upon looking inside, they discover that the four surviving subjects have performed lethal and severe mutilation and disembowelment on themselves during the past days, including tearing off flesh and muscles, removing multiple abdominal internal organs, practicing self-cannibalism, and allowing 4” of blood and water to accumulate on the floor. The subjects also violently refuse to leave the chamber and beg the scientists to continue administering the stimulant, murdering one soldier and severely injuring another who was attempting to remove them. After eventually being removed from the chamber, all subjects are shown to exhibit extreme strength, unprecedented resistance to drugs and sedatives, superhuman abilities to remain alive despite lethal injuries, and a desperate desire to remain awake and being given the stimulant. It is also found that any one of the subjects who falls asleep, also dies instantly.

After being treated for their injuries, the surviving three subjects are being prepared to return to the gas chamber with the stimulant, with EKG monitors showing short recurring moments of brain death. Before the chamber is sealed, one of the subjects falls asleep and dies, and one researcher draws a gun and kills another subject as well as

Reception

The Russian Sleep Experiment became immensely popular upon its original publication. It is considered by some to be the greatest and most shared creepypasta stories ever. Much of the online and offline debate surrounds the belief held by many that the story is real rather than fiction, and many articles therefore seek to debunk this claim. There is also much discussion of the viral nature of creepypasta stories more generally.

Adaptations

The Russian Sleep Experiment's popularity has led to various adaptations over the years. A novel inspired by the original short story was published in 2015 but is now out-of-print.

In early 2018, a psychological thriller based on the short story began production, directed by John Farrelly, and was scheduled to be released in 2019.

Several other adaptations have been created, including a film based on the short story, with Chris Kattan starring and Barry Andersson directing.

See also

• Human subject research

Further reading

• The Russian Sleep Experiment. Timothy Smith. 2015. {{cite AV media}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• The Russian Sleep Experiment. Framed Pictures. 18 March 2017. {{cite AV media}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)