Ravus said:

What would you say is the worst possible kind of torture you can inflict on a human being? Any suffering or pain, physical or mental or social or emotional, out of all the endless possibilities, what do you think is the worst the human mind can experience?

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I believe you just answered your own question. Pain is relative, so I very much doubt there is one universal worst torture. It makes room for creativity, though.

Personally I believe that mental and emotional pain overrides the physical. Physical pain (in my experience, at least) is transient and therefore not to be feared.

The two years or so I spent depersonalised have to rank up there, though.

Ravus said:

I'd rather be repeatedly drowned or freezed than burned alive, personally. Being burned alive has to one of the shittiest possible deaths imaginable.

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psilocyberin said:

Quang duc lit himself on fire.... no one can drown themselves.

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Ravus said:

Some people seem to have a worst, based on their phobias and fears. For some people, the mere thought of being buried alive can inspire a panic attack, in which case I'd consider that one of their worst.

The tortures are themselves all external objects, but it is the subject which decides. My only curiousity is how the subject decides which path would be the worst to take.

Kind of like that story where the killer makes the mother choose between her two children.

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As you may know I very occasionally experiment with harmless but nontheless quite excruciating pain of extreme intensity.

When pain approaches loss of conciousness you will get massive endorphins release starting from minute 5, becoming clearly noticable at minute 10 and making the pain somewhat dismissable by minute 15. I've read this occurs this in severe physical torture and I know from my own experience that it happens - every time. I think this is the joy people derive from extreme S&M. For me it brings no joy whatsoever but the experience of extreme physical pain in the knowledge that it is biologically safe is an interesting realm of experiences to explore.

wiccan seeker - suffering great agony so you don't have to

The thing I found is that it's of utmost importance that your psychological enviroment is favorable. You must have some degree of assurance that the situation is controlled as for safety.

All in all I'd say that intense pain is just a reinforcer of the actual torture which is mental.

Quote:

Any suffering or pain, physical or mental or social or emotional, out of all the endless possibilities, what do you think is the worst the human mind can experience?

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