Summary
Highlights
Anderson Cooper puts on earphones to experience a schizophrenia simulator. He immediately hears whispers and voices, which are number puzzles. He finds it incredibly difficult to concentrate, noting that while music is manageable, constant human voices are very distracting.
He is then asked a series of questions typically posed to someone admitted to a hospital. He struggles to recall the correct day and date, and fails to remember a sequence of five numbers, highlighting the difficulty of cognitive tasks amidst auditory hallucinations.
Cooper attempts a memory test, listening to five words. However, when asked to recall them later, he cannot. He explains that the voices vary from whispers to aggressive, making concentration incredibly challenging, especially when they are constantly talking.
Next, Cooper tries to make an origami boat following instructions. He becomes visibly frustrated, even yelling at the voices to shut up. He struggles with the task, noting the profound difficulty of focusing when constant, critical voices are present.
After the simulation, Cooper reflects on the experience, describing it as incredibly distracting and isolating. He mentions wanting to engage with the negative, critical voices and finds himself wanting to tell them to be quiet. He calls the experiment unpleasant but eye-opening.
Cooper concludes by emphasizing how the simulation provides insight into what people with schizophrenia experience daily. He expresses his eagerness to remove the headphones, stating that the constant negative reinforcement is depressing and creepy, making him wish for it to stop.