While it’s not very well documented due to how much lore and information has been lost over the centuries, it’s understood that the druids of old would undergo a specific rebirth process that would reinvigorate their souls, give them new skills, and essentially turn them into new people.
It’s been a process that hasn’t been understood, but historians are starting to believe that it has some link to sensory deprivation, which involves robbing the senses of any information, forcing the brain to create entirely new realities.
It’s a phenomenon that has received much attention over the last few decades, although there is much we still need to learn.
What Is Sensory Deprivation
The human brain can only work when it’s exposed to certain external stimuli. This can be the ambient temperature, the birds outside, the feel of a soft blanket – anything that involves one of our primary senses.
Its information that is constant, and without it, the brain starts to short circuit somewhat, forcing it into a panic mode that eventually turns into hallucinations.
Indeed, it’s a phenomenon that is usually replicated in something called a sensory deprivation tank, where all sounds and sights are removed, and the person lies in a solution of salt water to remain floating.
They can experience a number of different but powerful hallucinations, and some of them can be potent enough to change a person’s life. Many modern druids and historians alike suspect that the ancient druids would undergo a similar process, albeit through different methods.
How They Achieved It
It’s believed that when a druid was ready to move onto the next phase of their training, they would seek out specific caves at the base of mountains, and go as deep as possible, with just enough provisions to keep them alive.
They would remain here for around 7 days, without any light or sound available at all, forcing themselves into a state of sensory deprivation.
Similarly to how a monk can gain insights into their own mind through meditation, it’s believed that the druids underwent many changes during their time in the caves as their brains at first struggled against its surroundings before producing its own reality.
The human brain is the most complex machine that we’ve ever encountered, and it’s fully capable of fabricating a believable, tangible reality around it.
How It Changed Them
There are varying accounts on what the experience did to the druids, but it does seem to have an overall positive outcome.
For instance, a druid might enter the caves for a time and re-emerge as a skilled poet or musician despite not previously having the skills to perform at that level, something that many of us could use for our work or for finding a great gaming bonus. They might become wiser and more insightful, and have a deeper connection with the world around them.
Whatever the outcome, it was a necessary part of their training, allowing the druid to enter the world as a more complete leader and guide.
