I've thought this too, same with going blind. I'm sure it would suck, I'm sure there would be a lot of distractions, but maybe sleep through that crap during the day and meditate at night. I'm very curious how well I could do in solitary confinement, or in those very noise proof rooms that people freak out in. It would probably really suck still though.
Haven't read the article yet (I usually read HN comments first before reading the original) but your comment caught my attention. If you are really curious to see how well you could do in solitary confinement, maybe one of the ways to 'try out' the concept of not being 'connected' is to go to a week or two meditation course like Vipassana[1].
(Disclaimer: I haven't been to one, I am not affiliated in any way) From what I have read about this - The idea is to give up as many sources of external stimulation as possible. For e.g. they don't allow cell phones, any gadgets, internet connection, reading, writing,etc. The setting also takes away from you - having to think about cooking and other daily chores and all you are left to do is either meditate OR take a walk in the campus OR sleep.
Thanks, I do Daoist meditation and have been on a few retreats. They're not nearly as strict about no communication, but it is a lot of meditation / qigong each day. I'd be really interested in a strict retreat environment, but I'm not very interested in Vipassana meditation.
Meditation is one of my big motivators for early retirement. Saving money so I can train harder (and comfortably) down the line. Let's face it, a house is more comfortable than a cave :)
