The Prisoner’s Cinema is a phenomenon reported by prisoners confined to dark cells and by others kept in darkness, voluntarily or not, for long periods of time. It has also been reported by truck drivers, pilots, and practitioners of intense meditation. Astronauts and other individuals that have been exposed to certain types of radiation have reported witnessing similar phenomena.
The ‘cinema’ consists of a light show of various colors that appear out of the darkness. The light has a form, but those that have seen it find it difficult to describe. Sometimes, the cinema lights resolve into human or other figures. Scientists believe it is a result of phosphenes (flashes of light, often associated with inflammation of the optic nerve) combined with the psychological effects of prolonged exposure to darkness.
The Daily Omnivore 
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