Remember when you were in school and had to do a science project? Perhaps you made a volcano, tested different watering systems, or used food coloring to make some brightly colored celery. One Spanish woman became the science experiment herself, dedicating over a year of her life to it.
Beatriz Flamini took part in an experiment called “Timecave.” The goal was to monitor how a human being coped with being underground for an extended period of time. Beatriz entered the cave in Southern Spain on Saturday, November 20, 2021, at 48 years old. She exited the cave on April 14, 2023, at age 50. She did remarkably well being isolated underground for 500 days.
After being underground for about two months, Beatriz lost track of time. She kept busy by reading, knitting, exercising, and creating art. She was monitored closely by a team made up of psychologists, researchers, and speleologists (scientists who study caves), but they never made contact. When they came to get her to leave after 500 days, she “didn't want to come out.”
"When they came in to get me, I was asleep. I thought something had happened," Beatriz recalled. "I said: 'Already? Surely not.' I hadn't finished my book."
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Beatriz is slowly adjusting to being back above ground and among people. "I'm still stuck on November 21, 2021. I don't know anything about the world,” she admitted. She experienced "auditory hallucinations" while in the cave and has some balance issues currently. She still describes the experience as being “excellent” and “unbeatable.”
She learned to maintain a level head while in the cave. "You have to remain conscious of your feelings. If you're afraid, that's something natural but never let panic in or you get paralyzed,” she concluded.
To learn more about this remarkable extreme athlete, watch this video.
