...I'm sure there were people that were sleep deprived, but nobody was keeping them.
Sure, it's a crock of shit, and they have some bizarre ideas, but the only thing keeping people there was the sheep effect. Like I said, it was very easy to get caught up in the religious "high", and that probably falls under some sort of mass hysteria/hypnosis, aka, sheep effect. I came away believing that I could heal the sick, raise the dead and see angels, and I'm sure I'm not the only one that did.
There's a
physiological basis for that "religious high." Punishing the body (e.g., through chronic sleep deprivation) makes it release natural endorphins. I've also read somewhere that all this massive group participation with its emphasis on emoting constantly can excessively stimulate the limbic brain.
Somebody oughta sic DARE on these people.