The Rosenhan experiment occurred in 1973, where psychologist David Rosenhan sent 8 sane and healthy associates or "pseudopatients" to various psychiatric institutions around the U.S. All the pseudopatients feigned auditory hallucinations, and once admitted, retracted the complaint and behaved normally. Some stayed for several weeks while some for several months. None of the hospital staff realized that these pseudopatients were actually sane, while 35 out of the total 118 patients figured out that they were impostors. The pseudopatients reported how the treatment of the patients by the staff was borderline dehumanizing and how once declared insane, any action by the patient (even normal ones such as writing or reading) will be seen through the lenses of the diagnosed disease. There is no way to prove your sanity, because to them, you aren't and will never be. This TED Talk by John Ronson gives a little insight to mental institutions and what it really means to be 'insane'.
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