A review of sensory deprivation is presented. The history of the concept and the terminological problems are reviewed. The symptoms are subdivided into: perceptual, cognitive and affective and the physiological disturbances are reviewed. Various etiological theories are discussed. These include biological, psychodynamic and social psychological theories. Experimental variables related to the subject, the investigator and the design of the research are presented. A review of the clinical and practical implications of sensory deprivation is given. It is emphasized that sensory deprivation might contribute to development of symptomatology in numerous situations. Finally, the potential therapeutic effects of controlled sensory deprivation are discussed.