Waterboarding is a form of
water torture in which water is poured over a cloth covering the face and breathing passages of an immobilized captive, causing the individual to experience the sensation of
drowning. Waterboarding can cause extreme pain,
dry drowning, damage to
lungs,
brain damage from
oxygen deprivation, other physical injuries including
broken bones due to struggling against restraints, lasting psychological damage, and death. Adverse physical consequences can manifest themselves months after the event, while psychological effects can last for years.