Waterboarding is an interrogation method in which the subject is strapped down, sometimes inclined backwards, and water is poured into their nose and mouth. At first, it isn’t so bad — you can hold your breath. But you need to breathe eventually, and when you do… hello water. Water is drawn in, which induces a sense of overwhelming fear. You feel like you’re dying. And you are — you’re experiencing a controlled drowning that, if not stopped at the right time, would certainly kill you. It’s very effective. You’ll say anything when your body has you convinced that you’re about to die.
It’s an extremely cruel form of torture, and can cause lasting psychological damage. The CIA reserves the right to waterboard detainees, and the Bush Administration has rebuffed requests to ban the method.