Starkville resident in new Discovery Channel show
A Starkville resident and Tibbee native will be featured in a brand new Discover Channel show “Darkness” on Aug. 3 at 9 p.m.
J. R. Phillips, 27, is from Tibbee, a town between Starkville and West Point, and has lived in Starkville since 2006. Phillips is married, with twin 4-year-old daughters and a 6-monthold son. He is a Sergeant in the Marine Corps Infantry, a photographer, filmmaker and content creator.
On Thursday he will be appear as a survivalist on “Darkness” — a show where contestants spend up to six days in complete darkness searching for food, water and a way out in un-
derground caverns, mines, and cave systems.
Phillips was unable to reveal much about his time on the show, but he said the most challenging part was going a long amount of time without water and not having a way to keep up with the time.
“This whole adventure was just a mind game,” Phillips said. “As long as you stayed in control of your own thoughts and emotions it really wasn’t that bad.”
Phillips said during his time on the show, he spent a lot of time praying,
quoting scripture and reflecting.
“It was nice to go that long without any distractions from the outside world,” Phillips said. “It was basically a mental vacation for me.”
While growing up in rural Mississippi, Phillips learned survival techniques, from how to hunt, fish and trap to how to grow his own vegetables.
“Darkness” was inspired by sensory-deprivation training used by NASA and Special Forces. The show was recorded using infrared, thermal and remote imaging technology and participants were equipped with cameras to document their personal experiences.