How Sensory Deprivation Float Tanks Deepen Your Meditation

I was first drawn to float tanks by stories I’d heard that sounded like mind-altering drug trips except the people telling them were completely sober. They were, quite simply, just floating on water. I had to try it and figure out for myself what made it a life-changing experience for so many.

Why were float tanks invented?

The flotation tanks, which are also called isolation or sensory deprivation tanks, were created in the 1950s by Dr. John C. Lilly. He was a neuroscientist and psychoanalyst with interests in philosophy and invention. He was deeply passionate about exploring human consciousness, particularly regarding what we could access within ourselves when we completely tune out outside stimuli.

He wanted to know who we are when we are completely free of the noise, sensations, and impositions of the outside world. Who are we when all we are aware of is our inner self?

This might sound like something you could answer through meditation, and I am a big proponent of meditation. However, as someone who meditates daily, I believe the isolation tank takes us on a journey far different from any meditation.

What is sensory deprivation, exactly?

It is a form of meditation but in a way more akin to yoga in that it is as much physical as it is mental. Float tanks interact directly with your body, and some even feel as if they become one with the water, which can create a feeling of being infinite. The water is warmed to 98 degrees, which is the same as body temperature. Each tank has around 1,000 pounds of salt in it, which ensures all people, of all shapes and sizes, will float on this buoyant water.

I feel completely held and taken care of. This mental release is a large part of what makes the isolation tank so powerful.

Floating on a cushion of saltwater for an hour counteracts the pressure of gravity. Your joints, tissues, and muscles will feel as if you’ve just received a superb massage, your spine will thank you, and the Epsom salt will do wonders for your skin and circulation.

The physical sensation of floating connects us right into the mental feelings of surrender and release. It’s one of the most comforting sensations I’ve ever felt. It’s as if I am being held in my own little cushion of support, and whatever it is that bothers me can safely be let go. I feel completely held and taken care of. This mental release is a large part of what makes the isolation tank so powerful.

Here's what happened when I developed a regular sensory deprivation practice.

Once you are comfortable with the sensation of floating (you may not reach this on your first time), you will gently ease into deeper and deeper levels of surrender and letting go. At some point, you will naturally lose track of time. You will slowly forget where you are, maybe even who you are. You will fall into your subconscious, but you will still be awake, allowing you to forge a connection with all of the power that resides there. The more times you go to the tank, the more you build and strengthen that bridge between your subconscious and conscious.

As a result, you may suddenly start being able to recall your dreams. You may have bursts of insight while in the tank. You may find your creativity at work heightens to new levels. You might also find yourself becoming more aware of how you react to life, what triggers you, and feel yourself taking greater control over what used to feel like out-of-control emotions.

Are there any downsides to float tanks?

Now that I’ve described a few of the possible benefits, you might be wondering why everyone isn't running out to try it. I suspect it's because all of this is done in an enclosed tank, in complete darkness. Simply envisioning closing the lid of a pod and sealing yourself in can trigger claustrophobia for some.

In my experience, after I’ve suggested someone go, they find that the anticipation was far bigger than the actual experience. Once inside it’s easier to understand how safe and serene it is. Each tank is in its own room, giving each person space to take things at their own speed. Most float spas have a shower in the room, so that you can shower before and after in privacy. The whole experience is designed to induce relaxation.

What can I expect on my first time?

Professional float spas have speakers built into the tank, and they will play soothing music for the first 10 minutes. They also have a light inside, and you can keep it on as long as you like—even the whole time. You don’t even have to close the door—it’s your experience and all up to you. If you keep the light on and the door open, you will not go as deep into that space of letting go. But that’s OK because this type of therapy is still new, and the fact that you are brave enough to be one of its first explorers is worth celebrating.

Most people say that once they close the door and the light goes off the feeling of the pod goes away. They no longer feel closed in but instead feel as if everything has opened up wider than ever before. Some even feel as if they then expand and connect with the whole Universe.

After dozens of trips to the float spa, I have found I can surrender and let go of things that used to hold me in an iron grip. I have gotten clarity on problems I was so deeply entangled in I couldn’t see any possible solution. And on one particularly wild trip, I had an out-of-body experience and a vision like I’ve never had before.

If this intrigues you, I hope you consider trying it out yourself. Float spas are opening with more frequency now, and it’s possible there’s one near you, waiting to take you on an adventure to your deepest resources of love, healing, and cosmic connection.

This article originally appeared on mindbodygreen.com and was written by Melissa Field,

The Power of Floating

Imagine being a 24-year-old man, naked and floating in a pod, inducing complete sensory deprivation and being immersed in what I can only describe as adult sized womb. Sound terrifying? Well, today I did just that, but alas, it was not scary in the slightest and instead it ending up being both relaxing and transformative.

To my surprise, I learnt that floatation therapy has been around for around 60 years. It is yet however, to become mainstream. I for one, knew nothing about it.

A few weeks back, I was browsing the web looking for something interesting and new that a friend and I could try out. This is when I came across ‘Float Works’ in Vauxhall, London. Intrigued, I booked us one ‘float’.

I arrived at 9 am and was overcome by a sense of tranquillity. The receptionist positively oozed zen, making my friend and I feel at ease; this was particularly reassuring when trying something so new and unusual.

He showed each of us to our private room where a large white pod filled with salt water greeted me. He explained its features and left us to shower and hop in. Normally I would be nervous, but the staff were so friendly and positive that any residual nerves evaporated.

I took off my clothes and lay down in the water. I felt the tension in my body melt away. Turning the pod’s lights off, I was lost in complete darkness, left to focus on my own thoughts for a full hour.

After the fifteen minutes of quiet music (to ‘ease you in’) I lost any sense of time. I began to fade in and out of active thought, managing in the main to clear my mind. The water, being perfect room temperature, meant that I wasn’t able to tell which parts of me were in the water and which were out. I focused on my breath and could hear only my heartbeat; I had completely succumbed to the pod.

The hour was up in what felt like minutes. Before entering, I was convinced that this whole process might drag on, but instead I was shocked at how quickly the time flew!

After the float, I felt happier, lighter and rejuvenated. I made my way up to the ‘relaxation room’ and poured myself a complementary herbal tea, and pondered the immense and positive impact of the float. I am a massage addict, but let me tell you, this float session was more wellness inducing than any massage I have ever received. It was special absolutely worth the £50 price tag.

I’m giving this 5/5 on the happiness scale.

This article originally appeared on huffingtonpost and was written by Nader Dehdasht

Float Therapy: Mental and Physical Relief From Chronic Pain

Chronic pain (anytime) in the summertime can be a double whammy of discomfort. Those suffering from chronic pain find that relaxation and sleep is even harder to come by due to the heat, and lack of sleep can intensify pain. It’s a vicious circle. There are ways to beat the heat in the summer, including keeping a cool, dark bedroom for sleeping, exercising in the morning when it is coolest, and eating refreshing summer fruits and veggies to keep your internal fires cool.

In addition to those tips, many chronic pain sufferers find relief through meditation.

One way to get your zen on is by visiting a float tank, also known as a sensory deprivation tank. Flotation REST (reduced environmental stimuli therapy) was developed in the 1950s by John C. Lilly, M.D. and uses a water-filled tank that is approximately the size of a bed and heated to skin temperature. The water is saturated with Epsom salts so that the patient can float without any effort.

Patients remove their clothes, enter the tank, turn off the lights, and relax. The idea is that this sensation of zero stimuli will help to focus inward, eliminating distractions and calming the mind and body. The Fibromyalgia Floatation Project (FFP) believes that spending an hour in a float tank will help sufferers reduce pain significantly.

Some of the potential benefits for fibromyalgia include:

• Eliminates stress, or improves ability to handle stress better, by lowering cortisol
• Promotes deep rest, eliminating fatigue
• Aids in combating insomnia
• Improves focus and concentration
• Increases dopamine production, the “feel good” hormone produced by the brain
• Reduces pain by relaxation and hormone production

When external stimuli are eliminated, the fight-or-flight response is deactivated. This response is the cornerstone of the stress response, and many chronic pain sufferers are constantly in this state of stress as their body reacts to pain. Chronic stress increases pain intensity. Eliminating or coping with stress better can help decrease sensitivity to pain.

• Manages arthritis, back pain, sports injuries, and pregnancy discomforts
• Improves chronic pain conditions
• Relieves pain and emotional stress for fibromyalgia patients
• Creates an ideal environment for pain relief with weightlessness and lack of effort
• Floating provides natural traction for a wide range of spine-related injuries

These claims are supported by research done by Thomas H. Fine, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry of the Medical College of Ohio, and Roderick A Borrie, Ph.D., clinical psychologist at South Oaks Hospital, Amityville, New York. They found that:

“[F]lotation REST can have an important role at several stages of the pain management process. By reducing both muscle tension and pain in a relatively short time and without effort on the part of the patient, flotation provides a dramatic demonstration of the benefits of relaxation. Relief is immediate and, although temporary, offers promise of further relief from REST and other relaxation-based strategies. Symptom reduction gained from flotation can increase a patient’s motivation and interest in the remainder of the therapy plan. Pain patients generally come into treatment feeling suspicious and skeptical, requiring a clear demonstration that they can be helped.”

In their research, they found extraordinary benefits for chronic pain patients. Most of the patients that utilized flotation REST suffered from chronic pain for longer than six months and floated from one to 16 sessions. Overall, they reported a reduction in pain that averaged 31.3%, with the highest level of relief in the upper back at 63.6%, and the lowest in the legs at 15.3%. This seems to be a “clear demonstration” that float tanks help with chronic pain.

A small-scale 2012 study also showed the profound benefits of float tanks. 81 volunteers with fibromyalgia were given three free float sessions in exchange for feedback on a questionnaire.  Across the board, participants reported an immediate drop in pain and an increase in well-being. They also indicated a drop in pain over the course of the three sessions, so that their pain levels when they entered the tank were lower than they had been when they entered in the previous sessions.

This result speaks to the long-term potential for pain reduction.

In addition to chronic pain, advocates of flotation therapy also tout its benefits for creativity and excellence in sports. Researchers Oshin Vartanian of the University of Toronto and Peter Suedfeld of the University of British Columbia found that musicians who floated in the tank for one hour per week for four weeks showed better technical ability at the end of the research. The researchers compared two-minute recordings before and after from the study participants and the control group and found “a significant difference between the treatment and comparison groups on technical ability, but not on any other dimension.”

College athletes benefited from REST also. Multiple studies have found that when combined with imagery, athletes from gymnasts to professional tennis players to collegiate basketball players improved performance measurably over the long term.

This article originally appeared on paindoctor.com