Float Tank: The Science
Float tanks started back in the 1960’s and as the scientific evidence mounted over its benefits, took on the world, attracting silicon valley geniuses, CEOs, and creative spirits. They are scattered throughout NYC and studies have shown the following (studies linked if you are curious):
Muscle relaxation, improved sleep, decreased pain, stress and anxiety in healthy people
(link: https://bmccomplementalternmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6882-14-417 )
Enhanced creativity through increasing originality, imagination, and intuition
Increased clarity of thought and insight into every day challenges
(link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325176720_What_is_the_Lived_Experience_of_Floatation-REST)
Improving recovery in athletes by decreasing blood lactate
Reduced anxiety and depression
(link: https://bmccomplementalternmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12906-016-1089-x )
Reduced stress related pain
(link: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/prm/2009/298935/abs/ )
Increased happiness through increased optimism, increased well being, a sense of well being and for some, deep inner peace and spiritual insight
(link http://www.ijpsy.com/volumen11/num2/299/preventing-sick-leave-for-sufferers-of-high-EN.pdf)
I have now done it twice, with a third one coming up in a month. Best advice is to not have any agenda going in, I definitely had an agenda, but neither time did my agenda become fulfilled. As the gate keeper of the experience told me, “you get what you need, not what you want.”
The pods are full of body temperature water, there is a blue light, you can listen to music or be in complete silence. The water is filled with epsom salt so that you easily float.
Once I closed the pod, I laid there, in total nude, feeling the water around my body. I could see nothing, hear nothing, and felt just my own body and the feeling of “floating.” It took a good 30-40 minutes for my thoughts to calm down, I was a bit stressed at the beginning few minutes, but then I had the silence and nothing to do which lead to a whirlwind of thoughts about my day and remembering past conversations or interactions I have had. Then once my mind had totally exhausted from the thoughts, I felt this feeling of calmness just taking over my body and mind. It was like a blanket, and I felt so peaceful and so happy. I felt incredibly light and buoyant not just physically but mentally and emotionally. Then what seemed like a couple minutes later the voice came on calling the experience over (it is only a one hour session).
The next few days this calm stayed with me and staff and patients would even remark how calm and mellow I seemed. I felt so light and free, normal stressors bounced off so readily. I had been working out a ton, and my muscles felt great, so much better than a deep tissue massage.
Two months later I went again, seeking the deep relaxation that could have been my brain reaching “theta waves” that I had looked up later. Theta waves are when your brain activity drops to a frequency of 3.5 to 7.5 Hz. This leads to increased creativity, intuition, daydreaming, and fantasizing and a flow of ideas and positive emotions. Other ways to get to theta waves are internal focus, meditation, prayer, and spiritual awareness.
The second experience was different, I kept thinking but went deep, thought about spirituality and the state of the world and the state of existence. I came to some spiritual realizations and acceptances that I will not go into here. I had the same calmness, but associated more with increased energy and desire for action and redirection in certain areas of my life.
There you have it, my float tank experience! Comment or DM if you have done it and what your experience was like, and I am looking forward to updating this was my third in about a month :)
