Sensory Deprivation Tanks

By Josh Reighley on March 7, 2006 2:14 AM | Permalink | Comments ()

A few years ago, I tried a Sensory Deprivation Tank.

The concept is pretty neat. Basically it is a tub about 1 foot deep. 8 or so feel long and 5 or so feet wide. The tank is full of water that has been saturated with 800 pounds of Epsom salts. As a result, this water is considerably denser than normal water, and when you lay on it, you float.

The water is heated to 93.5 degrees, which is the approximate temperature of your skin. When you close the door on the tank, it is totally dark. The idea is that you lay suspended in the saltwater solution with nothing to see, hear, smell, taste or feel.

This sounds scary, but it really isn't too bad. The tank is pretty big, so claustrophobia really isn't an issue. I could reach both walls if I spread my arms, but I couldn't reach the ceiling. Once the lights go out and you relax a bit the space seems infinitely big.

There is all kinds of propaganda on the benefits of floating. I was pretty hyped up about it before I tried, and I figure that my expectations interfered a bit with my experience. My friend who went with me, did it just for kicks, and he thought it was the coolest thing ever. He really hadn't built up a lot of anticipation.

There are quite a few companies that manufacture sensory deprivation tanks or "Float Tanks". They seem to range from 5-20k in price. I have seen one guy who sells float tank plans. He claims that you can build your own for about 1000 dollars. I purchased his product, and it doesn't look too bad, although I would likely take a different approach if I where to build my own.

In many cities, there are places you can go to rent an hour or two of time in a float tank. Floatation.com has a pretty comprehensive list. I did my floating in Seattle at Floatzone.

Overall, I found the float tank experience to be quite relaxing. I spent an hour in there, and it was not long enough. I suspect that 1 hour would be enough most of the time, but on my first time, I spent the first 15 or 20 minutes observing what could be observed and watching my brain to see if it felt weird yet. After the initial curiosity wore off, It was relaxing in a way that I don't think can be emulated any other way. There where absolutely no external distractions.

While the float tanks are quite a rage among the new-agers, I don't think that their use is inappropriate for those of us with more traditional faiths. It is a quiet place.

I have been wanting to go back, but I rarely get to Seattle, and I have yet to find one in Spokane or North Idaho. I see that there are a few in the Portland area, so next time I am over there I might see if I can schedule an appointment. I would love to have one in my house, so I could get some compressed rest on some of the days when I don't get enough sleep.

Comments

A few years ago, I tried a Sensory Deprivation Tank. The concept is pretty neat. Basically it is a tub about 1 foot deep. 8 or so feel long and 5 or so feet wide. The tank is full of water that has been saturated with 800 pounds of Epsom salts. As a result, this water is considerably denser than normal water, and when you lay on it, you float. The water is heated to 93.5 degrees, which is the approximate temperature of your skin. When you close the door on the tank, it is totally dark. The idea is that you lay suspended in the saltwater solution with nothing to see, hear, smell, taste or feel. This sounds scary, but it really isn't too bad. The tank is pretty big, so claustrophobia really isn't an issue. I could reach both walls if I spread my arms, but I couldn't reach the ceiling. Once the lights go out and you relax a bit the space seems infinitely big. There is all kinds of propaganda on the benefits of floating. I was pretty hyped up about it before I tried, and I figure that my expectations interfered a bit with my experience. My friend who went with me, did it just for kicks, and he thought it was the coolest thing ever. He really hadn't built up a lot of anticipation. There are quite a few companies that manufacture sensory deprivation tanks or "Float Tanks". They seem to range from 5-20k in price. I have seen one guy who sells float tank plans. He claims that you can build your own for about 1000 dollars. I purchased his product, and it doesn't look too bad, although I would likely take a different approach if I where to build my own. In many cities, there are places you can go to rent an hour or two of time in a float tank. Floatation.com has a pretty comprehensive list. I did my floating in Seattle at Floatzone. Overall, I found the float tank experience to be quite relaxing. I spent an hour in there, and it was not long enough. I suspect that 1 hour would be enough most of the time, but on my first time, I spent the first 15 or 20 minutes observing what could be observed and watching my brain to see if it felt weird yet. After the initial curiosity wore off, It was relaxing in a way that I don't think can be emulated any other way. There where absolutely no external distractions. While the float tanks are quite a rage among the new-agers, I don't think that their use is inappropriate for those of us with more traditional faiths. It is a quiet place. I have been wanting to go back, but I rarely get to Seattle, and I have yet to find one in Spokane or North Idaho. I see that there are a few in the Portland area, so next time I am over there I might see if I can schedule an appointment. I would love to have one in my house, so I could get some compressed rest on some of the days when I don't get enough sleep.