Most of us like to eat comfort foods, binge watch Netflix, and unwind with a stiff drink on a Friday night. We occupy our senses with the sights, smells, tastes, and activities we desire most after a long day of work. Our free time is precious and our leisure is limited, so what we choose to do with it is one of the most important aspects of our lives. What we do for fun reflects who we are, where we want to be, and what we value most in life.
Now imagine turning off all of your senses. There are no smells, no tastes, no sounds, and no light in the tank. Unless you've visited a float tank before, you have never been in a sensory restricted environment. There are no pillows, blankets, cushions, chairs or screens. In every other moment of your life, you are surrounded by sensory input whether it be in-front of a laptop, drinking a coffee, or watching the TV. Some people like to use these inputs to relieve their stress, by absorbing themselves in their favorite television series or going for a run around the neighborhood while listening to some tunes. Everything we do stimulates the senses, and the things we choose to do in our leisure time are usually concerned with satisfying one sensory craving or another. Our senses are perpetually being occupied, and our brain is constantly deciding which input it will choose next. Our brain has never been given the opportunity to choose 'nothing'. Nothing at all! As little sensory input as humanly possible, in fact. To some, the idea sounds counter-intuitive. Yes, you have to pay money to spend time experiencing the epitome nothingness.
Sounds relaxing right?! ...for some, the idea of being deprived of their senses can be terrifying.
Frequently referred to as 'sensory deprivation' or 'float therapy', this light and sound proof chamber is the place where people have been going to find the deepest state of relaxation imaginable. Though most users report a powerful sense of peace and calmness in the tank, stress and anxiety seem to be the first response before stepping in for your first time. Fear and discomfort are frequently the automatic responses of our subconscious, associating loss of senses with loss of the self or body.
It's an odd proposal, spending time and money do 'nothing'. We normally spend our free time and money on activities that we can get excited about. We work all week so we can spend our weekends having fun and doing what we love! Right? I've heard people come up with all sorts of reasons to avoid spending an hour in the tank, time and money are the most prevalent.An 8 hour shift followed by 2 hours of heavy traffic, just to get home and have to make dinner for a family of 5, is a heavy day of sensory experience. We push through the undesirable experiences in the hope that at the end of our hectic afternoon, we'll be able to have a couple of hours to relax and do what we choose to do. Our free time is precious, so the choices we make with what to do with that time is important. We work hard to earn our time to relax and unwind, but I don't believe we truly understand what those words mean. My first float was one of the first times I had ever truly felt 'unwound'. The inputs we choose are usually meant to satisfy our existential itch of excitement and pleasure. But I think there is something else we're naturally predisposed to seeking out and enjoying, a sense of peace, quiet, calmness, and consciousness. R.E.S.T. therapy is taking it to a whole new level.
Restricted environment stimulation therapy, otherwise known as REST, is the new-age solution to an age old practice. Recent scientific studies have been finding the endless benefits to meditation. The float tank offers an ideal environment for attaining the meditative state of mind. Inside the tank, I found that my attention span and distraction are less physical and a more of a mental issue.
The first couple of times in the tank I witnessed my thoughts bouncing around in my mind. I was restless, fidgeting, and couldn't seem to keep my body from moving and playing with it surroundings. I was bouncing off of the walls, literally. Playing with my limbs and testing the buoyancy I had never had the pleasure of experiencing before. Then I remembered what the lady at the front desk had instructed me to do, "clear your mind, focus on your breath, stay absolutely still, and don't think about anything outside of the tank". I started to breath deeply, listening to my heartbeat and stopped thinking about everything other than my body.
Then I began to think about how to stop thinking, what posture was the best poster to lay perfectly still in, what if i run out of air? I quickly realized the thought loop I had fallen into, and again turned my focus to my breath. Not 30 seconds had passed and a grumble in my stomach lead me to a thorough examination of my bodily functions. I was feeling my bacon and egg breakfast move through my body, and wondered what I would be having for lunch when I exited the tank. Realizing my mistake, the calming underwater speakers turned on gently. The music began to play to let me know that my time was up.
There is a learning curve involved, like with any form of meditation. Even in the most ideal environment for mental focus and clarity, our minds will always find a way to distract themselves from experiencing 'nothing'. Our whole lives have been composed of experiences, our analysis of those experiences, and our thoughts and ideas on how to best handle physical situations. Our mind has no point of reference for the sensory deprivation tank, other than the first 9 months of life spent floating in the womb before we were even capable of memory formation or thought. It's new, unusual, and has the potential to be extremely healing, or absolutely terrifying. It requires that we take a close look at ourselves. With no sensory input, your brain becomes hyper focused on itself and its awareness, and your thoughts become more vivid and apparent.Even through all of my restlessness, distraction, and fidgeting inside of the tank, stepping out of the tank I felt a remarkable difference. I felt lighter, like I was still floating in a way. I went for a walk, and noticed my back pain had significantly faded. My skin felt incredibly soft. It felt like I had been given a full body massage without ever having been touched.
I have much more to learn, and hope to practice floating as frequently as possible in the future. It was the most 'Zen' I have ever felt....Until I got back on the 403 to head back to Hamilton.
When I told my mother about getting into my first float tank, her response was, "WHAT? You just get into a big coffin and shut the door? No, thanks!". She's not the only one who I've heard respond this way. It's easy to understand how the absence of physical sensation would be associated with death. In the tank, its as though your body ceases to exist, and your thoughts are all that remain. The real trick, once you learn 'how' to float, is letting the thoughts fade away as well.
Essentially, the contraption you're climbing into is a large tank of hyper-buoyant water with 800 pounds of epsom salts dissolved into it. It's like the dead sea in a sound and light proof box. After taking a shower with a scent-free soap, you pop in some waterproof ear plugs, get naked, climb in, lay down and close the door. The water is about 12 inches deep and, when fully reclined, your whole body has no problem resting gently along the surface. The water is heated to the same temperature as the surface of your skin, to minimize any sense of temperature difference. Your body has no more point of physical reference to the outside world. Your sense of balance and orientation is unlike anything you've ever felt before. At times, it can be difficult to distinguish between up and down, and the feeling of laying down flat is difficult to hold onto. There were times in the tank where I felt as though I were standing up, spinning in circles, or flipping and turning through a dark void. It's easy to see how it might be frightening to some.
Essentially, the contraption you're climbing into is a large tank of hyper-buoyant water with 800 pounds of epsom salts dissolved into it. It's like the dead sea in a sound and light proof box. After taking a shower with a scent-free soap, you pop in some waterproof ear plugs, get naked, climb in, lay down and close the door. The water is about 12 inches deep and, when fully reclined, your whole body has no problem resting gently along the surface. The water is heated to the same temperature as the surface of your skin, to minimize any sense of temperature difference. Your body has no more point of physical reference to the outside world. Your sense of balance and orientation is unlike anything you've ever felt before. At times, it can be difficult to distinguish between up and down, and the feeling of laying down flat is difficult to hold onto. There were times in the tank where I felt as though I were standing up, spinning in circles, or flipping and turning through a dark void. It's easy to see how it might be frightening to some.
(Joe Rogan & Dr. Oz Talking about their float tank experiences)
Good news! Hamilton will have 4 different float centers opening as of 2016.- Float Lodge
- Wonder Float
- Zee Float
- Mystic Float
