I recently got a MySpace friend request from a man in Germany who writes a floating blog at http://floatbase.blogspot.com. He let me know that he mentioned me in a recent post. I used http://babelfish.altavista.com to translate his blog post and this is what I got:

The topic floating is still a little underrepresented in the world of the Blogger. Outriders with the float Blogs are thereby the US Americans. Most interesting the Blog of the California center presents itself FLOATS. The center calls itself kind Spa "as" Urban. In this bathbath bath the floating experience is rounded off by exhibitions, live music and performances. The Floating Blog reports on this Events. Informed in addition, about interesting homepage as well as the newest studies in the area. The side is in any case worth a view. As second float Blog does out the side of franc Rodriguez. The former operator of a floating center remained still faithful for the topic. It is occupied predominantly with reports from the press and pragmatic questions approximately around the floaten. From headings like "one survives Car Crash and open Floatation Therapy center" one should not be able to be deterred thereby.

If I understand correctly what this gentleman is saying, the headline for one of my recent posts was a deterrent. I write these posts for the benefit of others, but since I don't get much feedback on the content I'm creating, my criteria for this blog is content that I would be interested in reading myself. If you ever have any thoughts about the content here, please take a minute to post a comment and share your thoughts. Thanks for visiting!

This article comes from US News & World Report March 12, 2008

With three kids and a full-time job, I find that having time on my hands is a rare luxury on a par with a Godiva truffle. Thus, I jumped at the chance to spend a full decadent hour by myself in a flotation tank.

Flotation therapy, which is experiencing a small resurgence after becoming popular in the 1970s, is designed to trigger a deep state of relaxation by minimizing input to the five senses. You float in total darkness with earplugs in salt water heated to skin temperature, so you don't feel hot or cold. The 1,200 pounds of Epsom salts mixed into the water make you so buoyant that you bob like a cork. A handful of studies suggest that this "restricted environmental stimulation technique" (aptly abbreviated REST) lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, and eases neck and back pain. Most appealing to me beforehand, though, was the chance to experience a feeling of weightlessness. NASA uses these tanks to simulate conditions of zero gravity in space, and since I always wanted to be an astronaut…

Upon venturing into H&H Flotation Spa near my office in Washington, D.C., I began having second thoughts. The tank—about 8 feet long and 4 feet wide—was much smaller that I had envisioned, and it had a coffinlike lid. Making matters worse, I'd agreed to have my visit videotaped, so readers could watch. My worries about the tank and memorizing my script triggered a stress-related migraine. How ironic, I thought.

Still, I figured if this works as well as some of the flotation therapy websites like Floataway say, the hour should rid me of my stress and my excruciating headache. And it did work somewhat. After a few minutes, I felt as if I were suspended in a giant gob of Jell-O, wobbling like a grape. But soon the feelings of weightlessness slipped away, and my thoughts returned to the video. I simply could not relax knowing that my experience was being documented. After about 35 minutes, I was feeling slightly nauseated. So I lifted the lid and let myself out before my hour of floating was up.

I decided to give it another try a week later, without the videographer in tow. I almost immediately went into my Jell-O state and for a while just listened to the sound of my breathing. But soon I heard snippets of conversation, my husband's voice. I strained to hear what he was saying, and the spell was broken. Slightly seasick, again I lifted the lid and let myself out of the tank after 35 minutes.

Floating, like massages, meditation, and yoga, is clearly not for everyone. In fact, Mark Shriver, an associate professor of anthropology and genetics at Penn State University, is conducting a study to see how temperament and personality affect a person's floating experience. Of the 100 study volunteers he recruited, only two said they wouldn't want to float again. He believes genes may determine how a person responds to the sensory deprivation involved with REST.

Indeed. When I told my mom about my experience, she told me she'd tried floating last year at a Montreal spa: "I felt too confined and couldn't wait to get out." She, like me, relaxes better with a massage.

This is from BBC News October 21, 2003

A man who almost died after a car crash three years ago has fought back to open a business which he hopes will help others.

Joseph Smart, 29, is hoping the celebrity craze for flotation chambers will catch on in Northamptonshire.

Three years ago Mr Smart, from Northampton, spent weeks in a coma after being badly hurt in a car crash.

He was in a car on the A43 which was crushed by an articulated lorry.

A legacy of the accident is permanently disability but that has not deterred him from qualifying as a fitness instructor.

Now he has started his own business with the help of the Princes Trust.

He has opened a flotation therapy centre in his home town.

"It's been hard to get here to this stage. There have been a lot of hurdles to climb but now we are here - it's good."

His view was echoed by Lesa Jones, who donned a swimming costume for a trial run in the tank at Therafloat.

It takes a ton of salt and minerals in each floatation tank to create the illusion of zero gravity.

It is a sensation that many believe can both heal and relax.
 

This news comes from The UK Mirror - March 1, 2008

The secret behind Wayne Rooney's great form has been revealed - the England ace has been spending 10 hours a week in a flotation tank. Rooney has enjoyed some of the best form of his career of late, scoring 12 goals in 26 appearances for Manchester United this term. Previously the 22-year-old was suffering from a string of injuries and had been struggling to find his form for club and country.

But Roo has been setting the Premier League alight recently and friends reckon the flotation tank is the key.

The £4,000 egg-shaped water pod was installed in Rooney's £1million mansion in Prestbury, Cheshire, at the request of his fiancee Coleen McLoughlin.

And now the striker is reaping the rewards.

A close friend of Wayne's said: "Wayne has been using Coleen's flotation tank regularly. When she first had it installed he wasn't exactly keen to try it out but he was desperate to get fit after spraining his ankle so he thought he'd give it a go.

"He noticed an immediate improvement and made his return to action a couple of weeks ahead of schedule."

One of the unique ways that comedian and TV personality Joe Rogan has made a name for himself is by being an outspoken proponent of floatation tanks. 

Most Americans today have no concept of what floating is or what it offers, so when a celebrity like Joe Rogan talks about it, a huge number of people's initial perceptions are formed by this first impression. I think the following video does a decent job of framing floatation in a positive light, even if it is colored by the old Altered States stereotype.

Be that as it may, some people hold the view that any attention is good attention. I discovered floatation in 1999 in a small classified ad and tried it out of curiosity. Little did I know that it would change my life on multiple levels. My point is that all it takes is a small nudge, so I commend Joe Rogan for using his celebrity status to promote this life-changing tool.

That quote comes from Australian senator Richard Jones. I've never met the senator and I've never been to Heaven, but I have to agree with his statement.

After 100s of personal float sessions and after surveying 100s of people after their float session, I think the floatation tank is one of the most underestimated tools available for combatting stress, fatigue and many types of pain, as well as facilitating deep relaxation. Also, thanks to the burst of endorphins your brain releases when you're floating weightless, it feels wonderful in a way that can't be explained. This isn't wonderful like how a massage is wonderful, or a foot rub. Floating is in a category all its own.

Now I don't want to encourage any misconceptions with my spaceship comparison. If you saw the hilarious Simpsons episode when Homer and Lisa had an adventure while floating in a sensory deprivation tank, you may think that only New Agey types are into floating. Nothing could be further from the truth. During my short stint with the floatation center, I saw about 800 people come through, mostly suburbanites with stressful jobs and chronic pain. You can read a small sample of their comments on the float tank experience here.

My goal here is to help turn people on to something they may have heard about, but had no idea how beneficial it was for common problems. In the spring of 2001, I was nearly paralyzed with sciatic pain due to a pinched nerve in my lower back. This was a situation that had been getting progressively worse for 6 years. Pain meds weren't working and I really wanted to avoid getting a cortisone injection or undergoing back surgery. I went to a chiropractor who put me in more pain and told me to come back in two days. Needless to say, I never went back.

Then I remembered an old ad I'd read in the newspaper about a floatation center in Chicago and decided to give it a try. I came in walking like a frozen zombie, with every movement causing so much pain as to take my breath away. Within 45 minutes in the float tank, I was pain-free.

If you've ever experienced severe pain, especially for an extended period of time, then you can relate to the gratitude I felt toward this thing that had given me my life back. I hadn't slept in almost a week because of the pain. I had used up my sick days at work and was eating up vacation days while bedridden, barely able to feed myself. I had to float several more hours in order to be pain-free outside of the float tank, but the healing process was exponentially faster than the bed rest I'd been doing the previous week. Six years of progressively worsening sciatic pain had been interrupted. Now I just float every few months for maintenance, but I float more often for relaxation.

Knowing that there are tons of people out there dealing with stress, fatigue and pain compels me to do my part in getting the word out about this odd-looking contraption that has greatly improved my quality of life.

If you've ever been curious about why some people swear that floating in a sensory deprivation tank (aka floatation tank) feels great, I wrote a straightforward description of what the float experience is like by answering questions posted on Yahoo Answers.

Here are a few questions for anyone who has tried floatation therapy:

Does the water get changed between customers?

Is it dark inside?

How much did it cost?

How did you feel afterwards?

Answer:
Q: Does the water get changed between customers?

A: A floatation tank has 800-1000 pounds of dissolved Epsom salt. This is what makes a person float like a cork, creating a low gravity environment.

Epsom salt is a natural antiseptic that inhibits the growth of microorganisms. The best example of this in nature is the Dead Sea in Israel. There are $300-$400 worth of Epsom salt in a floatation tank and it can take up to a week to dissolve, so it's necessary to create a closed system where the water is pumped out of the tank and goes through a 3 stage filtration process that includes UV sterilization and/or ozone sterilization before being pumped back in. A floatation tank is cleaner than any swimming pool, hot tub or jacuzzi.

Q: Is it dark inside?

A: The floatation tank used to be called the sensory deprivation tank. The name was changed because many people confused the beneficial kind of sensory deprivation with the kind of sensory deprivation used in prisons. The reason for floating in a dark environment is because a person will usually relax more deeply in the absence of light. That's why we turn the lights off when we go to bed.

A float tank is usually in a private room with a light on so the person entering and exiting the tank has plenty of light to see what they're doing. Once they're situated inside the float tank, they can close the door and enjoy the darkness or some people will prop the door open with a towel to let in some light and some people will leave the door wide open.

As long as the top of your body is warm and comfortable, it's ok to leave the door open. Remember, you're floating like a cork with the top of your body floating above the water. The water temperature is 93.5 degrees (skin temperature) so if the air temperature gets too cool, you're likely to get chilled and then you're not relaxing.

Q: How much did it cost?

A: The place where I float in Chicago costs $40 for an hour, but prices range from $35 at small businesses to $125 at some spas.

Q: How did you feel afterwards?

A: After my first float session, I felt much lighter, as if I was walking on the moon. Colors were richer and more intense. I learned this is because our brains crave stimulation, so when it's deprived of sensory input for a while, our senses get intensified. Also, I was feeling euphoric because of the burst of endorphins that your brain releases when you float.

I've floated many times and I typically feel more energized and calm afterwards. I can't float in the evening or else I won't be able to sleep. I'm told this is because your brainwaves transition from beta to alpha to theta. Being in that theta state has the effect of giving you the benefits of several hours of sleep in a fraction of the time. So if I need to pull an all-nighter, I float.

Whether you're a big fan of floatation tanks or are just mildly curious, you're going to have a lot of fun with this resource that I just found - http://amaznode.fladdict.net. Type a search term into the field where it says "Input keyword here." and hang out for a minute or two while an interconnected web of books and videos with relevant material is created.

I put in the search term "floatation tank" and was given many book results I'd never heard of. The graphical interface is very eye-catching and the number of results that can fit on a single page is very impressive. Highly recommended.

With www.floatforhealth.net, I've spent a lot of time compiling what I think is the most extensive online resource on floatation tanks. As a result of all that time spent doing research, I sometimes feel compelled to archive some of the online information that I see slowly disappearing. Here's an example:

A Stress Solution?

November 17, 2004 - Get your troubles to float away by simply giving salt water and isolation a chance. Float tanks are also known as sensory deprivation tanks. They were hot in the 1980's and early 90's. Now some people are taking another look at float tanks.

They are no longer seen as weird new-age toys or the creepy containers in the fictional movie "Altered States." Floating is now being sold as the latest in alternative treatment capable of melting away stress and relieving pain.

Few of us over the age of 5 have the luxury of hearing a good bedtime story and then taking a late morning nap. But, John Tolva says a one hour trip into one of these is the next best thing.

"My wife thought I was crazy locking myself into a chamber with water in it by myself in the dark," said John Tolva, floating enthusiast.

Actually there is no lock and John, a busy dad and an over stimulated creative director for IBM, is constantly looking for a quick way to relax. So when several other young professionals recommended a dip in a sensory deprivation tank, he was game.

"I really couldn't tell you what happens because the depravation of senses was so complete," said Tolva.

The idea is to literally shut out the world and give your brain and body a therapeutic rest. The journey begins by stepping into a tank that's roughly 5 feet by 8 feet in size. Inside is about 10 inches of water with about 1,000 pounds of Epsom salts mixed in that's what allows the body to bob like a cork effortlessly. The water has a silky feel and is body temperature. You can float with or without a bathing suit. Once you shut the door it's dark and silent. The only thing you might hear is the beating of your heart.

"It's awesome," said Tolva.

Debborah Hopkins is a floating enthusiast.

"If you float early in the day or early evening for the rest of the night you are in bliss and peaceful," said Debborah Hopkins, floating enthusiast.

Eric Polcyn is the co-owner of Spacetime Tanks, Chicago's oldest and only float center. He says this is better than a nap because the tank eliminates gravity, which no mattress can do. So your head, neck, spine, muscles joints and bones are floating freely.

"It's the one place on this planet that has the least amount of stimulus and strain on your body," said Eric Polcyn, owner of Spacetime Tanks.

In suburban Arlington Heights, one couple is banking on the belief that float tanks are making a comeback and people will use them as form of alternative treatment. Their center, called Aguasal, is set to open in about a month.

"The people who are going to come in here will be interested in improving their health or at least maintaining it," said Frank Rodriguez, Augasal, Inc.

It may sound crazy and a little too out there but numerous studies, including one from the National Institutes of Mental Health show float sessions can help treat hypertension and reduce stress related hormones.

Believers also claim it can improve everything from back pain to migraines. But, most mainstream physicians say it can't hurt but there's not enough science and it should not replace proven therapies.

Sleep researcher Edward Stepanski warns a soak in salt water will never replace a good night's rest.

"It's a type of relaxation therapy that for many people would probably be extremely effective, but the idea that by being in a tank or sensory deprivation will replace sleep and give you the full restorative benefits that sleep gives you that is the thing that has never been shown," said Edward Stepanksi, Ph.D., sleep specialist.

John Tolva can't wait to go back. He says the effects of floating for one hour lingered long after he left the tank.

'I think that I am doing some good. I am unwiring a little bit even if it is subconscious," said Tolva.

The water in the tank is not changed after each use. But owners say it is sanitized not only by the salt and hydrogen peroxide but it is also circulated through a type of chlorine filter.

Costs for a one hour float range from 40 to 65 dollars. And the newer tanks now include video monitors and speakers for those who don't want complete isolation.

Thanks to archive.org for keeping this story alive.

The floatation tank has definitely received its share of unbalanced coverage over the years. Anything that people don't understand is an easy target for ridicule or fearmongering.

I've read and watched many media stories about the floatation tank and most of them approach it from a very "let's look at the funny thing and poke fun at it" perspective. I guess it's a natural result of the fast paced news industry that a reporter can take on the task of educating the public about a subject but not have a clue what they're talking about because they haven't done their research. It's thought provoking when you consider the tremendous influence the media has over public opinion.

After reading so many news reports that treated float tanks like an oddity not worth taking seriously, I was pleasantly surprised to find that a little bit of deeper digging uncovered several serious attempts by the media to explain what a float tank is to their audience. I've linked to a few of those news reports on my Floatation Tank News page.

Here's a rare exception - a TV show that profiles interesting Chicago businesses did the most glowing segment on floating I've ever seen. This was a huge relief for me since I wasn't able to sleep the night before the filming of this segment due to fear of being misrepresented.

[Please note: This is a high resolution video that requires Quicktime. It's a big file so please give it a moment to load.]